From the quiet border crossing at Antelope Wells, NM, Caroline and Elizabeth pointed their bikes north—1,687 miles and 101,000 feet of climbing ahead.
There’s something unforgettable about moving through the world under your own power, pedaling mile after mile, climbing over mountain passes, and watching the landscape slowly change. Recently, Caroline Paulsen and her good friend Elizabeth (from Jackson, WY) set out to do just that: bikepack a section of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR).
The GDMBR is legendary, stretching from Banff, Canada, all the way to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, a border-to-border ride through some of North America’s most remote and rugged terrain. Caroline and Elizabeth’s plan? Ride South to North, starting at the Mexican border and finishing in Jackson, WY, a homecoming of sorts for Caroline, who lived there from 2018 to 2020.
The Journey Begins
The adventure kicked off with a long shuttle from Arizona to Antelope Wells, NM, the official start line. From there, the two friends pointed their bikes north, ready for 25 days of pedaling, pushing, and climbing.
By the numbers, their journey was nothing short of epic:
1,687 miles traveled
101,000 feet of vertical climbing
25 days total, with 2 “rest days” (though even those included 11 and 18 miles of pedaling!)
The route led them through a stunning variety of ecosystems: the hot, arid stretches of New Mexico, the high mountain passes of Colorado, and the windswept Great Divide Basin of Wyoming, before finally rolling into Jackson.
Challenges on the Divide
Bikepacking the Divide is not for the faint of heart. Caroline and Elizabeth tackled:
Hot and dry desert stretches with scarce water
Dusty, washboard gravel roads that rattled bikes and bodies
Fierce headwinds in Colorado and Wyoming
Afternoon storms that added drama—and sometimes hail—to the ride
Their hardest day came on Day 11:
83 miles & 7,000 feet of climbing
5 a.m. start to outrun a looming storm
Afternoon storm delay in tiny Platoro, CO
Summiting Indiana Pass (12,000 ft—the highest point on the Divide)
10 p.m. arrival at a cabin near Del Norte, exhausted but victorious
Despite the challenges, the duo completed the trip with no injuries and no major bike mechanicals—an impressive feat for such a grueling route.
Moments That Made the Miles Worth It
Adventure isn’t just about the hard miles. Some of the highlights included:
Meeting other cyclists chasing their own Divide dreams
Experiencing the kindness of small-town locals along the route
Resting in mountain towns like Del Norte and Breckenridge, soaking up recovery time (and real meals!)
Seeing the land change under their wheels—from desert scrub to alpine forests to high plains
And while they loved the journey, they were also happy to take a couple weeks off the saddle once it was all said and done.
Why Adventures Like This Matter
Trips like Caroline and Elizabeth’s remind us why functional fitness and outdoor readiness matter. It’s not just about being strong in the gym, it’s about being able to:
Power up mountain passes with strength to spare, tackle long days fueled by grit and endurance, and recover quickly so you can keep moving whenever adventure calls.
These are the real-world challenges that McHone Performance Training athletes and our mission of Functional Strength for Daily Living & Mountain Adventures are built for.
With the right preparation, smart training, and a willingness to embrace the unexpected, every adventure becomes possible.
