Messages

16

Routes / Re: GDMBR - Missoula Spur?

« on: May 12, 2021, 02:28:32 pm »

The Missoula Spur route is more challenging climb-wise from MSO to Seeley. It can be done in a long day by a fit, fully loaded cyclist, but be prepared to camp if you get off route or are moving slower than anticipated. The 8.4 miles on Rattlesnake Tr. is an old road, basically flat except for couple small localized hills. After crossing Franklin Bridge, the climb up singletrack E. Fork Rattlesnake Tr. 514 is a gut punch, especially if loaded down. Hike-a-bike lasts for roughly 3 miles to Sheep Mtn Tr. 513, which is mostly rideable to the Mineral Pk Lookout Rd. Next 19 miles are unpaved, USFS dirt much like other GDMBR surfaces. It's after the 2nd crossing of Belmont Cr. (on bridge, at NB mi. 37.4) that things get spicy navigation-wise. From the creek up to Game Ridge, expect a 8.8 mi. climb through a spiderweb of old, mostly decommissioned logging roads- not like most GDMBR surfaces. If you're there in the latter part of the summer, the knapweed can be thigh-high (The Nature Conservancy in partnership with local MTB group sprayed back for a couple years, but I haven't heard that this is becoming regular practice, and now covid...). For this segment, grab our GPX track, load up your device with good topos, and stop to inspect anywhere you encounter a road junction to ensure you're not going off route. If you go too far off, you could spend hours getting back on route. It's wild country back there without many other human visitors at all. Pack some bear spray. At the top of Game Ridge, FR 4337 should be marked with a gate, but I heard the sign came down recently. This road flies down to Placid Lake CG on good dirt. Have fun! This kind of route is where the "Adventure" in our name comes from! Feel free to shoot me any more questions.

Attached is a weed-covered road junction in mid July, typical of the stretch above Belmont Cr.


Nathan
ACA Cartographer/Spur researcher

17

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / NL Sec01-SR 69 West of Escanaba-Road Resurfacing Closure-5/6/21

« on: May 06, 2021, 11:07:06 am »

This from Escanaba local/ACA member Daniel Vader:

There is a road construction project planned on the North Lakes affecting the route in Delta County Michigan. The resurfacing project will affect SR 69 in Michigan from Schaefer to the turn East. A good detour is available by turning East onto 17th Road to G Road to I Road to original route. I live near here and this detour is a nice ride.

Here is Daniel's proposed detour: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35926300

According to the project website, https://www.michigan.gov/som/0,4669,7-192-29907-558358--,00.html, the project will begin May 17 and last through July 2021. It is recommended to check the status before touring the route this summer.

Nathan
ACA Cartographer

18

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: TA Sec10-Mammoth Cave Loop-Green River Ferry Closure-8/13/19

« on: April 29, 2021, 12:11:54 pm »

A working link to the RWGPS map is here: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35867333

Nathan

19

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Arkansas High Country Sec 2-NW Loop-White Rock Mtn Rd. Closure 4/16/21

« on: April 16, 2021, 12:08:11 pm »

There has been a landslide on White Rock Mtn. Rd. and the USFS has been slow to respond.
Attached is the map area in question.

And here is a detour on Shores Lake Rd. suggested by Chuck Campbell, the ARHC route designer: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35722644

Nathan Taylor
ACA Cartographer

20

Routes / Re: Missoula Spur

« on: August 19, 2020, 06:14:03 pm »

That sounds rough. Do you mind sending me an email off the forum? I'd like to figure out if some of the navigational "keys" we use in the narrative descriptions have changed. The fact that you couldn't find the FR 4337 road and gate makes me wonder if some signs or other features have been removed/vandalized/etc. There are so few signs in this neck of the woods. If I can change the descriptions to avoid more folks getting lost I certainly will.

Nathan

21

Routes / Re: Missoula Spur

« on: August 19, 2020, 04:31:31 pm »

Hi Alden-
Sorry that you had a hard time route-finding on the Missoula Spur. It is a challenging route for most riders, but especially northbound from Missoula. Can you tell me how you were navigating? Print map? GPX data or mobile app? During mapping, we realized the detail limitation of our print map scale to help with winding through that web of old logging roads. Therefore we made sure to add a recommendation to use our digital data on a device as a supplement to print maps-- the ability to zoom into the route line to figure out which direction to bear at a Y, for instance, is invaluable. Attached you'll find this recommendation as it is stated on maps.

As for the overgrown grasses and weeds, many of the lands that the Missoula Spur brings riders through are in a long-term process of ownership transition. The Nature Conservancy, US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management jointly manage these lands, but some swapping between the agencies is occurring. Weed mitigation has happened along the route, but this is not an annual practice, and not enough to weather the land exchanges and current economic climate. This year, for instance, I am fairly certain the weeds were not knocked back with spray so were quite high, as you note. We realized these factors when deciding to map the route but still felt that it offered quite a lot as a bikepacking route in terms of adventure, physical challenge, historic/cultural significance, and potential for future development.

I'm happy to talk more with you about the Spur if you like. Please contact me at ntaylor(at)adventurecyclling.org if you are interested!

Nathan
ACA Cartographer

22

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: GDMBR Section 4 map C 2020 fire closure

« on: August 18, 2020, 05:44:54 pm »

More info on the Williams Fork Fire can be found here: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6971/

As of 8/18, it is closing GD Sec04 main route from near the Horseshoe CG (SB mi. 92.1) south to East Branch Reservoir (SB mi. 96.4) on the north side of Ute Pass. The detour is at turn J, SB mi. 66.4, continue straight on SR 9. As Patbikes noted, CR 30 provides a respite from the highway around Green Mountain Reservoir. South of the reservoir, SR 9 will be rejoined into Silverthorne. Attached is a map for reference. And here is a RWGPS map of the detour: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/33822847

Nathan
ACA Cartographer

23

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / GD Sec01 Map C - FR 477/Cottonwood Lakes Rd. Closure- Jul 20-Aug 8 2020

« on: July 22, 2020, 12:57:32 pm »

From Lolo NF: Cottonwood Lakes Road NFSR #477 will be closed starting on July 20 - August 8 from its junction with Dunham Creek Road #4388 at milepost 19.1 and west to its junction with Dunham Ditch Road #17512 at milepost 18.7. The closure will be in place through August 8 for crews to replace the Dunham Bridge.

This is at the same location of another closure posted Sep 2019. The suggested detour from that closure also applies here. See https://forums.adventurecycling.org/index.php?topic=15859.0

Here's the closure post from Lolo NF: https://www.facebook.com/lolonationalforest/posts/1658914600933991

Nathan
ACA

24

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: ID Hot Springs Main Map - Road closure due to construction. May 18 - end of July

« on: July 10, 2020, 01:49:33 pm »

Here is the official ACA detour: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32604552?utm_source=BE&utm_campaign=20200514_Routes

Nathan

25

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: ID Hot Springs Main Map - Road closure due to construction. May 18 - end of July

« on: July 10, 2020, 12:28:24 pm »

Sorry, the distance between passes was off in my above post:

"the climb up Couch Summit (about 1000 ft in 4 mi.) is followed by the climb up Dollarhide Summit (2500 ft in 9 mi) just 4.5 mi. further to the east"

should say

"the climb up Couch Summit (about 1000 ft in 4 mi.) is followed by the climb up Dollarhide Summit (2500 ft in 9 mi) 18 mi. further to the east"

Nathan

26

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: ID Hot Springs Main Map - Road closure due to construction. May 18 - end of July

« on: July 10, 2020, 12:20:34 pm »

It sounds like the FR 227 detour that the Smoke and Fire event (https://smokenfire420.wordpress.com/route/) will use will take participants (CCW) through Pine, Soldier, and over Couch Summit back to the main route. This has been suggested by a local sprocketgizmo in a previous post. Here is a link to the route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/33320179

As others have stated, this includes less hot desert sagebrush riding than ACA's official detour and will return a rider to the main route faster than going all the way east to Hailey. As for challenges, the climb up Couch Summit (about 1000 ft in 4 mi.) is followed by the climb up Dollarhide Summit (2500 ft in 9 mi) just 4.5 mi. further to the east.

Additionally, this detour rejoins the main route directly at the intersection of FR 094 and FR 227, where the road closure west of Worswick Hot Springs due to hauling rock for construction is slated to occur starting July 8. To avoid this closure, a rider can stick to the official ACA detour. Here is the USFS statement on this closure:

Beginning as early as July 8, the contractors will start hauling rock from along Forest Road 227 west of Worswick Hotsprings to the Bowns Project Area.  Full daytime closures on the 227 road between Five Points (intersection of FR 094 and FR 227) through the “narrows” to Worswick Hotsprings will occur at that time on weekdays only.  Travel over Couch Summit to Smoky Bar will not be affected, nor will travel to Little Smoky Creek (or Ketchum) from Wells Summit.

Nathan
ACA

27

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: ID Hot Springs Main Map - Road closure due to construction. May 18 - end of July

« on: May 15, 2020, 02:10:47 pm »

Here is a mash-up of andrewh's route (at least, how I interpreted it. Please let me know if accurate!) and the washout locations according to the USFS. I will confirm with them if this detour is acceptable, but it does look viable. The 1 mi. hike-a-bike (is any of the pack trail rideable?) seems MUCH more preferable to a combined ~4000 ft climb to the south and then riding hot sagebrush foothills all the way east to Hailey. This pack trail has a couple steep grades but overall is only about a 250 ft gain to the nondescript track leading NE to Fleck Summit.

This detour won't address the July traffic stoppages to the east near Worswick Hot Springs.

I welcome any other comments!

Nathan

28

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: ID Hot Springs Main Map - Road closure due to construction. May 18 - end of July

« on: May 14, 2020, 06:35:20 pm »

Thanks andrewh. Do you (or sprocketgizmo) know: Is the clearing work located west of the junction of FR 12 and 227? Meaning, does following FR 12 down from Fleck Summit (as you recommend) put cyclists out of the way of this work site so as to continue east on 227?

If so, I'd say that your detour sounds reasonable.

Nathan
ACA

29

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / GD Sec01 Map C - FR 477/Cottonwood Lakes Rd. Closure- Sep 2019

« on: September 10, 2019, 03:34:19 pm »

From Lolo National Forest: A segment of Cottonwood Lakes Road NFSR 477 at mile marker 19 over Dunham Creek will be closed Sept 16– Oct 12. for a bridge replacement.  Cottonwood Lakes Road will be closed to the southeast from the intersection with Dunham Creek Road NFSR 4388 for approximately a quarter of a mile.

The USFS recommended detour is to leave route at SB mi. 9.6, ride 3.3 mi. S. on Lower Cottonwood Rd./FR 9976 to Kozy Corner, then 8.5 mi. east and south on Woodworth Rd. to SR 200, then 6.7 mi. E. to main route intersection at SR 200 and Monture Creek Rd.

Here is a visual of the area in question. Purple is the closure area, green is the recommended detour.

And here is a Ride With GPS map link to the detour: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31079519

Nathan Taylor
Routes and Mapping

30

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: Great Divide Sec01-Missoula Spur-Trail Closures 8/1/19

« on: August 26, 2019, 11:53:16 am »

Update to Beeskove Fire closures on GD Missoula Spur: the main Rattlesnake Trail, East Fork Rattlesnake Tr. #514 and Sheep Mtn. Tr. #513 all reopened on 8/17. However, East Fork Rattlesnake Road/FR 2112 and Mineral Peak Lookout Road/FR 2120 are now closed until further notice as firefighting efforts continue. The above detour is still necessary to avoid the closed roads.

Nathan from ACA