Ride. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.

Somehow I've landed in Wyoming already. What happened? How did I get here? Oregon seemed to take forever to move through, but once I did move beyond its borders it feels as if I fell into a coma and upon waking, had this foggy recollection of riding through Idaho and Montana. I think my body and mind finally adjusted to the daily regimen of Ride...Eat (lots and lots)...Sleep...Repeat. They're learning to deal with the punishment that comes with this pleasure. 

As I just wrote in an email to a friendly motorcycling couple I met back in Oregon, I'm learning that life on the road can be both slow and fast at the same time. I may only average 12-15mph on most days but looking back it feels as if the days are all a blur, sort of a mish mash of moments connected by one long and winding road. And now to highlight some of those moments from the last couple weeks: 

Leaving eastern Oregon, I rode down into Hells Canyon which is the deepest canyon in all of North America, even deeper than the GRAND Canyon. I got off to an early start that day and was treated to very little traffic as I descended into the canyon and even saw my first large-ish mammalian wildlife. Nothing special...just a couple of deer but it was a magical moment as I cruised downhill at a leisurely pace while the deer danced in the hillside to my left moving in the same direction as me and my bike. Later in the day I discovered why it was called "Hells" Canyon when I battled my first bout of extreme heat as I climbed up and out of the canyon. Needless to say, I was dripping wet with sweat when I reached the summit of that ascension. But for the second time that day, I was treated to a wildlife sighting at the moment I stepped off the pedals to rest following the climb. About 100 yards ahead of me a large black creature was crossing the road. I knew right away what it was, even from that distance. I had just seen my first black bear! Once it crossed, it was in some thick brush and I couldn't tell how far off the road it was. I gave it some time to see if I could spot it off to the side but never did. Finally I decided to just go for it pedaling fast and furious. When I finally reached the place in the road where I had seen the bear, I looked over and saw him lounging 30 - 40 yards away in the field looking back at me. I regret not stopping to take a photo but having never been around bears, I was a bit apprehensive and instead felt compelled to keep rolling down the road.

Between Riggins and White Bird, ID I had to outrun my first thunderstorm. Not surprisingly, my average pace for that day still tops all the other days. I recall feeling so sluggish as I left Riggins...at least until the moment that I heard the first claps of thunder behind me, at which point adrenaline kicked in. All of a sudden, it felt like my trailer had been dropped from the bike and I was racing in The Tour. I didn't quite escape dryly. The rain finally caught up to me in the last 2 miles but I still felt like I had won when I checked into a dry and warm motel room that evening. The real surprise from that day, though, came when, after showering and cleaning up, I walked outside of the room just as another touring cyclist was pulling into the motel parking lot. He was also looking for a place to dry and warm up. My motel room happened to have a second bed so I invited him to join me for the night. We grabbed dinner together and chit chatted about our respective trips. He was from Tasmania, Australia and traveling from east to west. It was my first slightly deeper than superficial interaction with a fellow touring cyclist and I rather enjoyed getting to know him. Maybe someday I'll get a chance to travel to Tasmania and catch up with him on his home turf.

At the top of Lolo Pass (the border between Idaho and Montana), there was an awesome rest stop run by the US Forest Service that had free hot coffee (good coffee too!) and a free use computer connected to WiFi. It was my first chance in days to connect with the outside world as AT&T's cellular coverage in Idaho is non-existent, for lack of a better term. I sent an email to my family to let them know that I was still alive and pedaling strong. Also enjoying the perks of the rest area was a really rad couple from Santa Cruz touring across the northern US. I had met them a couple of nights prior outside of a grocery store in Kooskia, ID, and I'm really glad we bumped into one another again. We ended up cruising into Missoula together, all feeling overwhelmed when we got there at the size of the city. I had not been in a community of larger than 1,000 persons in weeks and my senses were certainly on overload. They knew of a great little microbrewery in town called the Kettlehouse that we stopped at first to celebrate our entrance into a new state. And, for me, I was also celebrating the survival of my first 100+ degree day. 

Missoula was a fun town to take a rest day in. I visited the Adventure Cycling Association office which is in an old, converted church building. The folks there were so nice. They took your picture for their 2010 touring wall of fame, treated me (and the other cyclists I was with that day) to a tour of their office, and invited us to relax in their lounge with cold drinks and ice cream. Their office is in downtown, so I left my bike there all day as a sort of home base and took care of my Missoula to-do list. Later that day I met up with a friend of a SparkFun co-worker who allowed me to crash on his floor but also treated me to a personalized tour of the town. We rode our bikes through the Univ. of Montana campus and hiked the "M" which is a hill right at the base of campus with a big "M" embedded on its western face. From the top of the "M", I had a great view of all Missoula, with the sun setting amidst a collection of gathering storm clouds that put on an impressive lightning display later that night. I was so very thankful to be sleeping indoors that night! After the "M", it was imperative that we visit The Big Dipper, Missoula's famous ice cream stand. They make all of their own ice cream with some very unique flavors. I was told that they have crafted a Thai peanut ice cream before that is quite unusual but also quite delicious. I elected to sample a cone of huckleberry since huckleberries grow naturally in the region. When in Rome...

Once leaving Missoula, the state of Montana passed by quickly. My next to last day in Montana likely held the two main highlights from that state: beholding one of the most amazing landscape views from atop a summit and later attending a small town rodeo later that night after descending from that summit. One other fun story is that I had to eat my dinner one night inside my bivy sack because it started to hail no more than 30 seconds after getting the bivy set up. 

After nearly a month of meeting only strangers, I finally saw my first set of familiar faces when I met up with my great aunt and cousin who happened to be passing through Yellowstone at the same time I was. They live in Washington state but were spending the Fourth of July week vacationing in and around Jackson Hole. They treated me to a huge buffet lunch at the Old Faithful Inn and then a double dip of ice cream after watching Old Faithful do her thing. Later that night, I camped in a Yellowstone park campground where I learned that next morning that it snowed that night in some of the upper elevations of the park. There was no snow on the ground where I slept but the night time temperatures did drop to freezing or below. I do have to say that I think I picked an unfortunate time to pass through Yellowstone. The July 4th week is always the climax for park attendance which meant that there were tons of cars out on the roads and very little wildlife. I heard rumors that there were huge buffalo herds around, but I only saw one single bison, 4 elk, and a deer. But there were many Homo sapiens to view and enjoy their crazy antics. One thing is clear to me as I've been traveling alone during this vacation season, humans are an odd breed. We have some very strange customs and habits. And we can be rather annoying when things don't go our way.

Well, to wrap this up, I've been stranded in Grand Teton National Park since Tuesday evening. As I was pulling into Colter Bay, my bike trailer busted as I was parking it and it broke in such a way that it is entirely unrepairable. It's hard to describe in words exactly what the damage is, but it has resulted in the ordering of a new trailer that is expected to be delivered here today. So today I'm in true limbo as I don't know yet if I'll be moving on or staying here one more night which will depend on what time of day the trailer arrives. The rest has been nice but I'm feeling anxious and ready to be rolling once again. Wyoming should pass by quickly, just as Montana did, and then I'll be in Colorado. So...if you're in CO and want to come camp with me for a night or two OR even want to ride with me, get your camping gear out of storage and get those bikes tuned up! 

Time to go figure out the day's logistics. Best wishes to you all...and happy trails!

Oregon - Beautiful, Wet, Chilly...and Vast

Howdy folks! I write to you this morning from Redmond, OR. I rode 16 miles in the rain and cold this morning to get here and that's all it took to convince me that a warm chair in front of a glowing computer screen for an hour would be just the right medicine for what ails me this day. But before I found the Redmond Public Library I discovered a great cafe that served the most amazing vanilla chai mate latte (with soy milk) that I've ever tasted. I'm finally warmed up a bit though my socks are still soaking and my feet likely wrinkled inside those socks from all this moisture. But I had decided last night that today would end up being a half rest day, regardless, as I knew my legs would still be recuperating from a long day of climbing the day before. Yesterday I began the day in McKenzie Bridge at an altitude of around 1,400 ft. and reached my highest elevation so far on this trip at Santiam Pass which sits at 4,817 ft. Needless to say I spent several hours in my lowest granny gear during that climb, averaging only 5.5mph throughout that stretch. Whew! I spent much of that time singing songs to myself (or anyone that happened to hear my out of key vocals as they drove by with their windows rolled down), thinking about my life - past, present, and future, and recognizing how truly blessed I am to be embarking on such an adventure this summer. The sights I've seen thus far will remain etched in my memory bank for the remainder of my lifetime. I can't even begin to describe in words the beauty of this state. Don't get me wrong. It's not like I came from a place of wretched ugliness, but Oregon presents itself with such charming elegance, given the numerous rivers, creeks, cliff-side waterfalls, and lush green vegetation. Not to mention the snow-capped peaks of the Cascades that I passed over yesterday! And I also can't forget the charming seaside cottage towns with their boardwalk-clad beaches looking out over the Pacific Ocean. So I hope I've painted a decent picture in your minds of what the Oregon landscape is like thus far. They say everything will be drier from here onward now that I am east of the Cascades. But today has given me no real indication of any level of dryness. Every single Oregonian I've talked to, though, has noted how wet and cool this spring season has been. They are all keeping their fingers crossed that summer makes itself present in the very near future. Oh, and before I forget, Oregonians must REALLY love their espresso and coffee. Every town I've been through has at least one drive-through coffee shack. Even the smallest communities with less than 500 residents have had one. I love it! As a coffee connoisseur, this warms my heart to see such coffee love. That said, I want to see this practice of quick stop coffee houses adopted in Colorado. There may be a side business project in my future. :) I already have a few choice locations in mind and as Dr. Mills taught me in business school years ago, the key to a successful physical retail operation is location, location, location!

Okay...enough rambling. The library computer tells me I have 29 minutes left on my time. I'll do my best to recap a few stories from my first days as a homeless, boundless bicyclist:

I won't soon forget the old men I had coffee with one morning in Cannon Beach. They were a joy to chat with as I plopped down next to them on the front porch of this quaint little cafe after enduring a good rain soaking that morning and all the previous night. It was obvious they really enjoyed the lives they were living and it made me happy to be growing older and wiser so that one day I might become like these kind and cordial men. They even invited me to join me at their weekly Friday night poker game the next time I am in Cannon Beach. Of course, they probably only invited me after I admitted how awful I am at any kind of card game.

A Tale of Two Howr(e)y's: Twice now I've used the website warmshowers.org to arrange lodging with two very wonderful families. Ironically, they've both shared the same last name but with different spellings. The first Howry's reside in Pacific City. Both Bill & Vicky are retired teachers who aspire to one day venture into bicycle touring. They are both very active. Vicky races in sprint triathlons and even did a century bike ride only a few weeks ago. They were so fun to get to know along with their nephew, Jason, and Jason's friend Elaine, who was visiting from Hawaii. They recently (not sure how recent) added on to their home so that all of the extended family could stay at the house at once. The loft I slept in had 3, maybe 4, sets of bunkbeds for the kiddos. And the tale goes that their home was the first home to have a bathtub back in the early 1900s. Unfortunately, they no longer have that tub. I would have enjoyed soaking in that thing for both my muscles' sake and for soaking in that history (pardon the pun!). And then last night I stayed in the home of Steve & Karen Howrey who were also very kind and gracious enough to give me my own bed, shower, and even let me use their clothes washer/dryer! Steve whipped up a delicious batch of brownies for us all that we enjoyed with coffee in their reading room with westward views of the Three Sisters Peaks (don't ask me to name them but there are 3 of the...I promise). We had a nice chat up until my weary body told me it was time for bed. Thanks so much to all the Howr(e)y's for your hospitality and warm welcoming of my smelly, sweaty self!


Okay, 2 minute warning. Guess I'll have to send another update from yonder down the road. Hope you all are having a great summer so far! See you around the bend...

 

Road Trip with Crazy Dave!

I spent the last 2 days of non-bicycling life living out of my car, a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder with one of my best friends, Crazy Dave. By the time we arrived at the Fort Stevens State Park in Astoria, OR around 10pm last night, the inside of the car wreaked of offensive manly body odors, Triscuits, and Copenhagen (thanks to Dave). Needless to say, this morning's shower at the campground was much welcomed and highly appreciated (especially by anyone that would have come in contact with us today). 

Here are a few highlights from the 2-day road trip from Lafayette, CO (commonly referred to as L-Town) to Astoria (in no particular order):

• Tossing a frisbee with Dave at the Shell gas station in Twin Falls, ID two nights ago at 1am.
• Committing to and arriving in Oregon on Day 1. We crossed the ID/OR state line shortly after 3:30am last night where we immediately pulled into a rest area for a 4 hour nap.
• Oregon State Law requires that only a certified gas station attendant pump gas into your vehicle. Apparently New Jersey is the other state that also still has this law. Still trying to figure out why this law exists. I'm guessing it involves an economic reason. Better to keep jobs than destroy them. I didn't tip any of the gas attendants. Should I have? What do you in this case? I don't think I should have to tip a guy who only has that job because state law requires it. "Do you tip your IRS man?" (quote by Dave)
• "True freedom requires neither a reason nor an excuse." --Dave Meek (great quote from Dave regarding my adventure this summer)
• 45 minutes into the trip we decided to pull over in Ft. Collins for a plate of fish & chips. Evidence of time being on my side with this journey and high caloric intake being high on my list of priorities. :)
• Planned on departing my house at 9:00am. Officially pulled away from the house at high noon. You'll have that...
• Gas station attendant at the first gas station we stopped at in Oregon was from Greeley. He told us that Oregon has seen an unusual amount of rain this spring/summer. The pattern has tended towards 3 days of rain then one day of sunshine. Awesome! Glad I invested in a good rain jacket before leaving on this trip.
• Dave and I stopped at the Deschutes Brewery in Bend, OR yesterday for a tour of their operations and a 4 shot sampling of their delicious brews! We tasted one of their new seasonal's, called Hop in the Dark. It was an incredibly robust and dark IPA. Dave loved it so much, he picked up four 20 oz. bottles. In Dave's defense, 1 bottle was for a gift. The other 3 were gifts to himself. Their bottling brewing and bottling operations were impressive. As a guy who has focused the last few years of my career in production operations, I passed through their facility in awe at the level of complexity, automation, and quality of the products (tasty beer!) they produce. We have a long way to go at SparkFun to reach their level. At some point in this trip I'll post video of their automated bottling/packaging operation. 
• In Portland, we specifically stopped by to visit Powell's City of Books. Powell's claims to be the largest independent new & used bookstore in the world. I believe it. Needing to reference the hand-held map to seek out a new book for this trip is evidence of the vast magnitude of this store. I ended up picking up a book of select writings from the journals of Lewis & Clark. I considered buying the full writings but was discouraged by the weight of that edition. Ounces matter when you're hauling your possessions in a bike trailer across the country! Also, I bought a book by my favorite author, Cormac McCarthy (famed writer of The Road, No Country for Old Men, and All the Pretty Horses). This book is called Blood Meridian, a story about the Old West and the pursuit of Indian scalps as a profitable industry for settlers of the west back in the mid-1800s. 

Well, I need to shut this thing down and go unload the bike out of my car and gear up for my initial departure. It's a cool, cloudy day here in Astoria. Very glad I brought some warm layers to wear. Probably won't need them once I move east of Colorado, but they're definitely going to be needed in these first few weeks. Alright, my friends, off I go. You will all be in my thoughts at some point throughout the next couple months.

Tailwinds! (a phrase I first learned from a girl named Sarah who signed this on the invoice that was sent with the series of TransAmerica maps I ordered from the Adventure Cycling Association)

P.S. You can also check out the map of our drive at my everlater.com site...

SparkFun Shout Out

Before I get too far along in my planning and preparation, I must give a special thank you to Nate Seidle, founder of and genius behind SparkFun Electronics (why is their brown stuff growing on my nose?!?), for allowing me to take this sabbatical-like leave of absence to satisfy my weird and wacky curiosities! I have been privileged beyond measure to be a part of this amazing organization and, not to mention, the greater DIY electronics / maker community.

When Nate and I talked about me taking time off for this trip I was unsure how he would feel about the whole thing. It turns out that Nate is still fully committed to his belief that everyone should chase their passions and follow their hearts, whenever possible. I am privileged to be in a position that will allow me to rather painlessly pursue this ambition of mine. At SparkFun we talk a lot about "letting your geek shine", which is our clever way of encouraging others to be proud of and to wholeheartedly seek the things/projects/people they love. We happen to be in the business of electronics geekery but I think we would all agree that even the manliest jock is a geek in his own right, he just happens to geek out about whatever happens to be playing on ESPN at the moment, perhaps even cycling. (segue coming...wait for it...wait for it...)

Speaking of cycling across the country, Nate and SparkFun have agreed to treat my road rambling body like a prostitute this summer by decking me out in SparkFun emblazoned gear. Notice how I said that they agreed to it. This is not being forced upon me. It was even my idea. I love talking to others about this crazy company and have no doubts that wearing SparkFun cycling gear on my trip will be great conversation starters with the folks I meet on the road. We've already designed and ordered the custom jerseys and they are being printed by Mt. Borah Custom Jerseys who have been great to work with. Here now, in a sneak peek preview is the hottest cycling gear to hit the scene in years (maybe an exaggeration!):

  

I've been joking that while Lance Armstrong is riding for Team Radio Shack this season, I will be riding for Team SparkFun, the company that is set to put Radio Shack out of business. ;) Only kidding. Although, seriously, how are they still in business?

Well, I'm off to Winter Park this weekend to test out my full set up, BOB trailer and all. This will be the only real trial run I will get in before starting the big daddy in June. Wish me luck...!

Passion Opens Hearts and Doors

I am floored by the amount of support, encouragement, advice, and interest that I've received from friends and family since announcing my plans for this upcoming adventure. A few examples:

One coworker of mine, Justice, is super excited that I'll be traveling along Highway 12 in Idaho because he knows of a couple great natural hot springs along that route that I should stop at. He keeps asking me to bring my maps in so that he can mark the springs' locations on there for me. Can't wait for that soak! My friend, Erika, works at Sea to Summit and is going to help me gear up and stay organized on the journey (Erika, we should talk this week about stuff!). Steve & Lindsay have offered to donate a super powerful lamp for me to use while on the road, just in case I find myself needing to travel at night for any reason. Tony, an equipment rep that calls on us at SparkFun, has friends in Virginia that he wants to connect me with when I'm at the tail end of my journey. Caley, an amazing friend of mine, crossed the country by bike with her brother a few summers ago and has graciously offered up an abundance of indispensable knowledge to me as I gear up and organize my plans for this trip. My grandpa even told me last weekend that, should I find myself in a bind anywhere along the way, he'll drop whatever he's doing, wherever he is, to come help me get out of trouble! And I'm pretty sure he was serious. 

And next week I'm having lunch with my realtor, Chris Ratay, to get his advice on long distance adventuring. If there's anyone who can speak truth to power in this realm, it's Chris. He and his wife currently hold the Guinness World Record for Longest Team Motorcycle Ride. In 1999 they sold most everything they owned and started traveling the world on two motorcycles...and did so for nearly 4-1/2 years, traveling 101,322 miles, through 50 countries and 6 continents! How awesome is that?!?

There are even folks that I've never met before who are willing to meet with me and share their insights and encouragement for the journey that I'm about to undertake. A couple friends of mine know this guy, Ryan Van Duzer, who rode cross-country last year on a 3-speed cruiser bike. That's crazy! My new LHT has 27 speeds and part of me is worried that isn't enough. How did he do it on only 3? Ryan and I have connected on Facebook and are going to try and meet up before I take off so that I might gain some invaluable eleventh-hour pearls of wisdom from him. He showed me this video of his trip last summer:

I'm convinced that a recap video of my trip would look quite similar to this. There's certainly going to be a tremendous amount of singing going on. And probably some white boy dancing too. But definitely a plethora of high fives will be doled out to the strangers I meet on the road!

First Ride on a New Bike in New Territory

I picked up my new pride & joy yesterday. Her given name is the Surly Long Haul Trucker. As I get to know her better, she'll be earning a new one though. Only time and experience(s) can determine what that name will be.

The friendly and knowledgeable folks at Cycle Analyst (great name, right?) in Denver were great to work with. They happen to be one of the only shops in the Denver-Boulder area that actually stock the Long Haul Trucker (LHT). Last Wednesday morning they spent a good hour talking with me about various touring bikes and the many options to consider when gearing up for a long distance journey. Friday afternoon I went back in to make the final decision on a bike. And yesterday afternoon, I picked up the fully built and ready-to-go rig that is to become both my home and mode of transportation for the next 2 - 2.5 months.

I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty dang stoked about this latest development in my plans for this trip!! It has helped to make everything else more tangible. Now I just need to do my best to break the LHT in before starting out my journey in Oregon. If you're keeping track, this whole thing begins in 28 days. That's not quite enough time to break in my new Brooks saddle, but it'll have to do.

I begin the breaking in process in just a few minutes. Last night my cousin, Chad, got married to his beautiful bride, Anali (congrats to you both!!) in Colorado Springs. Afterwards I crashed at Cousin Bonnie's (Chad's sister) apartment. I woke with a craving for Panera Bread and a little blogging action. So I punched Panera into my typically trusty iPhone in search of the nearest one. But, apparently, the iPhone celebrates Mother's Day by taking this day off. As a result, it took me all over this town in search of the Panera I'm now sitting in. But I'm in no real hurry and it's a beautiful day out. I've used the free WiFi here to map out what looks like a fun little route that will take me in and around the Garden of the Gods, Pike National Forest, and the quaint and historic town of Manitou Springs, all in the shadows of majestic Pikes Peak! Should make for a gorgeous and fun inaugural spin on the LHT.

One last note: for anyone interested in getting into cycling, long distance or otherwise, I highly recommend (as will many cyclists) always carrying a set of Allen keys (not Alan Keyes) with you. This morning, on the way to Panera, I realized that I had forgotten to bring mine with me down to the Springs. So I had to sidetrack in search of a Home Depot in this oddly constructed metropolis. Since today will be my first time on this bike, there are likely going to be several adjustments to the bike that will be needed to perfect its fit to my body. Primarily, I'll likely end up toying with the saddle height and tilt. Honing in this fit is imperative if I plan on spending 500+ hours in the saddle this summer.

On that note, it's time to go see how the LHT feels on the road. This won't be a huge ride, probably 30 miles at most. My legs are twitching in anticipation. Even they can't seem to contain their excitement for this moment!

Ride on...

For Love of Bike and Country

There are many reasons I've made the decision to embark on a two-wheeled adventure across the grand U.S. of A. Some folks will think me crazy. Others may grow several shades of envy-green at the thought of me experiencing the open roads and vast landscapes that will become my home for 2 months.

This blog is going to be my attempt at documenting the highs and lows of riding a bicycle from sea to shining sea. Touching my bike's tires in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans will certainly be highly positive moments and great memories that will be cherished, but the 4,000+ miles in between are going to provide plenty of lows to be sure. I'm an optimist by nature so I continue to remind myself that the less-than-favorable moments along the way are all a part of the experience. 

For a little over a month now I've had a phrase written on my dry erase board at home that reads, "Invest in the process, not the outcome." I'm not entirely sure now why I wrote it on there. But there it is and there it shall stay, at least until my bike journey preparation check list overtakes the entire dry erase board and forces me to erase these words. Anyhow...the phrase continues to take on new meaning for me as the days go by. Early on, the words spoke to me as seemingly ethereal instructions on how to obtain success in any pursuit that I want to take on. But as I have plunged headlong into preparations for this trip, I have come to realize that having an outcome in mind greatly enhances the process along the way. So the outcome of any endeavor obviously possesses great relevance and strong motivational attributes. Where am I going with this thought, you ask?

Well...I work for a pretty darn sweet company called SparkFun Electronics. At SparkFun, we often tell folks who want to learn about electronics that they'll have much greater success if they already have a project in mind. I've always believed this to be true but haven't often experienced the thrills of having my very own project that consumes vast amounts of my free moments and leaves me aching for more at the end of each day. This bicycle trip, which has not even truly yet begun, has been that for me. I've found it hard to sleep lately as my mind continues to race every moment of the day, even as my head hits the pillow. In my opinion, there's no better way to live life than to passionately pursue something you believe in and love. For some, their "project" may be to become a doctor or an attorney and will happily endure medical or law school because it's a part of the process towards successfully completing that "project". Obviously, those folks won't reach their destination if they don't invest in the process (i.e. graduate school) that is required to get there. Seems simple and logical, but I believe this is actually quite difficult for many to apply in real life when a multitude of distractions and challenges meets each of us every morning when we wake up. 

I am finding that committing to this trip has increased and sharpened my focus for all things in life. It's been interesting to observe that transformation in myself over the course of the last several weeks. But seeing how much more alive I am now than I was prior to taking on this "project" has sold me on the idea of living life each day in pursuit of a dream, idea, or mission that is beyond my scope of accomplishment at the moment I decide to chase after that dream.

Okay, that's enough soul searching for now. I'll have plenty of time for that when I'm alone in the middle of Nowheresville on my trusty steed. There are going to be many lessons learned along the way and that's what I wish to share with you all as I make my way across the country this summer. I'll be blogging over the next few weeks about my preparations for this trip. Already, I've made mistakes in deciding how to gear up for a journey of this magnitude. More on that to come in subsequent posts.

Only 31 more days until I board a Greyhound bus with my bike & gear and head for Astoria, OR to begin this adventure...!!!

w00t! w00t!!