Those of you who know Kurt should have expected something like this:

https://www.bikepackingroots.org/wild-west-route.html

I like the look of this a lot.

I do believe john g of this parish is all set to go in July this year .
i will see if he is doing a blog of the route on his way down , like he did on the TD last year .
i think he is touring not racing

It looks like a cracking route to do either on. Logistics should be easier than the TDR.

That looks lovely. If one were to ride maybe half the route and had a preference for mountains / forests / lakes, etc, should one assume the northern sections would be the ones to go for?

The southern half has plenty of mountains and vast coniferous forests. You'll fine the bits inbetween the forests are a lot more verdant the further north you go though - I've had an Arizona trip and that has a lot of open, arid, deserty bits.

I'd be looking at the top section if I wasn't very happy in the heat. It'd be slightly less warm :)

I think you'd be hard pushed not to find anywhere that would be interesting to ride on that route.

While reading about the Wild West route, I saw the Colorado 14ers loop. Yes, it looks stupidly hard, yet it holds more appeal than any route I've seen in a long time - thank you Greg for reinstalling my mojo

Fat-bike.com interviewed Kurt Refsnider who is one of the people behind the Wild West Route.
He's on from 25m:24s on the link:
https://fat-bike.com/2019/05/the-dose-o ... refsnider/

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Wed May 15, 2019 11:52 am While reading about the Wild West route, I saw the Colorado 14ers loop. Yes, it looks stupidly hard, yet it holds more appeal than any route I've seen in a long time - thank you Greg for reinstalling my mojo

https://bikepacking.com/routes/colorado-14ers-loop/

50,000ft of ups and downs

The appeal lies in the seemingly stupid nature of the task John

JohnClimber wrote: ↑Sun May 19, 2019 9:56 pm 50,000ft of ups and downs

Sounds positively undulating!

GregMay wrote: ↑Tue May 14, 2019 7:40 pm I'd be looking at the top section if I wasn't very happy in the heat. It'd be slightly less warm :)

I think you'd be hard pushed not to find anywhere that would be interesting to ride on that route.

Looks fantastic and a loop of the top section with an outbound or return leg on the GDMBT from somewhere in Montana below Yellowstone looks sort of possible/relatively easily done for single point of arrival/departure?

I need to find some time from somewhere to try these things

I was set to bimble down the divide again once I properly retire, but really fancy this. Would like to add in Idaho hot springs as well and as 99% says maybe return up the divide, but divert into and around Glacier NP. Think a big issue though would be to do it when warm, but before the fires which seem to get worse each year.

Awfull lot of breweries in Montana and Idaho