Messages

1

General Discussion / Re: Most dangerous roads

« on: August 25, 2024, 04:37:26 pm »

This just shows how timing can be everything.

Lucas (the OP) talked about 89, and before I left on the Sierra Cascades there was someone who posted about kissing the ground in thanks that he was alive when he finished w 89 so Lucas was not alone in his experience there

But just through dumb luck I started on 89 early Saturday morning south of Shasta Ca. And got to Quincy Ca.(where the lumber mill is) on Sunday evening. I didn’t deal w a single lumber truck. I’m not looking at my maps and it was 10+ years ago but I believe that’s about a 200 mile stretch

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General Discussion / Re: Cycling in Iceland

« on: August 25, 2024, 04:23:53 pm »

I just finished riding the Rind Road here in Iceland.

 I will sometimes not check in on the forum for months at a time so I’m writing this “Reply” so that if anyone in the future does a search and posts a question I’ll get the email notification.

Because I definitely learned some useful stuff.

Pete

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Routes / Re: TransAm to Crater Lake

« on: May 14, 2024, 11:03:03 pm »

Hi:
I have not done the far west section of the TransAm but some years ago I did the Sierra Cascades route which crosses the TA in Sisters. From there the SC heads down to Crater Lake. It was a good route that I enjoyed. It shows on Map 2 for the SC. Between Sisters and Bend it breaks south off of 20 and it’s kind of serpentine for awhile but then meets up w 372 to 46 to 58 to 97 to 138 (it would be best to buy the map). Crater Lake is about 120 miles south of Sisters and how best to get back on the TA is something I can’t help you with. I don’t mean to discourage you though, it looked like a post card the day I was there.

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General Discussion / Re: How much water to carry?

« on: April 07, 2024, 08:45:23 pm »

Platypus Platys are 2 liter (really 2.5) collapsible water bottles. I think they weigh around 1 oz and roll up to about the size of a cigar, cost is $20.

I take 2 of them along stuffed in the bottom of my panniers and most days they aren’t used at all. When I think I may need more water capacity then my 2 standard water bottles because of distance or heat I fill one or both of the Platys up.

There was one 137 mile day from hanksville to blanding utah (not on your route) that was very remote, very hot and with a headwind, that I drank every bit of the almost 7 liters of water I left w that morning.

Cannalligators does warn against hot water below and it will be air temperature. I always thought even warm water was better than no water but he may correct me on that.

5

General Discussion / Re: Trade offs

« on: February 10, 2024, 09:55:23 pm »

Just to show that that there are as many opinions as there are people, what I prefer is contrary to most of your previous replies…..

I’m always on a schedule, I have a plane ticket out to one city and a plane ticket back from another city 30 days later. And I have no problem with that. My tours have been great, best thing I have ever done recreationally, but there’s other things I need to attend to as well.

And despite the fact that I’m always pushing myself for distance and pace on my trips I have seemingly an endless supply of great memories from my 7 tours of around 30 days each. And while I’m sure I rode right by a lot of cool stuff, I’m sure as well that I’ve seen a lot that I would have missed if I had covered a shorter distance.

When you look at it from the side of making your trip from the pov of what YOU want the trade-offs become pretty obvious.

For me, my priorities are:

- string together a bunch of places I really want to see
- I always ride alone, 30 days of no negotiation about anything is very nice!
- I ride as light as possible because I don’t like the sluggish way a heavy bike feels
- my trips have all been in the shoulder season to avoid the worst of crowds
- I set an ambitious schedule because I like to feel I did something physically difficult

You will have your own priorities, the answer to all trade-offs flow from there.

Pete

6

General Discussion / Re: A few notes on the Sierra Cascades route

« on: November 18, 2023, 04:01:20 pm »

F*cking drugs, I'm no puritan but people who fall into that trap trash their own lives, their surrounding families lives, and the society we all live in. I'm 65 yo and when I was in school there was a LOT of recreational drug use and I participated in it. But one thing you absolutely took a pass on for even one time was heroin because you did not want to end up being a junkie. No one dreams of living like that. I have no idea what could be going thru peoples heads the first time they try meth or opioids. Shasta was a really nice town when I passed thru it. That's a shame.

That road along the river to Yakima was sweet (just pulled up a picture of it!), and then the next day came White's Pass and that was a stunning climb, and then the next day came all those NF roads that you ride almost to the Oregon border. I thought the SC was one good day after another.

Rather then have too much thread drift, you can PM me for your answer to this question: I'd be interested in hearing your route down from alaska (Cassier Hywy?). In 2017 I rode from Banff to Fairbanks. I took a circuitous route from Banff to Dawsons Creek and then took the Alaska Hywy all the way to Delta Junction and then on to Fairbanks. There was definitely some stuff that made the trip tough, lots of road work which caused up to 40k stretches of gravel, chip seal, and lots of afternoon rains, but overall it was a good ride and I never felt in danger. I know the road to Dead Horse has a legendary set of problems, but what else did you run into?

Pete

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General Discussion / Re: A few notes on the Sierra Cascades route

« on: November 18, 2023, 12:16:05 pm »

Hi Lucas:

Wow! Sorry to hear that! In 2015 I did this route and I loved it! I cc’d so camping issues didn’t affect me but that sucks that the NP doesn’t have a “don’t turn away” policy for cyclists.

I can’t remember exactly what I paid to get in each of the NPs but if it was $30 ea I would have remembered it, I pretty sure it was $10-15 tops. And 8 years can be a long time but Victorville felt okay when I was there.

And if I understand you right, staying on 395 south from Lee Vining to Victorville means you skipped Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Giant Sequoia?! I remember clearly what a beat down the ride was as I went from 700 miles the first week to 600 to 500 to 400 the last week. and we all need to make these decisions for ourselves, but what a shame you missed those 3 parks. They were right at the top of the best places to ride through on that route.

I know from previous posts you’ve made over the years that you must be a really strong rider so it’s especially a disappointing to hear you had a bad experience with it. Previously, if someone asked me what the best of the ACA rides was, if I thought they could handle the climbing, I would have told them the SC.

Pete

8

Routes / Re: GAP & C&O Trails

« on: June 22, 2023, 04:40:34 pm »

Hi:

I grew up near the C&O and for nostalgia's sake I rode that a couple of years ago but I turned around and rode back before I hit the Cumberland trail.

I will suggest two things:

1) If you're starting in DC, leave on a week day and get an early start. The C & O is very heavily used as a pedestrian outing, if the weather is nice there's even more people, and if its the weekend it becomes a slalom course. Of course the closer to DC you are the more crowded it becomes but it stays pretty busy until you get past Harpers Ferry.

2) I thought if I was ever to do it again I would put a bell on my bike. A lot of people walking along will be unaware you're coming behind them on a bike and are lost in their thoughts. I tried saying something to warn them I was coming from 10 yds to 40 yds behind them and there was no method I came up with that didn't regularly have some people jump out of their skin when they finally took note that I was right behind them. RING RING

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General Discussion / Re: Is a Bear Vault needed on Western Express between Jackson, CA & Pueblo, CO ?

« on: April 26, 2023, 02:03:09 pm »

I did the WE but I was CC touring so I did not need to worry about campsite issues.

That said, you may want to be cautious and hang your food if you're wild camping from when you first head west from Pueblo till you get to Delores by the Utah border. I don't think you'll need to worry about it again until the Carson Pass area. I say that just from looking at bear range maps. I do not recall seeing any signage about being "Bear Aware" at anyplace along the route. Even in someplace like Sargent (below Monarch Pass) which is very rural and and wooded, or around Telluride, I do not recall seeing any bear signs.

Actually the only time on that route I worried about the .0000001% chance of an ugly wildlife encounter was when I was on the alternate route (722) between Middlegate Station and Austin. Sixty something miles and I wasn't passed by a car the entire time. As I climbed up the passes on that road the surrounding rocks looked like perfect mountain lion territory and I assumed if one saw me I would look like slow & easy pickings! 

I think you'll love the route, I certainly did. A detour to Zion NP is certainly worthwhile but a pretty big detour. Make sure you at least go the extra 10 miles to include Bryce Canyon.

Pete

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General Discussion / Re: Hello, I'm coming

« on: April 23, 2023, 05:37:45 pm »

Hi Luca:

I have toured here in the US as you intend to tour. No camping, packing light, 90-100 miles a day.

As you’ve gathered by now, your budget is light. I don’t mean to scare you as I’m treating myself when I’m on tour, so if there’s a couple motels or restaurants in town I always pick the nicer one, but my burn rate always seemed to average out to $200/day for food and shelter. That said, in a lot of the small towns that are not resort towns, hotels and restaurants were actually pretty cheap. It’s been 4 years since my last tour and I don’t know about prices today but there have been many hotels in modest little rural towns that were close to your budget. What made my costs go way up was when I passed thru towns like Banff or Whitefish or Crested Butte. Avoid overnighting in towns that cater to the wealthy as best you can.

Also, on my 1st tour, which was a coast to coast ride, I only packed a bivy. On all subsequent rides I carried the lightest tent,pad, and sleeping bag I could find (less than 2kg total). Out of a total of 220+- days I’ve spent on the road touring I have camped a total of 2 nights. Nonetheless, the piece of mind that you won’t spend the night freezing when the night time temperatures drop 40d out west is worth the small weight penalty.

Good luck and have a great ride!

11

General Discussion / Re: Reservations along the Icefields Highway?

« on: April 03, 2023, 07:59:23 pm »

Funny you should say the well spring for the trip is something you read 45 years ago. The reason I rode the length of the Alaska Hywy was a because of a book I read in elementary school about it being built.

I will mention 1 more thing and then leave you be. I don’t know where the bridge is that got washed out on the park road but the advice I got, and followed, was that there is no more stunning views of Denali then from Elysian. That’s about 1/2 way in (45 miles?) on the park road. The day I was there not a cloud was in the sky and the sight was fantastic.

I hope the trip is great for you! Best of luck!

12

General Discussion / Re: Reservations along the Icefields Highway?

« on: April 03, 2023, 06:15:31 pm »

Are you still starting in Deadhorse but instead of going all the way to Homer you're making a left turn at Fairbanks on 2 for Delta Junction (and Tok)?

Since you're passing thru Tok if there's any way you can spare the time to take the Richardson Hywy to the Tok cut-off you won't be sorry.

My trip was a circuitous route from Banff to Dawsons Creek and then I took the Alaska Hwy all the way up to Fairbanks. Once I got to Fairbanks I rented a car and did a bunch of hiking.

If you are relying on information from the Milepost, be wary as that whole area looked to me to be under pretty serious economic duress with lots of businesses for sale or recently closed.

I hope the weather is favorable to you up there but take really good rain gear because you'll surely be using it often enough.

Pete

13

General Discussion / Re: Reservations along the Icefields Highway?

« on: April 03, 2023, 04:26:12 pm »

Hi John:

I've ridden the Icefields Parkway twice in the last 7 years, once N to S and once S to N, but I was CC'ing it so I don't have much info of use to your post.

On one of those trips I rode to Alaska. Sorry for the thread drift but I'm curious if you're taking the Alaska Hywy or going via the Cassier?

Pete

14

General Discussion / Re: West to East coast tandem tour with hotels?

« on: December 11, 2022, 10:37:43 pm »

Hi:

I’ve done seven 30-35 day tours of 25-3700 miles and spent every night except 2 in a hotel.

Which brings me to my first point, after my first tour I started to take a super light tent and bag w me on all subsequent tours My stuff is < 5 lbs but when you have a really long day between hotels and the wind is up, having that Insurence is great, even if you don’t use it.

2) I passed thru w Yellowstone in the middle of September, I think I remember someone said there’s 2k hotel rooms in town. When I first got into town every room was booked. I did manage to get a last minute cancellation.

3) jamawani is the go to guy on routing and I would take him up on his offer to help but on my x- country trip I started on Labor Day on the western express route (San Francisco) and met up w the trans am in Pueblo Co and I considered it to be a stunning route and the weather was about perfect. There is an extraordinary beat down of a day, Hanksville to Blanding , 137 miles, VERY desolate terrain, but it can be routed around by going off route thru Moab.

Good luck, Pete

15

Routes / Re: What is Your Favorite Cross Country Route and Why?

« on: July 24, 2022, 07:34:52 pm »

I will to comment about loneliness on tour. This is extraordinarily per the individual. I am not antisocial but I always tour alone and I have never felt lonely on tour. Since I generally tour in September I see many fewer riders than most even on mapped ACA routes. When I rode from Banff to Fairbanks I saw 2 riders over 21 days.

When I’m on tour I’m in my happy place, soaking in the scenery, thinking about what the rest of the day holds, what I’ve seen so far, big climbs coming up….anything and everything. It is a mind cleanse!

And when I stop for breakfast, lunch, or dinner I’ve had some of the most interesting conversations with the local folks. How I understand my fellow Americans (and Canadians!) has undergone a sea change over my 6 long tours. I may still hold views completely different from them but I see their humanity fully. You mostly do not have these conversations when riding with other people.

I just wanted to encourage anyone who’s concerned about being lonely, you may find you love being alone!