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Old 12-28-15 | 03:38 AM
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RedandBlack
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From: Chicagoland

Bikes: '14 Surly LHT

Originally Posted by jamawani
I have ridden nearly all of what you propose.
I believe that you are moderately early in the Rockies -
And you may be slightly too late in the Cascades.

I've ridden across the Southwest and up the Rockies to Alaska a half dozen times -
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/...c_id=1168&v=sM

I've had to hack my way across avalanche chutes in late June -
Probably a stupid thing to do solo, since there was a raging river below.
And you are talking about the GDMBR - not pavement.
Most of the higher elevation USFS roads in Colorado and Wyoming are snowed in until June.
And even in June, you will have big mud and snowpack.

There are two issues in the fall in the Cascades - fires and early snow.
Since this is expected to be a record El Nino year, fire may not be too bad.
But then, wet years tend to have earlier major snowstorms.
These can occur any time after Labor Day in the Northwest -
And certainly by October in the High Sierras.

April really is lovely in many parts of California, esp. in a wet year.
And by October, the falls in Yosemite are dry - or just a trickle.

I would suggest dialing your entire circle clockwise 2 hours.
Start and end in California - probably San Francisco.
Ride down the coast a few days - then ride into the Coast Ranges at their loveliest.
From there cut across the Central Valley and into the Sierra foothills, awash in green.
Then to Yosemite when it is mind-boggling and the falls roar.

From there you can work your way down the western Sierras and cross over into Nevada.
You can hit the southern Utah parks and Grand Canyon early in the season -
And hit the Rockies in mid June. It still will be tricky, but not impossible.

Frankly, I think you will have plenty of time to finish the loop by late Sept -
Then have time to do something like Route 66 in October to Santa Fe.
But an April state for your current route would be too early.

Best - J
First things first, I noticed at the bottom of your post you said "an April start". I'm actually starting in early May. Just making sure we're on the same page.

Is the major issue here that I'm trying to do the GD and the SC in one season? Is this something that could be solved be leaving 15 days later or would that just compound the problem of being a little too late to start the SC? In your opinion, what would be the earliest I could start the GD in Colorado and the latest to start the SC? Sorry for all the questions... but here's a couple more. Is there something about the GD that makes it more difficult weather-wise during this time period than other routes that follow the same general path? Maybe I could do some combo of Great Parks/Trans America/Lewis and Clark in order to bypass some of the more questionable areas in Colorado.

I guess the problem I'm running into is that all of the SC sounds amazing and the Northern portions of the Rockies have some of the best wilderness. However, it seems that both recommend going N to S around the same time making doing both at their respective ideal times nearly impossible. I've been trying to come up with some solution that will allow me to see as much of my bucket list as possible in a six month period.
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