Riding the Continental Divide through Colorado and New Mexico.
The author?s riding companion Chuck brought along a Suzuki DR650, an ideal mount for exploring the Continental Divide. Photos by the author.
For years I longed to ride the Continental Divide but had put it off because of the logistics of getting there and back. The Continental Divide runs from Canada to Mexico and divides the U.S. river drainage into east and west, and riding it is the dream of many an adventure motorcyclist.
The route was first blazed by mountain bikers and detailed in 2000 in ?Cycling the Great Divide? by Michael McCoy. The book contains maps and a description of the route, mile by mile, from Canada to Mexico.
After reading Continental Divide Route (CDR) reports on the ADVRider.com forum, I decided I could easily ride the Colorado and New Mexico portions. I downloaded GPS files, entered them in my GPS, enlisted the company of my international riding buddy, Chuck Henderson, and set about finding the perfect motorcycle for the ride. I finally settled on the 2004 Suzuki DL650 V-Strom that was already in my garage, and Chuck rode his DR650, a single-cylinder, air-cooled Suzuki. Riding through ?Aspen Alley? on the CDR in Wyoming.
I met Chuck in Aurora, Colorado, and on the 20th of July, we set off on our CDR adventure. Our first night was at a Forest Service campground in Wyoming not far from the Colorado border and the CDR.
Putting away tents wet from a brief rain during the night, the next mornin...