Future Adventures: Traversing the Continental Divide Ridge Across the Sawatch

Mt. Huron

I love drawing lines on maps and dreaming of sufferfests to do. I seem to squeeze out the most enjoyment from long ridge runs. I love being up high, teetering on top of a knife edge between two drainages, without the need of a trail to follow, yet having an obvious route in front of me. I revel in the exposure the position gives me to wind, weather, and of course: gravity.

The Continental Divide makes an obvious target for my doodles, and many of my past fastpacks have used segments of it already – either in whole or in part. Last year, I traversed the CD between Milner Pass and Berthoud Pass – located just outside my back door and earlier in that same year I traveled from Loveland Pass to Guanella Pass with a bike lashed to my back. Previously, I took on the Mosquito/Tenmile Range in total, where the CD makes an appearance for a few peaks (McNamee, Clinton, Wheeler), before bowing out. And of course, I’ve even ridden the Tour Divide Race on a mountain bike, which crosses the Continental Divide some three dozen times or so. All these trips had their unique aspects, and each one I believe is an ultra classic. What to do, next?

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Segment #4 posted – Bikepacking to the Colorado 14ers: Front Range

Creek Crossing on FS 505

I’ve released my first draft of Segment #4 of the Front Range bikepacking guide to the CO 14ers:

Tour 14er Front Range Segment 4
Tour 14er Front Range Segment 4

Segment #4 takes from around Georgetown to the base of Longs Peak! The MTB narrative rushes you down Argentine Pass to a resupply in Idaho Springs, then up Oh My God Road, to a mixed surface route to the trailhead.

Switchbacks with steep dropoffs! Ghost towns! 4WD mania! Alpine singletrack!

Creek Crossing on FS 505
Creek Crossing on FS 505

The Road narrative takes the same dizzying switchbacks of Oh My God Road to Richmond Street in Black Hawk, where you’ll wander up a steep, rough road up to the Peak to Peak highway. Peak to Peak is a ultra-classic road route in of itself, featuring wide-shouldered riding, perfect for all the rubber necking you’ll be doing because of the mountain views.

I’ve taken a ton of time to scout out free, dispersed, legal campsites near the East Longs Peak Trailhead – such opportunities get tight, as private property encroaches close to the route. But I think we’ve got some good ones.

Chasm Lake at sunrise, Longs Peak
Chasm Lake at sunrise, Longs Peak

Finish the Segment off with a summit of Longs Peak! The absolute Monarch of the Front Range and of Rocky Mountain National Park! All that’s left down is rocket you back to Golden – and that’ll be Segment #5.

Work in Progress

Bikepacking to the Colorado 14ers is currently being written and published publicly. Get news and updates by joining the Facebook group, Instagram, Twitter, subreddit, and mailing list.

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Vanishing Point Project Pages Up!

Pauite's North Ridge, one of the crux's of the route

The Milner to Berthoud Pass Continental Divide Ridge Traverse Fastpack was one of my biggest and proudest projects of 2020. Like the L.A. Freeway route, I think we’re going to see a lot of interest from people wanting to take it on in 2021 and beyond.

I’ve put together some evergreen content on the route itself, the vlogs I shot/edited while reconnoitering a route, photos from the route, a link to my own trip narrative, the Caltopo map, an interactive map, and a little bit of beta of the route. If I have more time in the future, I’ll further indulge in adding some more beta. Enjoy!

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