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Long Way Up ( or Down )
Passing just west of Mount Evans is the Great Continental Divide Route , a nearly 2,800-mile , mostly off-road route that crosses five states — New Mexico , Colorado , Wyoming , Idaho and Montana — on its way from the U . S . -Mexico border to Banff , Canada . A serious undertaking by any measure , the route follows a series of dirt roads and backcountry byways , with up to 267 miles between gas stops . The ride can be challenging but the rewards are worth it , with scenery ranging from desert scrub to high-alpine passes , rolling grasslands and dense forest . Photo by Don Mills