Continental Divide Ride August 2009

[SRrider]

Planning on doing the CDR next summer. Great job, looking forward to more.

[AdvNinja]

Originally Posted by 10Cup

Made it to Dodge City, KS where we got to enjoy the smell of cattle processing plants…

I used to travel for work... And it sent me to Dodge City once. I would say that when you pass these plants you can smell the death in the air. If I remember correctly.. The name of the plants where Cargil and Execel.

[Red Leader]

The smell of Money!

[velosprocket]

Great report!

[byways]

Originally Posted by SRrider

Planning on doing the CDR next summer. Great job, looking forward to more.

I've posted some thoughts about Great Divide route alternatives in SW Montana, and posted them here. Perhaps they might be of interest in your planning.

[Nice_Rumble]

Some nice alternatives there byways. What beautiful country!

[dirtbound4Max]

Hey 10Cup,
Great post so far man!!! My buddy and I are getting ready for what we're calling our "4 Days of Dirt" ride through the backcountry of Colorado and I'm curious as to what route you took through our great state. We definitely plan on making it through Quray but other than that, we're open to suggestions....................Sean (dirtbound4max)

[10Cup]

8/26/09 – Day 9 Salida, CO. to Chama, NM. – 276 miles.

Rolled out of Salida at 0700 and headed for Marshall Pass. Very chilly morning but the sun was shinning and looked like a great day with not a cloud in the sky.

This pass was pretty uneventful and here are a few pictures.

This one coming down the other side still at approx 11.2 feet.

Once over Marshall continued on South and ultimately came on this ATV trail that is part of the CD trail. Complete with sand wash, rocks and hoops it was a real work out before getting through the approx mile to mile and a half.

Once past this section, still heading for NM I took several shots of stunning vistas. Of course the camera just does not capture the splendor of these mountains, streams and beautiful Pine trees.



I noted a strange order after smelling the pine trees for several miles and came around the bend and saw this…….smelly and very difficult to miss all the dung in the road.

I took several shots of this mountain that was very stunning in the sunlight for several miles. Found some history on it too. Apparently what you see is iron oxide and it makes the creek below it very toxic. Note the comment about the nail…gone in 8 months!



Dodged rain cells most of the afternoon and finally just as I hit the NM boarder once again snuck through two cells and got a room Chama, NM just as it let loose. Great view from my room don’t ya think?

Works for me, also had a good restaurant and cold beer.

Two more days to Silver City....

[10Cup]

Originally Posted by byways

I've posted some thoughts about Great Divide route alternatives in SW Montana, and posted them here. Perhaps they might be of interest in your planning.

Great info byways, wish I had known about some of this before hand. Thanks for sharing!! Loved your pictures too. Great write up too.

[10Cup]

Originally Posted by dirtbound4Max

Hey 10Cup,
Great post so far man!!! My buddy and I are getting ready for what we're calling our "4 Days of Dirt" ride through the backcountry of Colorado and I'm curious as to what route you took through our great state. We definitely plan on making it through Quray but other than that, we're open to suggestions....................Sean (dirtbound4max)

dirtbound4Max, I was just following the route bycicalists put togeter but I would defer your request to byways he lives close by and knows these parts well.
'
Hope you guys have as much fun as I am.

All the best

[byways]

[quote=10Cup]Great info byways, wish I had known about some of this before hand. Thanks for sharing!! Loved your pictures too. Great write up too.[/quote

Thank you. Your report made me realize that I should get the info out there so others can benefit.

Really digging this RR!

[dirtbound4Max]

10Cup,
Thanks for the reply. Marshall Pass looked like a blast and we are definitely including that stretch in our trip. REALLY enjoying the humor (views from room etc.). I guess it's true ~ Cold beer and good food can make up for almost anything!!!!!!!

[AKASY]

10cup,
What is your next stopping point--Cuba, Grants? Ride safe.

[TheTomcat]

CDR in the spring is looking better and better. Thanks.

[10Cup]

08/27/09 – Day 10 Chama, NM to Grants, NM – 286 Miles

Once again hit the road by 0700 with the Sun bright and only a few clouds, looks like it will be a great day. The rain clouds that chased me into Chama yesterday afternoon seem long gone.


Little did I know that this would be the hardest day yet as far as ridding would go. Almost from the start NM seemed set on putting up obstacles.

I rode for about an hour before hitting the infamous mud/ruts that have been mentioned on this forum. Believe me they are not fun.

I found that bushwhacking around several worked pretty well! Another two hours and then this nasty one, the mud was getting worse and the ruts deeper.


I tried my “go around” method that had worked so well but this one stopped me cold.

Frustrated I had to back track and detour, hated that but not as much as fighting this nasty mud with the ranchers deep ruts in it..
This went on for the whole morning and I was really getting tired fighting this stuff.
I took a few shots as I was detouring around. As usual the pictures don't do the terrain justice but you get the idea.




I finally made it to Cuba mostly it seemed via pavement. Not what I had planned at all!

Filled up and then again headed south. Roads were much better from this point on but I had my eye on this developing thunderhead to my East….

The area and roads turned much more desert like with a lot of sand, rocks, cactus and very deserted looking for the next two hours.



I stopped in what little shade I could find to take off my pant liner, I had taken off my Gerbings jacket liner in Cuba.

All that was around me at this point was barren land with rocks sand and sage brush.

Then on we went. Saw the occasional cattle but nothing else for the next two hours. This is a very remote area and challenging riding with the ruts, sand and very deep erosion. Looks like it gets very violent when it rains in this neck of the woods.

This is what the wash I just rode into look like from level ground...

I rode through three of these things each time wondering what it would look like when it rained. This is all from water erosion so flash flooding would be what causes this. Don't think I'll camp here thank you very much!

Climbing out of the wash I'm looking straight up at the sky..



After I get out of this wash I look back and see this..

I ride on and then my heart sank when all of a sudden I came upon this gate.

I had been riding for over an hour in this area and if this gate was locked I would have to back track…

Fortunately it was not and a sign posted to please shut the gate which I was most happy to do…..Thank you mister rancher!
Here is my proof! Gate Shut..


I press on and take a few shots of the terrain as I go.

I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever get back to civilization...

One more gate comes into view. Once again the sign please close the gate.



Then I came across this old homestead, which had some more modern additions to it for working livestock. Looked like it had been originally built a long time ago with the stone work I saw.



Finally I hit a stretch of pavement and then off once again on a gravel road. I was getting pretty tired by this point, a lot of hard riding today.
I come out at Grants, NM about 3:30 and decide to call it a day, found a cheap room and got an omelet at Dennys and then off to work on this report.


Tomorrow I have about 250 miles to Silver City, NM which will be the end of my trip on the Continental Divide. I don’t plan on riding pavement all the way to Antelope Wells when I have a thousand miles of it facing me before I get back home.

Hope you all enjoyed my adventure today. It was challenging and fun but I'm glad to be able to relax for a while.

More as it happens!