Back to the Highlands
Stonehaven to Pitrochry via Deeside Way, Braemar and Glen Tilt

When	10 and 11 October 2015
Cycled	170km / 106miles
Bikes	Dharma and Hayduke (cross monsters)
Equipment	Light (we slept in a hostel), Paul brought a Camelback and me a pannier, had I know the route before I'd have taken a rucksack but the pannier was ok too Lots of waterproof stuff (useless in Scotland but you have to believe in something)
Considerations	Midges are still around I really don't like mud but I'm getting addicted to the bike packing spirit When an experience mountainbiker describes a route, the word “cyclable” is translated to “no way I get on the saddle here!”

Back from the Great Divide we were eager for more adventure, but time constraints wouldn't allow for more than 2 days. We wanted to see new places and planned a route on both paved and unpaved roads, and on the second day we decided to change the route completely.

Chapter 8 – Conclusion


Sometimes (well, many times..) we cursed the route, whoever draw it, us and the bikes, but, was is worth it? YESSSSS We have lived a dream and will never regret anything about it. 

Considering the amount of miles we covered, we considered ourselves very lucky – never got sick, no injuries, no mechanical problems, no guns pointed at us, we are still talking to each other, all went so smooth that we can't hardly believe it.

Chapter 7 – West US Road Trip


After 3545km / 2200 miles of dust, dirty roads and endless uphills, on 31 August we finally reached Santa Fe and celebrated the end of the Divide!

Chapter 6 – Touching the sky in Colorado

Colorado was by far the best State we cycled through. Finally cycling was fun again! As soon as we entered it we could feel how people love sport. Bicycles everywhere, for the first time we did not feel weird. People are also extremely helpful and chilled out, the mountains stunning, and the terrain smooth and nice. Colorado we love you!

After spending 2 days off in Steamboat it took a while to get back in the cycling mode, but at least we charged up with energies for the high passes to come.

Chapter 5 – Avoiding the Divide

After the National Parks the Great Divide route leads to the Great Basin, a 135 miles stretch known as the biggest graveyard in the USA. We knew there were works along the way and some bit had been rerouted, and because the temperatures have been very high over the previous weeks and especially because we couldn’t really be bothered to spend days in a desert, we decided to follow the Trans American route for the following 4 days and rejoin the Great Divide in Rawlins.

Chapter 4 – Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks

After a stormy night we cycled an easy 82km mostly on paved road and highway to the west gate of Yellowstone. We left Montana, entered Idaho for 30km, then re-entered Montana, and finally got in Wyoming.  The plan was to (gladly) abandon the dusty roads of the Great Divide route for a week in order to explore Yellowstone and the Tetons.

Yellowstone

Chapter 3 – Great Divide Route - days 15 to 27

After some detouring in Glacier we are back on the Great Divide route and finally started to add up kilometers (still early to think in miles). Days are passing quickly and we are already at km 1206. The route is tiring and harder than we though. On a few days we did more than we could handle and the legs were starting to complain, but overall we are getting stronger and we are learning lessons. We are also getting used to the usual routine: breakfast and packing up in the morning, long day cycle, and once arrived in a place it's shower, get food, cook, set up camp, early night sleep.

Montana's landscapes are not as dramatic as Canada, but the country is beautiful, with its green and gentle hills, and maybe too many woods...most of the route has been going through forests so that the views have been obscured most of the time. But, good places, people and experiences abounded here too. We have also met a few racers and fellow cyclists, our couchsurfing and warm showers hosts have been amazingly kind to us, and people along the route friendly. The weather has been on our side too. Not a single drop of rain yet, in the early afternoon it gets very hot, around 25/30 degrees but I won't certainly complain about that! I suddenly remembered what summer feels like: going around in sandals, hanging clothes to dry outside, ice cream, fresh breeze in the evening, this is life!