Cr18 Superior Cutoff Rd s(u)2 by Bicycle - Velo

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CR18 Superior Cutoff Rd s(u)-2

The old town mining-leftover town Superior sits at the base of a maze of ATV trails along the western Continental Basin Divide. Sofar I found that maze difficult to follow on a bicycle. But there are also two gravel opportunities, that offer smoother travel: two different Superior Cutoffs on CR18. North-south running, paved Wy371 through interesting Horsethief Canyon intersects both of these cutoffs, which run in an east-west direction.

1.START - END WEST: jct Wy371 - I80 service rd
2.profile turns west onto CR18
3.TOP, 7530ft
4.jct CR18 - CR15 Nine Mile Rd
5.START - END WEST: jct Wy377 - I80 service rd

Approaches

From West. The profile includes the pleasant paved ride from I80 to the town of Superior on Wy371. But before actually entering it, a very small sign points the way to CR18 heading east. This is reached some distance before CR18 heading west.

In a few miles the road winds up steeply onto a dessert hill. Right before the summit the road splits into two. Both roads actually go over nearby summit points and join again together a good portion down the eastern side. The profile follows the more southerly route, which is more scenic and less sandy.

From East. (described downwards) But even this option has one or two sandy patches. But the descend quickly becomes fast and straight, then even paved but very shallow. still calling it a descent is more convincing when the wind blows from the north. The profile continues on Nine Mile Road, passing directly through the area of the Bridger Coal Power Plant. These waste water ponds definitely cannot be mistaken for some improbably dessert lake. Near its end, Nine Mile Road parallels I80 for some distance heading east. The dayloop below heads east anyway. So for that option, -no rubber off my tire. It is not a detour.

Dayride with this point as highest summit :

PARTIALLY PAVED / UNPAVED

( < CR18 Superior Cutoff Rd s(u) | CR15 Nine Mile Rd s(u) > )

CR18 Superior Cutoff Rd s(u)-2 , additional out and back: near Wy371 several miles north of its jct with I80 > Wy371 north > Superior > several miles of rocky out and backs on Upper Superior Rd and adjoining routes >> Park Rd north and east > CR18 east > CR18 Superior Rd s(u)-2 with detours over nearby possible summit points > Jim Bridger Coal Power Plant > Nine Mile Rd south > I80 service road[paved] east > Wy371 north back to starting point several miles from jct with I80: 50.2miles with 2680ft of climbing in 5:11hrs (garmin etrex32x m6:25.05.29).
Notes: the out and back in the beginning of this loop was an attempt to follow the divide north along one of its many rocky trails.