 Our Friday Feature for the week follows LC all the way from Canada to New Mexico. However, instead of going the traditional driving route, LC decided to make the trip into an off-roading adventure.
LC explains, "We left Calgary toward Banff in late September hoping to beat the mountain snow. Mexico was our destination...off-road. We had a Garmin GPS 60CSx to follow a track assembled from trips previously taken by other riders, a SPOT Satellite Messenger for friends to follow our progress on the web and in the case of an emergency and needed major assistance and an Olympus 770SW camera to stand up to the weather and pounding to record our trip - all mounted to the handlebars via RAM mounts. Very slick! The GPS 60CSx was wired into the bike's electrics and we changed the SPOT batteries only once as a preventative measure in the 19 days of the trip."
LC's GPS units of choice were the GPSMAP 60CSx and the SPOT Messenger. The 60CSx is one of Garmin's most popular units for outdoor and marine use. With a rugged and waterproof casing, the 60CSx can handle a variety of elements. Incorporating a highly sensitive GPS receiver and barometric altimeter, this unit acquires satellite signals faster while reporting extremely accurate elevation data.
With the SPOT Messenger, LC was able to stay connected to friends and family. The unit tracks location so others can follow along. In case of an emergency, the SPOT has a 911 button to alert help. Along with the call for help, the device will continue to send a message and a location update every five minutes until rescued or the message is cancelled.
LC continues, "Over 90% of the trip was off pavement and most of the trip was on two-track trail. We covered 5,800 km from Calgary, Alberta to the Mexican border in New Mexico, crossing the Continental Divide 27 times. Each day was a ride up and over mountains, across valley floors, crossing pristine streams and passing through the occasional small town all in the most amazing and varied landscape North America has to offer. Truly one of my favourite trips ever! I cannot recommend it enough. We will do it again."
For additional pictures of LC's ride across North America, read the original post.
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