Riding the CDT in New Mexico ? Is this possible ? Reports ? equipment ....

Whose GPS routing to follow as the routing varies.

Rideable routes not in NM ?

I hiked the CDT and many times in NM wished I had a bike. Lots of road walking. The best parts of the hiking were the Gila and Pecos Wildernesses, and you'd have to detour those.

Do you mean right now? Whether it's possible or not depends on time of year. Good seasons, at least for hiking, are April, parts of May (extreme winds possible), and parts of the fall, I hear. It would probably be suicidal to go out there in winter.

The Arizona Trail has bike detours set up, as an option, probably same time constraints as the CDT.

I'm at Imperial Dam this spring, I may suit up for a recon if wildflowers bloom.

What are the road surfaces ? Hard, soft, WASHBOARD ? there trail blocks ? The Gila section runs down the creek past the ruins? Is the famous section of steel walkways along a cliff on the CDT ?

I'm looking to avoid dragging the bike rig up a trail I would crawl up with a backpack. No 300' cliffs with 12" pathway....100' max.

Which CDT GPS waypoints or routing did you use for NM?

One CDT online site lists a northern section as rolling hills: do you know this one ?

What are the AZ Trails detours ?

There's a Great Divide Mountain Bike Route mapped out; is that what you're talking about? Adventure Cycling sells maps for it. They have mentioned it in several issues, and it's making me crazy. I want to ride parts of it.

How does the Adventure Cycling route compare with the official trail ? Know an online review or commentary ? The race follows the AC route ? 16 days ! amazing. Is this UCI sanctioned ?

AC must have a on the street competitor selling software or downloads for MTB routing..where ?

Is there an MTB CDT blog ?

From hiking, I remember the roads as hard packed, rocky on grades, typical ranch roads. Not much traffic, so no washboarding. Not much sand, no deep dust.

I don't remember steel walkways along a cliff in the Gila, and the ruins are just off the CDT route I took. I followed Jonothan Ley's maps and hiked the Jim Wolf (CDT Society) route. GPS wasn't widely used or available back then.

On the AZT, you have to detour around Saguaro NP and Grand Canyon NP. Hardcore dudes will pack the bike through the Canyon to avoid the hundred+ of miles of pavement around it. I think there are also some detours recommended around some extremely difficult sections, and these would be outlined in the new guidebook.

AFAIK, It avoids the CDT where the CDT passes thru wilderness areas, where bikes are not allowed. Thus in many aspects, it's a different trail.

No. It's not sanctioned by any body.

You can download some GPS data:

https://www.adventurecycling.org/rout...in-bike-route/

The site notes that the GPS data is meant to supplement that maps, not replace them. The maps are quite useful as they show the locations of many types of services. They also contain notes about route conditions.

https://www.google.com/#q=gila+new+mexico+canyon+walkway&undefined=undefined
AC has maps/blogs/forum….so I’m in on AC’s maps.
Moving information from McCoy or online commentary is difficult so far. Roads viewed from ground travel are not listed in map search but again are visible structures in Google Earth. And variation in prefix for FOREST ROADS, FOREST SERVICE (roads) ,NF XXXb, geographical nomenclature variations….ugh: time consuming.
I did Baja with Google Earth. ‘Like’ I knew where I was between Nroute MX and Google KML where THE road to THE beach was thru the 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] bush on the left. But there are few turns.
San Andreas Fault in S&T from Touring the San Andreas Fault was 100% successful: great trip !
I assume AC is a gold mine.
Expert advice recommends looking at Columbus to Fort Cummings via Deming on the foot CDT.

WHERE'S the ACA download on ACA's website. 2013 posts state: https://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/gps2.cfm
as the link but tonight no go.

I do not follow the ACA review. There is a faint odor. If GPS is downloadable into Mapsource Topo USA then what use is a paper ACA map ?

I had many navigational challenges along the CDT route, some critical. The GPS saves time and is a fun, convenient and useful tool--I'm not totally old school. But I wouldn't trust my life out on the Divide to a set of batteries and a chip.

GPS is foolproof, if you can see the surrounding earth structures not the lighthouse. I use a Garmin sea kayaking charting before taking advantage of currents and conditions over shoal water and points. A great refrigerator. The section below Cuba is interesting description giving many arroyo....deleted I get lost with one arroyo.

How's ACA's waypoint text work with GPS ? Can we get the text without pool membership ?

Bought the text download from ACA. Text was custom with altered numbers so use caution maybe open n close eliminating liability...you know Missoula right ?

Using the last map...avoiding confusion...mine....entered Silver City to I-10 & Separ Road NM into Google Earth and S&T. Thorn Ranch and the mine coordinates are searchable and informative. Could be there's a select all method for loading decimal degrees from GE into Mapsource for Garmin GPS ( leaving out at least one point)

ACA's text turns come quickly. A comparison to the GE route is next. ACA may incorporate necessary detail missing from an S&T or GE routing.

From the GE air, I said 'oh yeah Separ and I-10...I showered in their lot'

GE appears ready for your MTB routing. No waterholes yet.

How's AC's cred for waterholing ?

Paint a sign: PLEASE TAKE A NUMBER

I am surprised, Google Earth is difficult. We cannot hold 'control' then list waypoints into an onscreen route. The ACA text file may convert into Mapsource Topo USA with Google Maps clearly showing roads but not AFAIK now, lat long coordinates.

Plan was flying a GE route from ACA text.

Appears ACA withholds water stops for membership only.

I am not going to spoon feed you since you won't take the time to compose coherent sentences. Look again. The wyapoints are there for downloading. You must be a member if you want to download the waypoints AND the services information.

No, haven't achieved a GPS waypoint download. Of course, I see the GPS link on the link passed along herein but no download.

I asked ACA if maps without membership were printed with water sources for New Mexico, no response I assume that is not an exception. Searching, I found a Backpacker GPS survey crew blog for the section above Grants with water information but lost the link.

Look harder. Although I use the word "harder," the download instructions are not hard to find. See a broad to get that bootie-ac. Lay her down and smack 'em yack 'em.

And the maps are the same, member or not. They just cost more if you are not a member.

Right, the available ad text doesn't download waypoints, the ad text subtly leads the reader to buying a map.

Why ACA is unable to directly state what we get for our $$ from ACA is a relative mystery. Nowhere do I read we will receive GPS waypoints covering a paper match purchase turn for turn. Not that I'm complaining understand just looking thru the copy.

I finally saw an ACA map during a visit with two buffalo. The ACA holder was walking up to the buffalo when a ranger pickup arrived on the scene preventing another LHT goring. Maybe they're paranoid ? Or it's the altitude ?

apologies on the water sources. Either I forgot or read a waterholess series. Yes, water sources are recommended. On the text download files for 8$