A Cross-Country Adventure

Everything, or almost everything, seems ready. The necessary clothing and camping gear has been delivered: in all things, top dollar has reluctantly been paid to minimize bulk and weight. I have yet to practice setting up camp but will soon do so. The goal is to camp most of the time while eating 'out' whenever possible.

Most importantly,I have purchased a Trek touring bike and Jandd panniers. It appears I will be able to get by without using panniers on the front wheels: part of my goal is to travel as light as possible. I will have a shakedown pack-out before shipping the bicycle to Oregon. I'm still debating cycling in North Carolina fully loaded: I think I would rather be surprised, however, unpleasantly when there is no turning back.

I will be traveling along the Trans-America route mapped by Adventure Travel. Maps have been delivered and I will be able to download waypoints, provided by Adventure Travel, into my Garmin. The route takes me down the Oregon coast to Eugene, northwest through Idaho to Missoula, Montana, and than south by southwest through Wymoning and Colorado. From there I go east through Kanswas and Missouri, turning south near Springfield to transit the Ozarks into Arkansas. I estimate the total milage to be 3,100 miles or thereabouts, and I have allocated roughtly sixty days for the trip. Plane tickets put me in Portland around noon on 2 June, and I plan to start riding from Astoria later that day.

I have thought about doing this trip for years, but never in a serious way. An extra long summer break makes the trip possible, and my wife Jodi's support makes it feasible. All that remains now is to get into cycling shape. I will be crossing my first mountain range some six days into the trip, and cannot affort stopping after forty of fifty miles due to exhaustion. So far I have logged roughtly 500 miles and hope to do another 500 by 1 June.