Tour Divide route through the Great Basin, WY GDMBR 2017 Day 11: 76mi Diagnus Well to Wamsutter

This section of our 2017 Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) ride from Ashton, ID to Steamboat Springs, CO used the Tour Divide routing through the Great Basin, WY as we left Diagnus Well going to Wamsutter, WY. I should emphasize we were not participating in the Tour Divide. In preparing for this trip, I had the GPS routing the Tour Divide uses for this section but little other information about the conditions. I had looked at Google maps and discerned most of the road numbers for those that had them, but the best I could do was look at satellite images and wonder what it was really like. For those who may read this and choose to take this route, I will try to provide a bit more information about it. If you are riding N-S, just past the Bison Basin oil field, the road splits, with Riverview Cutoff Rd (traditional GDMBR) going left and to the north before it continues E/SE again. The TD route turns right (south) on to rugged double track rather than the hardpacked dirt/gravel roads of Riverview Cutoff. You begin a moderately challenging climb for the next mile or so, up the narrow and very rocky double track around a large hill to an open ridgeline, gaining approx 360 ft of elevation (~7% gradient).The ridegeline track then continues eastward. The view across the basin is spectacular. This section runs for almost 8 miles atop the ridgeline. For a very short time, the route follows BLM Rd 3216 although there are no markers for any of these tracks/roads. The TD route then separates continuing due east for about 7 miles while 3216 heads SE. 3216 is a good quality dirt road, and as such, we were initially fooled into following it for 1/4 mi past where we should have split away from it to follow the TD route east, which is, in contrast, coarse double track. This transition is easy to miss. The double track is at times challenging to discern and rises and plunges with the ridgeline. There are a couple short but steep climbs, one of which was a pusher for all of us. Numerous other double tracks split off or cross the route and without a GPS with the gpx file for the TD route, or a topo map, one would be hard pressed to know exactly which way to go. But the riding is spectacular. Just short of 9 miles from the split from the traditional GDMBR, the ridgeline track drops down a rocky hillside to intersect with Big Bison Rd. You turn right (south) on to Big Bison Rd/BLM 3221 if you are riding the overall route N-S. There is a sign that indicates Wamsutter is 50 miles. Big Bison Rd becomes BLM Rd 3221 as you head south crossing from Fremont into Sweetwater County. Six miles farther south from the junction at Big Bison Rd, BLM Rd 3216 enters (and ends) from the right at a sharp angle to BLM 3221. Just past this intersection 3221 transitions into BLM road 3217 curving to the left going S/SE. Stay on BLM 3217. BLM 3214 splits to the right going W/SW. Continuing on 3217 for 1.5 miles, the route crosses Lost Creek, a reasonable water source it appears but we had sufficient water and didn't filter any. Uncertain of the water quality and it could be alkaline. There is also an old log cabin/turned barn that could be used for shelter if need be. This would be a good campsite should you split this portion of the TD routing in to a 2 day ride to Wamsutter. Crossing Lost Creek, Road 3212 starts and goes straight, due east, while the route continues right on 3217 curving to the right. Continue riding on 3217 for approx 14.5 miles (16 mi overall from the 3217 split with 3221) until it intersects with Wamsutter-Crooks Gap Rd, the main N-S road through the Basin. Turn right(south) on to W-C Rd and reach Wamsutter in another 26 mi. The full distance of this route from Diagnus Well to Wamsutter is 76.5 mi. I liked this route more than the route to Rawlins, but the first 9 miles after the split off from the GDMBR (Riverview Cut-off Rd) is more challenging, and remote, than any portion of the traditional route from my experience in riding each. We saw no vehicles, even in the distance from high on the ridgeline. I also highly recommend having the TD gpx file for your GPS navigation for this section or a good topo map and compass. GPX files for your gps using the 2017 Tour Divide route can be found here. http://topofusion.com/divide/gps.php I used the 2016 TD gpx 10K track file for my Etrex 30 gps and GaiaGPS on my phone. There is a routing difference in Canada between the 2016 and 2017 TD. The routing through the Great Basin is the same as far as I know. You will also find the GDMBR 2011 gpx file which more closely follows the traditional GDMBR routing at that time, particularly through the Great Basin going from Atlantic City to Rawlins, WY. Use this information at your own risk. This is simply the route we followed. It is remote, particularly on the 9 mi ridgeline portion.