I oriented myself in my daily cycling using the book “Cycling the Great Divide” which divides the trail into 70 daily legs. Looking for hiking shoes? A quick guide to getting the right bike to tackle the rough conditions of the GDMBR. ), 1. There are few services such as bike shops, outdoor stores, hospitals, and commercial accommodations available on the route. Marty Johnson Age 64 / Wichita, Kansas (USA) I’ll be starting my 5th Tour Divide this June. Write a review. Normally, I'd fly through Denver, but recently WestJet had started offering some routes through Calgary. View Details. Montana is characterized by mountainous riding in tall forests with occasional dips into small towns. The elevations encountered on Great Divide Canada are relatively low when compared to those along the Great Divide route in the central Rockies of the United States, where riders must tackle mountain passes of nearly 12,000 feet above sea level. Don't get lost on the GDMBR! Its remoteness equates with spectacular terrain and scenery. A lot of effort must be taken to keep your possessions dry. Montana also has the toughest downhill on the route — nicknamed "thermarest hill" for all the thermarests it has eaten. Ahhh the High Divide Trail. Food sources are usually small-town establishments, convenience stores, and campground groceries with limited supplies. Chris Seistrup from Arizona was the first to finish this year's race with a time of 15 days 11 hours and 24 minutes. It passes through the most cherished and pristine wild lands remaining… Expect early evening thunderstorms and cold nighttime temperatures. It is one of the most spectacular and challenging long‐distance trails on the planet. From there, it's a seven-mile ride on the highway to the international border and the northern terminus the U.S. route. The GDT (Great Divide Trail) is a long distance hike along the Continental Divide in Canada. There is an excellent opportunity to view wildlife such as bear, deer, wild horses, pronghorn antelope, eagles, osprey, sandhill cranes, and other birds and animals. A thru hiker of some renown, the 43-year-old Colorado resident first hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2011, a feat he has since repeated twice. Learn how to create your own. Drops of rain that fall on your left side flow into the Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico. The Great Divide Trail is roughly 1200km long and journeys from the US border down in Waterton National Park and finishes at Kakwa Lakes (but then you still have to hike to the highway to get out!) This ride is in an area of the spectacular Rocky Mountains south of Banff known as Kananaskis Country. Try Xero Shoes, the brand I wore for my thru hike, and use my affiliate link below to help support my channel! Geisinger Trail Notes: on the Geisinger trails, I realized that my seat was a little bit high because it was still set up for the Great Divide Ride, which was much less technical. Careful planning will be required to ensure that you have enough food to get you through (though surface water and primitive campgrounds are plentiful). This map was created by a user. Surface water should be ingested only after running it through a good water filter. After taking in the views, it is a steep ~2 mile hike down to Holly Lake. Before you reach its end, the booming ski-resort town of Fernie makes a great place for a layover, with its copious motels, sporting goods stores, restaurants, and hiking/mountain-biking trails. In total, it has over 200,000 feet of elevation gain. One reason for this is that Great Divide Canada passes through a string of national and provincial parks, which, not surprisingly, attract a great number of visitors. This can include hanging them in a stuff sack from rope slung over a high, isolated tree branch, or storing them in a bear-proof container provided at some campgrounds. The Great Divide Trail In late spring 2012, I was doing some work for a long-standing client in Saskatchewan. The itineraries contain the following information: Click here to download GDT Sample Itineraries (xlsx), An important message from the GDTA regarding the COVID-19 situation, Click here to download GDT Sample Itineraries. £20. Don't get lost on the GDMBR! Poor trail Final 2/3rd of day is road walk Great camping area in meadows below pass Long day but mostly good trail Cataract Pass (White Goat Wilderness Area) Mary Vaux (Jasper NP) Trapper Creek (Jasper NP) Tekarra (Jasper NP) Long day but very good trail … The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) is Adventure Cycling's premier off-pavement cycling route, crisscrossing the Continental Divide in southern Canada and the U.S. The annual Tour Divide typically follows this route except when detours persist. As for a tire recommendation, we recommend a 2.25” width with a low-profile tread pattern and thick sidewalls. A wide variety of road conditions exists along this route. Water is very scarce through here, so carry plenty. Sleeping bags should be rated to below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, and inflatable mattresses add comfort and warmth. Grants, NM to Antelope Wells, NM (394.4 mi.). What was your experience like? The high point on Great Divide Canada, Elk Pass, is a mere 6,443 feet. Drops on your right side will find their way to the Pacific. While in many places there is a single route for the trail, there are many alternatives to choose from along the way. Geographically this region is as remote as any place in the continental United States. Roosville, MT to Helena, MT (371.1 mi. Thanks to Dan Durston for putting these together! À l’est, l’eau coule vers les océans Arctique ou Atlantique et, à l’ouest, vers le Pacifique. After completing the bikepacking triple crown, I decided to make this Tour Divide Planning Guide (GDMBR). This gentle grade, combined with the wide trail, means it is great for families or beginner skiers. Our Tag-along tours provide the safety and professionalism of a long established touring company. FREE Great Divide GPS Tracks . As a rule, if you're not riding uphill, then you're headed downhill. The Great Divide terrain is really hard on a tandem captain and stoker and, although there have been a few others to ride a tandem, it is NOT the cycle of choice! Incredible aspen stands, huge mountains, beautiful alpine meadow flora, historical tourist towns, and a less remote wilderness setting are the characteristics of this state. If you're friendly and ask around, you can often get yourself invited to camp in a yard. Leftover food and waste should be placed in a sealed bag or container and packed out with garbage. Like most Canadian trails, particularly those outside the national parks, the GDT is less pronounced and signed than those in the Lower 48. The Great Western Loop is a 6,875-mile footpath that links together five existing long-distance trails — including the Pacific Crest Trail, Pacific Northwest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, Grand Enchantment Trail, and Arizona Trail — and a trail-less segment through the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts. Length 839.0 mi Elevation gain 43,661 ft Route type Loop Mountain biking Nature trips Ohv / off road driving Views Write a review . just for geeks. If a rider is debilitated in the backcountry, you will want to have at least one person to stay with the injured/sick rider, and another to go for help. The GDT is in the Canadian Rockies, stretching through the Continental Divide between Alberta and British Columbia. Rawlins, WY: Rose's Lariat. The prettiest alpine region on the whole route can be found here. From Salida, Colorado south to the Mexico border, puncturevine or goat’s-head (Tribulus terrestris L.) is an invasive plant species that produces thumbtack-like burs capable of puncturing bicycle tires. ), 6. Follow this organizer to stay informed on future events. The GDTA is developing a Great Divide Alternate Horse Route that follows the hiking trail where possible and deviates where horses cannot travel. Events you might like: Free. There have been days when it has made my head spin, but it will all be well worth it in the end. Great Divide in Numbers. The diverse nature of the regions makes for an incredible visual, sometimes spiritual experience. Mon, 18 Jan 7:30 pm " Great Exhibition and Great Expectations: the everyday and the unexpected" #Community #Seminar. After dropping into the twin ghost towns of South Pass and Atlantic City, you will cross the Great Basin — a place of almost no drinkable water and no trees. Beginning in Jasper, the route counterintuitively runs north to Hinton before heading southward toward Canmore. This page is quick record of my GDT blog posts from the 2017 GDT Yo-Yo, followed by some advice for potential GDT hikers. In order to create a mostly continuous equestrian route from Waterton to Kakwa, the route occasionally travels on gravel roads or in a few places, horses must be transported between trailheads to avoid travel on dangerous or prohibited roads. 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