Living a dream on the Great Divide. (photo by Paul Brasby)
I can tell stories and describe individual experiences, but I find it impossible to summarize in words my 51 days on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. I was out there, living a 20+ year old dream, every day, over the span of 7 weeks. Words alone are inadequate. Maybe a collection of images can express this journey, from beginning to end, in a single post.
Reviewing hundreds of amazing images taken by my cycling buddy and talented photographer Paul Brasby, as well as hundreds more from me, I chose one image to represent each day. Of course, so much more happens in a 10+ hour day on the bike than can be shown in one image. But this will present at least a glimpse of my 7 week ride in a single slide show of less than 5 minutes.
Alternatively, I reproduced each of the images below, with a short caption, if you prefer to scroll through.
Thank you, Paul, for capturing many of the first 25 images. Thank you, Raymond Bleesz, for the remarkable portraits you took in that little Colorado aspen grove near Gore Pass.
Day 0 - Ready to roll from Rapid City, SD. (photo by Paul Brasby)
Day 1 - Go Time at Roosville, MT. (photo by Colleen Groseth)
Day 2 - Whitefish Divide view of Glacier N.P. (photo by Paul Brasby)
Day 3 - Spinning with the Vegan Cyclist crew.
Day 4 - Trail Angels Paul & Marlene, along with California Ken. (photo by Paul Brasby)
Day 5 - Clearwater Lake dispersed camp. (photo by Paul Brasby)
Day 6 - Grizzly Basin single track with grizzly scat. (photo by Paul Brasby)
Day 7 - John welcomes us to Lost Llama Ranch.
Day 8 - Abandoned equipment at the Empire Mine. (photo by Paul Brasby)
Day 9 - Heft-a-bike up Lava Mountain. (photo by Paul Brasby)
Day 10 - Mining tailings out of Basin, MT. (photo by Paul Brasby)
Day 11 - Riding down Fleecer Ridge!
Day 12 - Recovering at Elk Horn Hot Springs. (photo by Paul Brasby)
Day 13 - High plains drifting toward Bannack State Park. (photo by Paul Brasby)
Day 14 - Entering rainy Big Sheep Canyon. (photo by Paul Brasby)
Day 15 - Great Divide peloton to Red Rocks N.W.R. (photo by Paul Brasby)
Day 16 - Yellowstone Branch Line rail trail in Idaho. (photo by Paul Brasby)
Day 17 - Climbing to Grand Teton N.P.
Day 18 (Zero Day) - Grand Teton N.P. (photo by Paul Brasby)
Day 19 - Reward after Togwatee Pass.
Day 20 - Top of Union Pass! Yeah!
Day 21 - Dropping out of the mountains to Pinedale, WY.
Day 22 - Yearning for the Great Basin.
Day 23 - Into the Great Wide Open.
Day 24 - Great Basin headwinds, finally!
Later Day 24 - Paul shuttles home. (photo by Matt Brasby)
Day 25 - Aspen Alley dispersed camp.
Day 26 - An extended stay at Brush Mountain Ranch.
Day 27 - Watershed Divide climb to Steamboat Springs, CO.
Day 28 (Zero Day) - Cara & Colleen meet me at Steamboat Springs, CO.
Day 29 - Surprise visitor to my remote dispersed camp. (photo by Raymond Bleesz)
Day 30 - Long, steep descent to the Colorado River.
Day 31 - Drizzly day up Ute Pass.
Day 32 - Celebrating good times with an old friend.
Day 33 - Truly solo out of Como, CO.
Day 34 - Climbing toward Marshall Pass.
Day 35 - Upper Dome Reservoir dispersed camp.
Day 36 - Into the forest up Carnero Pass.
Day 37 - Two track goodness out of La Garita, CO.
Day 38 - Grinding up Indiana Pass, the highest at 11,910'.
Day 39 - Apache Creek dispersed campsite in New Mexico.
Day 40 - Welcome to New Mexico, pilgrim.
Day 41 - Skirting rain to Abiquiu.
Day 42 - Final pitch up Polvadera Mesa. 'Nuff said.
Day 43 - Descent off Polvadera Mesa isn't exactly easy.
Day 44 - Before the monsoon strikes outside Cuba, NM.
Day 45 - Sunrise at Hospah Chapel.
Day 46 - Toaster House in Pie Town, NM.
Day 47 - Into the monsoons of Gila N.F.
Day 48 - Monsoon turns my road into a river.
Day 49 - Recent monsoons still running off.
Day 50 - Cactus forest in the Chihuahuan Desert.
Day 51 - Buffalo Crossing on the final stretch to Mexico.
Day 51 Money Shot - Pure joy & utter disbelief at Antelope Wells. (photo by Cyler Groseth)
