Interesting map review with Crash today as she prepares for the
Tour Divide. There are so many factors to consider in an unsupported 4,500 km mountain bike race along the Great Divide. There are rider needs - water sources, lodging and campgrounds, food supply and bike shops. It's not as simple as that though, since we also have to look at the map that shows the density of grizzlies along the trail using a colour coding system, and there's also an area where wilderness camping is not advised due to drug trafficking and illegal aliens.
As we look at all of this to devise a game plan, we need to estimate distances that could be travelled in a day, which means finding out what we can about the condition of the trails and roads and looking at the elevation profile. We also have a book written by one rider and a blog by another, so we know where they stayed enroute and what their finish times were.
I love problems like this; I feel an Excel spreadsheet coming on...