Messages

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Routes / Re: Route Tucson to Glacier [AZ, UT, CO, WY, MT]

« on: November 06, 2022, 05:25:01 am »

I've been away for holidays.

Honest answer, so far I glanced at an article. But of course that doesn't suffice. I will practice it before I leave. Thanks a lot for the other tips, panniers, bear boxes and so on. Sounds great.

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Routes / Re: Route Tucson to Glacier [AZ, UT, CO, WY, MT]

« on: October 29, 2022, 12:14:36 pm »

Juan, I saved the route right as you described it. Sounds very nice. Colter Bay Campground has hiker/biker sites too, that would be a nice second stop in Grand Teton, right?

Oh yes, I am interested in a backcountry camp for a night. But I don't want to ask to much of you!

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Routes / Re: Route Tucson to Glacier [AZ, UT, CO, WY, MT]

« on: October 28, 2022, 04:44:25 am »

Juan, yes, now that I have longer gravel roads in my route, I would definitely have gravel tires on my bike. It's a high quality steel touring bicycle that has seen a lot of really bad roads. But things can go bad always, as in your examples. And without a friend I would probably stay on regular roads completely, too much risk if something goes wrong.

I know about Zion and the tunnel. It's nice that you are urging the NPS to improve conditions for cyclists. It is in their own interests to do so. Good to know about Bryce and Capitol Reef, too. I will be there in the morning to be safe.

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Routes / Re: Route Tucson to Glacier [AZ, UT, CO, WY, MT]

« on: October 26, 2022, 03:36:36 pm »

Consider this route https://goo.gl/maps/YZnkZQQeJmmQp7rG7 for the return from Islands in the Sky.  Check out the photos near the twisty part.  Nice ride but definitely easier toward Moab as it is downhill.

Done, thanks. I did see it on the map, but wasn't sure if it's possible without a mountain bike.

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Routes / Re: Route Tucson to Glacier [AZ, UT, CO, WY, MT]

« on: October 26, 2022, 01:48:13 pm »

Thank you John, I added your first suggestion to my route and saved the second one.

Doing it later in the year, I changed the route also between Moab and Grand Junction, taking the La Sal Loop Road, then North End Taylor Flat Road and CO141. It's around number 37 in my updated route now.
Any feedback on that route are still very welcome :-)

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Routes / Re: Route Tucson to Glacier [AZ, UT, CO, WY, MT]

« on: October 26, 2022, 02:48:10 am »

jamawani, thank you. I try to answer to all the points you made.

- Nein sagen, yes you can. I totally see your point concerning the seasons. So I will start in May.

- I will have a proper Visum, so I am not restricted to 90 days

- The shuttle for the bike from South to North Rim sounds great, another argument for a later start

- I am experienced in dealing with heavy traffic, but avoiding it is still preferred of course. The AZ 89A Sedona to Flagstaff sees mostly leisure traffic? Then an early start on weekdays would be advisable. In general I prefer cycling on paved roads, but longer stretches of unpaved road are also fine if they are worth it.

- I did some cycling in remote areas, like in the Balkans, but not for several days like would have to in the US. But I think I can scale that up, so im not that concerned.

- I already thought about continuing to Prince Rupert and taking the ferry, depends on how fast I advance on my trip. Taking Via Rail to Prince Rupert would save time and looks great, too. It's good to hear you would recommend it.

- Native American culture, yes I am interested, thats why I would do a detour to Mesa Verde and other monuments.

- Friends, well, only one in LA. So I could start there instead of Tucson, but Tucson is more suitable for a south north route.

So far, still happy about recommendations further north.

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Routes / Re: Route Tucson to Glacier [AZ, UT, CO, WY, MT]

« on: October 25, 2022, 11:26:10 am »

John Nettles and jamawani, thank you very much for your detailed information concerning roads. I will certainly retrace it on my map.

Also thanks to everyone for the deliberation between Canada and the Appalachians - it is going to be Canada then.

Seeing now that starting mid-March in Arizona might be between 2 and 4 weeks to early, I am thinking if I should do the trip the other way round:

- Starting in Canada mid-August
- Hitting Glacier just after Labor Day
- Entering Yellowstone mid-September
- Utah in October
- Grand Canyon end of October (maybe even North Rim)
- Arriving in Tucson Mid-November

Does this seem more realistic? Or is there just no reasonable way to avoid the summer holiday season in the US without getting in trouble with the weather?

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Routes / Re: Route Tucson to Glacier [AZ, UT, CO, WY, MT]

« on: October 24, 2022, 12:00:41 pm »

Sorry.  Messed up.  210 takes you from Clinton to Bonner where you can pick up MT 200 to MT 83.

The GF and I fortuitously found about Rock Creek Rd. during a loop tour out of Missoula in 2011.  We had planned to stay in Philipsburg near the end of the trip and the go over Skalkaho Pass.  There was a massive washout on the road that we knew about before we started.  Our plan B was to go through Drummond to get back to Missoula.  A couple of days into the trip we stayed at Elkhorn Hot Springs on the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway.  A guy saw me wearing a cycling cap and struck up a conversation.  That someone was Casey Greene, who was working in the routes department at ACA back then.  He told us about Rock Creek Rd.  I rode it again in 2016.
[/quote]

Nice. No problem, I figured it out alright.

Anyone's input to my route is still welcome!

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Routes / Re: Route Tucson to Glacier [AZ, UT, CO, WY, MT]

« on: October 20, 2022, 04:12:55 pm »

From there, you could either go east to Drummond to pick up you planned route or west to Bonner to pick up MT 200 to take you to MT 83.  The former requires about 12 miles of riding on east I-90 (Yes.  It is legal.), where you can exit and take the frontage road to Drummond.  The latter requires about 3 miles of riding west on I-90 to Clinton.  From there, there is a frontage road to (marked 210 on Google Maps) to Clinton.

I once again added it, the route along the creek looks very nice. Wouldn't dare to do such routes without a good advice.

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Routes / Re: Route Tucson to Glacier [AZ, UT, CO, WY, MT]

« on: October 20, 2022, 07:13:37 am »

ray b, thank you very much for your detailed tips and general advice! Very helpful.

You're right about deciding it on route wether continuing into Canada or doing the Skyline Drive / Blue Ridge. Why not a poll? Do you open a new threat for polls in this forum or should I add it here?

I can see the weather problem, luckily I am quite flexibel, so I could start later or stay some time in the south. Cold nights and shorter days would be still a good trade off to avoid crowds and traffic at least a little bit.

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Routes / Re: Route Tucson to Glacier [AZ, UT, CO, WY, MT]

« on: October 18, 2022, 03:12:02 pm »

This is how I came down in 2017:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/23235312

Nice, thanks a lot, I added it to my route.

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Routes / Re: Route Tucson to Glacier [AZ, UT, CO, WY, MT]

« on: October 18, 2022, 11:07:19 am »

1., 2: Very nice tips, thank you.

3. I checked it on Google, looks in fact terrible. Your map would be much appreciated.

4. Looks like there is a new (?) shared use path that starts around one mile before Hungry Horse, so only 2 miles without shoulder. Will still be unpleasant, so your alternative is good to know.

5. And apparently no shoulder as well. Could take the 464 to Browning, doesn't matter where I get on the train.

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Routes / Re: Route Tucson to Glacier [AZ, UT, CO, WY, MT]

« on: October 17, 2022, 03:38:56 pm »

Awesome, thank you!

Where are you planning to go after Drummond?  If heading towards Missoula, there are some unpaved options instead of MT 1 to Drummond that are really cool:  Skalkaho Pass to Hamilton or Rock Creek Road to the Clinton area.  I have ridden both fully loaded on my Surly LHT with 37c tires.

271 to Helmville -> Clearwater -> Great Parks North to Glacier. Seems more direct, but could go over Missoula as well.

I fixed the link in my first post, so you can see it yourself if you like.

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Routes / Route Tucson to Glacier [AZ, UT, CO, WY, MT]

« on: October 17, 2022, 02:48:57 pm »

Dear fellow cyclists,

2024 I am going to be the first time in the US, cycling from south to north. My plan is to start in Tucson, AZ, in mid March, going to Grand Canyon and the National Parks in Utah, arriving mid may in Yellowstone N.P. when the South Entrance opens and in late May / early June in Glacier N.P.

I am from Munich, Germany, 36 years old and an experienced cyclist. For 2800 miles I plan about 3 months.
You can see the route:  here (works in Firefox, not well in Safari).

I would be happy about some input concerning the route and season:

- Is it too early? I could do it later, but the intention was to do the trip mostly before Memorial Day.

- Did I choose any Highways that are outright unpleasant to cycle on? Especially on these ones, which are not ACA recommended routes: 
    - AZ 77 from Oracle to Globe
    - AZ 87 coming from Roosevelt Lake to Payson
    - AZ 87 / AZ 260 from Payson to Camp Verde
    - Red Rock Scenic Byway to Sedona, AZ 89a to Flagstaff
    - US 180 Flagstaff to Grand Canyon
    - US 89 Mount Carmel Junction to Bryce Canyon Junction
    - US 191 Monticello to Moab
    - Interstate 70 from junction with UT 75 to outskirts of Fruita, bikes are probably allowed?
    - CO 139 (Douglas Pass Road) from Fruita to Rangely
    - US 40 Rangely to Vernal
    - US 191 / UT 44  Vernal to Flaming Gorge
    - WY 530 Flaming Gorge to Green River
    - Unpaved Green River La Barge Road / Greys River Road from La Barge to Alpine through Bridger-Teton National Forest, possible with a touring bike?
    - US 89/191 to Jackson
    - Yellowstone in mid May has probably already a lot of car traffic, but if you’re used to it, it’s still ok?
    - Unpaved Road along Red Rock Lakes to Lima (possible with a Touring bike?)
    - Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway (also unpaved?)
    - MT 1 Anaconda to Drummond

- In June I could continue up to Jasper in Canada or take Amtrak to Harpers Ferry and do another two weeks on the Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway.  Are the Canadian Rockies much different from Glacier, or would you rather suggest doing the skyline drive?

Thanks in advance for tips and feedback, I surely appreciate it and will report back. It’s still some time, but I am kind of a planning fetishist, that’s why I’m so early…