Thread #2862594
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Looking to do some big bike rides in the Western US mid-March. Mostly off-road/unpaved. Driving from the East Coast and car camping.
What general areas do you guys recommend?
Right now looking at a Guadalupe mountains -> Lincoln NF, NM -> Santa Fe/Taos -> Southern CO somewhere?
Also possible:
Gila/Silver City, NM routed in
Southern Utah -> Vegas/Red Rocks -> Death Valley after Colorado
NOAA map shows much lighter snowpack at altitude than years past but I don't live out there. I saw plenty of snow in the Flagstaff area early Spring a few years ago so I make no assumptions.
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>>2862594
A lot of those more northern areas mid march are still at risk of snowstorms or shitty cold weather even at lower elevations. I was in southern utah at 5000 feet in mid march a couple years ago and it was snowing with a high of 25 degrees those days. I would stick to the southern deserts of NM/AZ. Consider west texas too. Plenty of long blm and lower forest service roads.
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>>2862594
Don’t skip NW AR if you can route it in.
I’ve heard that Big Bend is better than Guadalupe Mtns, or you can do both.
Skip S Colorado, not worth it right now, freak storms, the public areas are all still covered in snow. It’s too far out of the way so spend more time other places.
UT might be nice near Moab/Arches and Canyonlands.
This snow coverage map map is accurate enough
>https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/nfs/files/r05/publication/R5_SnowDepth_ Map.html