basics

In Montana,...

... the equality state, a wild night are more frequently a night in the wild! At the border the Dividing Range continues into Canada, and ultimately in extension Alaska. Not only bikers in full swing, but also the wild animals benefit from the large uninterrupted preserved nature region, you can expect to see (tracks of): antelope, elk, moose, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, eagles, trumpeter swans, bears, wolves, and more.

To great extent the landscape here still remains intact as it was at the time of Lewis & Clark expedition, in the very beginning of the 1800's. River canyons, deep forest, mounatin meadows, swift rivers, streams and lakes.

This inspiring land is home to Montana’s largest Native American tribe; the Blackfeet Nation.

The tribe’s unique name is probably a result of moccasins painted or darkened with ashes.

About 7,000 enrolled tribal members live on the Reservation.

Montana*|

There is a wide variety of road conditions. Surfaces can be pavement, good gravel roads, four-wheel drive roads, single-track, or old railroad beds.

There is an excellent opportunity to view wildlife such as bears, deer, wild horses, pronghorn antelope, eagles, osprey, sandhill cranes and other birds and animals.

Continental Divide, ...

...this route is defined by the word remote and spectacular. Remote and spectacular is the terrain and scenery. With over 200,000ft (61,000m) elevation gain, there gotta be a considerable amount of downhills to complement the uphills! The route generally follows the Continental Divide, crossing it no fewer than 27 times

Divided into five different geographical regions, the nature changes from desert to high plateau to prairie, to forest and back to mountainous again. The route offers something different every day. No day is the same as the day before - whether it be riding conditions, scenery, points of interest, or folks along the way. Take the time to enjoy it properly!

With historical ghost towns, deserted mines,wagon routes to the west, indian heritage and old Spanish land grants. The route is near or in national parks such as Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

Colorado's earliest inhabitants were the Basket Makers , Native Americans who settled in the mesa country before the beginning of the Christian era.

Later people known as cliff dwellers inhabited the area, building their pueblos in canyon walls.

Mesa verde
history |

Colorado has much to offer,...

...in addition to the highest pass, there are over four thousand known archeological sites in Mesa Verde National Park. Approximately 600 of these are cliff dwellings. Here the Anasazi lived for many hundred years, only to suddenly vanish out of history.

To protect these historical sites, a visit usually requires the companionship of a Park Ranger. However, there are over 20 mesa top sites and view points which may be visited on your own..

Because they breed only once a year, require streamside habitats, and two-year-olds leave home each spring to find their own territories, beavers rarely overpopulate.

Beavers are vegetarians that often prefer to eat herbaceous plants, such as clover, grasses, raspberry canes and aquatic vegetation.

Beavers are more than,...

...intriguing animals with flat tails,ustrous fur and engineering skills. American Indians called the beaver the "sacred center" of the land, due to the dambuilding effects which creates rich habitats for other mammals, fish, turtles, frogs, birds and ducks. The beaver prefers to dam streams in shallow valleys, and the created wetland upstream has a biodiversity that can e compared to tropical rain forests. About half of the endangered and threatened species in North America rely upon wetlands.

The dam building capability, not always appreciated of by the land owner, actually stabilises the natural environment. Natural flooding and erosion problems are prevented. Upstream the dam the settled material and slow through current results in a purified water in the downstream side of the dam.

Sweet snacks and desserts make camping even more fun, make them even better with a secret ingredient: a banana. Wrap chocolate, and banana together with graham crackers in aluminum foil and put it on the fire for a few minutes.
Lustfordust food|

Food (dutch)|

Recipes (dutch)|

After those 6 - 10 hours in the saddle...

... it's time for refuel, something that is light to carry, takes up little space, does not need any refrigeration, is prepared in an instant and gives you back the energy to continue the next day - the answer is indeed noodles!

More than anything else you need carbohydrates - found in potatoes, rice, pasta and - noodles. In addition, minerals (salt) and vitamines (fruit and vegetables) are very important. Nuts and almonds can provide you with Kalcium.

Food sources are usually small town establishments, convenience stores, and campground groceries with limited supplies. With a town spaced every two to three days along most of the route, don't forget to re-stock ewhen you have a chance - always keep a minimum of one day extra of food at hand. Showers, flush toilets, drinking water and laundromats are sometimes widely spaced.

Predators once included the grizzly and black bears, mountain lions and wolves, but nowadays man is the major enemy.

No other species of wild animal,...

... is to be found in such a widespread geographical area. The Coyote lives from Alaska and Canada, through the US and down throughout Central America. The colur is a greyish-brown with more yellow on the upper parts, throat and belly are white and it has patches of red-brown on foreleg, sides of the head, muzzle and feet. A dark cross is giving accent to the shoulder area.

The Coyote is much smaller than a wolf, yet larger than the fox. The pointed ears makes it easy to recognise and differentiate from a dog.

Old faithful spouts about once every 80 minutes. But the interval between the eruptions ranges from 45 to more than 100 min.

Map Yellowstone|

Yellowstone in early years,...

...the most prominent feature that first made Yellowstone stand out is all the thermal activity in the area. Geysers and hot springs are there to be be-wondered. With the help of Hayden's scientific expedition and visualisations by Thomas Moran Yellowstone of today can show a wild nature, with wildlife including the bison, elk, bears, mule deer, bighorn sheep, moose, pronghorn, coyote, mountain lion, beaver, trumpeter swan, eagle, osprey, white pelican, and more.

With Old Faithful as the most prominent of the attractions for the car bound people, we plan to leave the bikes behind for a day or two and go trekking - away from the masses that can be expected in the summer peak.

The general park area was once the homeland of the Blackfoot and Kootenai Indian tribes and many sites in the park are sacred spiritual sites.

Glacier national
park|

The park encompasses,...

... approximately 1.4 million acres (5,667km2) of wilderness and some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in the western United States. The combination of spectacular scenery, diverse flora and fauna, and relative isolation from major population centers have combined to make Glacier National Park the center of one of the largest and most intact ecosystems in North America.

The name lends itself from the more than 50 glaciers in the park. There are also over 200 lakes or streams in Glacier, and trails covering a distance of 730 miles (1,175km) for hiking.

The men of the Lewis and Clark Expedition were soon to find out that grizzlies that were shot multiple times with a gun could charge undeterred. Either take him out or do not shoot at all, an injuried bear is more dangerous.

On the frontier, the grizzly came to be known as the "horrible bear."

Bears of the world|

Until the arrival of Europeans,...

... with firearms, the grizzly bear was the unchallenged monarch of western America, ranging from interior Alaska south through western Canada to Mexico. Though normally not East of the Mississippt River and notventuring into desert regions.

When the first Europeans arrived, the Black Bear was frequently encountered. This specie is smaller than the Brown Bear. The Grizzly is most closely related to the Brown Bear, but essentially bigger and more aggressive.

In comparision to the European bears, American species have been on the top of the food chain without having to take man into consideration - which explains why on the American Continent the bears in general are not afraid of humans to the same extent.

But even the Grizzlies feed on grasses, berries, ground squirrels, fish, and insects. When they can catch them, the bear goes for large animals like deer, elk, moose, and bison. In winter, they hibernate.

The first heavy snows fall by November 1 and remains until end of March. Frost is possible during whole year. In the summerime the temperature overday is around 24°C (75F) and nighttime it can drop to around 5°C (40F).

Summer thunderstorms are common. Mild to cool temperatures through September and October.

Archeological studies...

... verifies human presence at Jackson Hole for at least 11,000 years. Knowledge of early people is extremely limited. Hunters and gatherers used the area from spring to fall, based on seasonal availability of resources.

Prehistoric people crossed the passes into Jackson Hole en route to seasonal hunting grounds in the region. In historic times, Indian tribes such as the Shoshoni, Gros Ventre, Flathead and Blackfeet knew the Teton country.

Water filter refers to some type of device that includes a microporous membrane, carbon, ceramic, or sometimes even silver.

A water purifier has attained this title through E.P.A. testing, and will contain iodine. The iodine is in place to fight viruses, too tiny to filter out.

All water filters are mechanical devices, ...

... and need some maintenance / cleaning, and sometimes the do not function. Safe and pure drinking water is a necessity, so be sure to back up your device with some type of chemical treatment. Chlorine bleach and iodine work by killing waterborne pathogens.

Giardia Lamblia is a water-borne cyst that potentially can be found in the whole region: Causes intestinal desease Giarditis and orginates from animal droppings and human waste.

New Mexico has 3 international border ports-of-entry along the southern border with the Mexican State of Chihuahua. Port Santa Teresa, Port columbur and Antelope Wells.

New Mexico is home to the pika, pronghorn antelope, roadrunner, javelina and turkey vultures as well as the prickly pear, columbine and yucca.

Antelope Wells, is a Port of Entry,...

... without a village to go with it. Right there on the border in the Chihuahuan Desert the trail is to start for us. Surrounded by cactus and with a road in South-North direction it shouldn't become too difficult to find our way around there.

According to a recent study by the U.S. Naturalization and Immigration service, as least 275,000 illegal immigrants will enter the United States this year. Border control personnel, speaking to EmergencyNet News (ENN) on condition of anonymity, say that this is a very conservative estimate and that the number may actually be far higher. Despite more stringent immigration laws and a greater numbers of deportations, Border Patrol agents say that the number of illegal Latin American immigrants, within the United States, continues to grow each year.

The higher the climb,...

... the longer the slope on the other side,just make sure to remember this all the way up - to the crest. On our way we'll test our legs against a few mountain passes above the 10,000ft (3,050m). In comparision the average altitude is somewhere around 6,000-8,200ft (1,800-2500m).

In National Forests, logging isn't necessarily prevented - it can still be contracted, whereas National Parks are true wildlife refugees.

The nationals
forests*|

National forests are,...

... America's great public commons: 155 forests and 20 grasslands comprise an area the size of Texas (191 million acres). As a resource for outdoor adventure, you'll be hard-pressed to find anything like it on the planet. In contrast to our national parks, which we treat like fine china (you can look, but don't touch), national forests are more like the chipped dinnerware we use every day.

Along our way many National Forests, National Parks and National Monuments will be encountered. The first will be around Great and Little Hatchet Peak in Hidalgo Country (NM).With volcanic origins the rocks of New Mexico reveal a long and complex history of deposition, volcanic eruptions, structural deformation, and climatic extremes. The bedrock in New Mexico consists of heavily folded Precambrian cores of rock, more than 600 million years old to black basalts erupted A.D. 900.

Alpine Tundra is found at altitudes above 12,000ft (4,000m). Of the 80 different alpine plants, 50% can be found growing only in arctic regions.

Aspen forests thrive on soil overlaying shale bedrock.

From the southern entrance in sparse desert communities,...

... rugged canyons to alpine tundra are found atop the highest peaks. The biodiversity of the Colorado Plateau can be attributed to the region’s varied topography and its geographic position in the western United States.

The Colorado Plateau is sandwiched between the Great Basin to the west, an arid region of alkaline basins and faulted mountain ranges, and the Rocky Mountains to the east, a lusher landscape of high peaks and rich forests.

The regional flora and fauna has elements of each of these provinces, and a significant number of endemic species only to be found here, have evolved in areas of relative isolation atop the Plateau. A major part of the forested area is taken up by Ponderosa Pine (up to 8,000ft elevation), where the slopes are to steep and precipitation low Chapparal scrub and bush-lands take over.

You know you've hit badly corrugated dirt road when the cows can get some shade in between the ridges...

Being a mountainous region, the weather can change very quickly.

At high altitudes and open terrain the temperature is essentially lower overnight.

Keep raingear and a sweater, map and compass at hand. As well as sunscreen, drinking water and food for at least one extra day than planned.

The Rocky Mountains,...

... from Canada's Yukon Territories Southwest through British Columbia, Alberta, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. They form a 3220 km (2000 mile) continental divide from which rivers flow west to the Pacific, North to the Arctic and East to the Atlantic Ocean.They connect people living in 2 countries, 1 territory, 2 provinces and 6 states.

A vast, connected ecosystem, where coyote, bear and wolves, beaver, mountain sheep, moose and many more species depend on.

With the great peaks comprising the essence of the park,the clear mountain lakes, wild streams, and a diversity of flowers and plants - including many delicate alpine species, all completes the echosystem of the forests and mountains stretching out from the Mexican border and continuing up all the way to Alaska.

The Continental Divide Trail, is a trail roughly following the same route as the cycle route - so if you don't want do do it on a bicycle, take a walk!

As we cycle our way up north,...

...there will be a few stops when we leave the cycles for a day or two, for instance in Yellowstone National Park. To get our gear with us then, we'll resort to backpacks - but try to limit the weight to not more than 12 a 15kg - including cameras, food and water.

In addition to the normal tent-pegs, we use 6 heavy (steel) pegs that can be hammered into any ground.

Our tent is a tunnel model with one big abside that allows cooking inside. Most important though is that it is a double walled type, to reduce condence and difficulties with rain.

Prepare yourself,...

...there are some remote backcountry areas along the Great Divide. Some nights you will have to rough it, pitching a tent wherever looks best and using nature as your plumbing, filtering your water from a stream, and sleeping to the sounds of coyotes. On one memorable evening in the Big Sheep Creek Divide area of southern Montana, we camped in a cow-patty covered meadow beside a small rivulet of running water -- the first water that we had come across in many miles.

During the night, we were awakened by the howls and yips of coyotes only metres from our tent.Nights such as these are actually the exception and not the rule. Of the 82 days we spent riding the Great Divide, only 12 of those would be what I would call 'primitive camping' (i.e. camping in ).

Private campgrounds, fee:$15
National Forest campgrounds, fee: usually these campgrounds are free, sometimes $12
Primitive campgrounds, fee: these campgrounds are free
National Park/Monument, State Park campgrounds, fee: $10-$15

The Spanish horse is the ancestor of Mustang/Mestengo. Today protected, they are still removed by the thousand every year.

Wild horses,...

...of the plains of Wyoming will be one of the thrills on our trip. There are accounts of a smaller horse found in the americas before the spaniards arrived, but the horse is still counted as being introduced by the Spanish some five hundred years ago.

With the passage of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, the primary responsibilities of the BLM are to preserve and protect wild horses and burros and to manage for healthy rangelands. When an over-population of wild horses and burros exists on the range, the excess animals are removed and offered to the general public for adoption.

Spanish explorers reintroduced horses to North America beginning in the late fifteenth century and Native Americans helped spread horses throughout the Great Plains and the West. Until as recently as the mid-twentieth century, horses continued to be released onto public lands by the U.S. cavalry, farmers, ranchers, and miners.

Mosquito's are the main feed for many fish, in turn mammals are the feed for mozzies - and it's only the females that suck blood!

DEET is the safest insect repellent for protection, particularly of children, against
insect borne diseases such as West Nile Virus, meningitis, and malaria.. ...

If everything else is bigger in the States than in good-old Europe,...

...we probably will need a pump-action shotgun to keep the mozzies at bay.Apparently, deet may do the trick as well. A full report will be posted after return...

When hunting in a pack, wolves often try to capture and kill deer, moose, caribou, bison, wild sheep, wild goats. In North America also beaver is common prey.

Wolves are very shy of humans, and avoid them whenever possible. There has never been a documented fatal attack of a human by a healthy, wild wolf in North America.

Nowaday wolves are not that common anymore,...

... mainly in the Yellowstone National Park it can be spotted. Here it was re-introduced a few years ago, but mainly in the winter in search of food the wolves are found closer to man.

Being a mythic creature, it has a reknown of being aggresive and mean - but this should be put in perspective. When hunting it usually does it in packs, but a single wolf is strong and cunning enough to survive on its own. Led by a so-called alpha-wolf, the alpha-wolf is also the first to eat. The killing may be less distinguished than others.

Normally it will go away from humans, but don't think of it as a cute little doggy to play with - it is a predator.

The eagle, in all it shapes are maybe the most impressive bird to be envyed.

Nesting in High free standing tree tops, or cliff dwellings it is a symbol of power, freedom and majesty in many cultures.

A symbol of strength in most cultures, only royalty could fly eagles for falconing in Europe.

The large, brown eagle,...

...with a lighter golden-brown nape, has made the rockies thier home.The golden eagle, has a smaller beak and head than the bald eagle and a longer tail. The immature birds display a white band at the base of the tail. Where the bald eagle's legs are naked, the golden's legs are feathered down to the feet.The main food source are rodents and insects, but also rabbits and fish are often on the menu. Hunting mainly in daylight,the golden eagle may fell the occasional deer fawn.

The golden eagle pair mates for life, and once established in an area they stay. On average a couple requires hunting grounds of 36square miles (15 square kilometers). They lay two eggs and after hatching, the larger nestling usually kills the smaller, ensuring the survivor on undistracted parental attention.

Like many eagles, the golden's sound is a weak mewing with occasional yelps and swueals, similar to a puppy dog at times.

The yellow and red Indian Paintbrush is the state flower of Wyoming, and different lupines grow as well as in the home patio in Amsterdam.

The bitterroot (Lewisia Rediviva) was mapped by Lewis and Clark in western Montana valley year 1805. The Indians already used it - a sackful of the dried herb was worth a horse in the open market.

Wildflowers, naturally depending on season,...

...and where along the route we are there is more than only pinetree forest. New Mexico, is an extension of the Chihuahuan Desert. More than 60 species of cactusgrows here. Main wild flower season is from late February until March. Funny enough, Alligator Juniper (Juniperus Deppeana) grows here - a specie related with the Swedish high-alpine specie thus (Juniper Communis Nana), which happens to be the oldest ever found tree in Sweden with 840 years of age (found in Sarek National Park).

In Colorado, the Columbine is the state flower since 1899. A flower that grows up to the altitudes of Indiana Pass at 10,500ft - the highest altitude of the trip. As we enter the alpine landscape, the flowers often get dwarfed in comparision with their relatives in warmer and lower areas.

Eureka is the lowest point on the whole Dividing Range trail: 2,577ft (785m).

Mountain streams,....

... cold refreshing water after a day of tuff riding. Lean the bike toward a tree, take off them shoes and ease down into the water - but drink only water from up-stream where your feet are.