31
Routes / Re: Pfeiffer Bridge at Big Sur work around
« on: March 20, 2017, 04:50:43 pm »
Andrew Molera State Park is north of the Pfeiffer Bridge. The Old Coast Road is not going to help get around Pfeiffer Canyon.
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32
Routes / Re: Skinnyish Tires on Great Divide Mountain Bike Route Section
« on: March 20, 2017, 04:49:19 pm »
I did the Divide from Banff to Abiquiu in 2015.
The section from Bannack to Lima, Brown Sheep Divide, would probably be OK. Beware, though. In heavy rain, it's impassable. And I mean impassable. When I was riding, I camped halfway up the pass. I awoke before dawn to lightning in the distance. As it's exposed there, I decided it was Time To Go, and packed up and left. It began raining as I was climbing in the dark. At one point, I stopped dead because I had hit a mud patch-- wheels were so clogged with mud they barely rolled. I pushed for a while. As the sun came up, I found a gushing stream and dumped my bike in it. Wheels cleaned, I rode on, crested the pass in crazy half-light that made me feel like I was in a black and white movie, and began flying down the mountain with a huge headwind. I made it through to Lima. Two couples, miles apart behind me were stranded in the mud. Luckily, both couples were rescued by passing pickup trucks. I wouldn't have been-- I saw no one until I got well down the other side.
I don't know what the section from Slater to Steamboat was like in 2012, but in 2015 it was extremely rough and rocky, especially the section near the top of the pass and a long section in the middle of the downhill that made me glad I was riding 3" tires. I suppose it's possible to ride that section on a tandem on 35mm tires, but IMO it would be a terrible idea.
The section as you cross the Idaho/Wyoming border, on Ashton Flagg Road, was washboarded. That was a tough day for me. Again, I suppose that 35mm tires would work, but they would not be fun.
All in all, I would not recommend 35mm tires.
The section from Bannack to Lima, Brown Sheep Divide, would probably be OK. Beware, though. In heavy rain, it's impassable. And I mean impassable. When I was riding, I camped halfway up the pass. I awoke before dawn to lightning in the distance. As it's exposed there, I decided it was Time To Go, and packed up and left. It began raining as I was climbing in the dark. At one point, I stopped dead because I had hit a mud patch-- wheels were so clogged with mud they barely rolled. I pushed for a while. As the sun came up, I found a gushing stream and dumped my bike in it. Wheels cleaned, I rode on, crested the pass in crazy half-light that made me feel like I was in a black and white movie, and began flying down the mountain with a huge headwind. I made it through to Lima. Two couples, miles apart behind me were stranded in the mud. Luckily, both couples were rescued by passing pickup trucks. I wouldn't have been-- I saw no one until I got well down the other side.
I don't know what the section from Slater to Steamboat was like in 2012, but in 2015 it was extremely rough and rocky, especially the section near the top of the pass and a long section in the middle of the downhill that made me glad I was riding 3" tires. I suppose it's possible to ride that section on a tandem on 35mm tires, but IMO it would be a terrible idea.
The section as you cross the Idaho/Wyoming border, on Ashton Flagg Road, was washboarded. That was a tough day for me. Again, I suppose that 35mm tires would work, but they would not be fun.
All in all, I would not recommend 35mm tires.
33
Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: Great divide 1B: disregard Huckleberry Pass closure
« on: July 19, 2015, 08:19:32 pm »
I'm in Helena. Tex, the Cyclist's Only camping place at the bottom of the unnamed pass just south of Lincoln is everything you could possibly want, and more. Don't miss it! (You must call ahead.) Plus, there's nowhere else to camp in that area.
34
Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: Great divide 1B: disregard Huckleberry Pass closure
« on: July 18, 2015, 02:18:22 pm »
So, to review: you can get through Huckleberry Pass south of Ovando, but the road closure on Cottonwood Lakes road NORTH of Ovando is real and you should take the detour.
35
Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Great divide 1B: disregard Huckleberry Pass closure
« on: July 18, 2015, 02:15:53 pm »
Huckleberry Pass is signed on both sides as closed. It is OPEN for cyclists. They're fixing the bridge at Yukon Creek but the creek is easy to get across if no workers are there, and they'll help you if they are ther.
36
Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: Great Divid Route, Map 1 B - road closure - July 15 2015
« on: July 17, 2015, 03:54:30 pm »
The road was open today, but a worker who was there told me they'd close it starting Monday. Southbound riders have no problem, because the ACA detour starts right at the closure. Northbound riders beware- you don't want to go 18 miles to discover your route is blocked and you have to go all the way back to Ovando.
37
Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: Great Divid Route, Map 1 B - road closure - July 15 2015
« on: July 16, 2015, 09:33:12 pm »
I passed by the northern part of this today; the sign was up showing the closure as of today. I'll be heading that part of the route tomorrow, and will post asap about what I see.
38
Routes / Re: Great Divide: Tour Divide's 2015 reroute around the Great Basin
« on: June 26, 2015, 12:16:26 am »
I've heard about the solar well, but don't know exactly where it is on the route. I don't have the Tour Divide cues, just the route.
39
Routes / Re: Great Divide: Tour Divide's 2015 reroute around the Great Basin
« on: June 23, 2015, 11:06:17 pm »
The first southbound Tour Divide racers have gotten through the new reroute from Atlantic City to the Colorado border. Turns out it's a lot faster for the racers. The section was five and a half hours faster, 11.5 hours for the Wamsutter route versus 16 hours for the Rawlins route, for Jay Petervary, the record holder and current race leader.
40
Routes / Re: Great Divide: Tour Divide's 2015 reroute around the Great Basin
« on: June 04, 2015, 04:14:28 pm »
If you alter the reroute on miles 40-47 as mathieu suggests, bypassing by continuing on Riverside and then going to Bison-Basin Road, it's almost the same distance and almost the same climbing. This reroute looks like a good choice for all riders, with the option of the Basin Rim Trail for the racers and others looking for technical terrain, and Bison-Basin Road for everybody else.
I hope to have an on-the-ground report on the reroute before I have to make the choice.
I hope to have an on-the-ground report on the reroute before I have to make the choice.
41
Routes / Re: Great Divide: Tour Divide's 2015 reroute around the Great Basin
« on: June 04, 2015, 01:04:10 pm »
The 70 miles could be insurmountable, or at least difficult, for me if they included some technical portions that I'd have to walk. But so far I don't think they do. Avoiding the construction sounds like a good idea, because one might have to wait a long time at the construction if one arrived at the wrong time.
42
Routes / Re: Great Divide: Tour Divide's 2015 reroute around the Great Basin
« on: June 01, 2015, 05:55:14 pm »
But to return to the topic at hand, looks like there is still a long, long section without water, from the beginning of the alternate to Wamsutter.
43
Routes / Re: Great Divide: Tour Divide's 2015 reroute around the Great Basin
« on: June 01, 2015, 05:52:22 pm »
Support got back to me. Turned out I had to edit the route, and move a few control points a tiny bit each. That turned the cues to English.
44
Routes / Re: Great Divide: Tour Divide's 2015 reroute around the Great Basin
« on: June 01, 2015, 05:14:11 pm »
I have registered with RideWithGPS, and I copied your route over to my routes. That didn't change the language. I tried reversing the route, planning to reverse it again, but the system hung. I emailed support. We'll see what they say.
45
Routes / Re: Is the Lost Coast Alternate worth it ?
« on: June 01, 2015, 04:39:20 pm »
I've done the Lost Coast Alternate both south to north and north to south. And I've also done the regular route in that section. My opinion is that the Lost Coast option is both considerably more difficult and considerably better than the regular route. If you feel that the regular route is hard enough, don't do the Lost Coast! But if you want a worthwhile challenge, the Lost Coast is it.