Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


 

Messages - eorogers

Pages: [1] 2
1
General Discussion / Re: Empire State Trail to NY City
« on: May 25, 2023, 05:41:07 pm »
Thanks - I'll put it on the list :-)

Eric

2
General Discussion / Empire State Trail to NY City
« on: May 24, 2023, 07:29:53 pm »
I am putting together a TransAm/Northern Tier ride from Florence OR to Buffalo and then looking at following the Empire State Trail to Albany and down to New York City to pick up Amtrak home to western Colorado. 

Everything works down to Poughkeepsie, but I am having a heck of a time finding anything under $200 / night from there south and that is a real budget buster - I'm self sustained, camping as much as possible and cheap motels when necessary and used to urban riding.  If anyone knows the area and has any suggestions, I would sure appreciate it.

I have no need to go into the city instead of hitting the coast elsewhere, but it sounds like a real hoot to ride to the tip of Manhattan :-)

Eric

3
General Discussion / Re: Reservations along the Icefields Highway?
« on: April 08, 2023, 12:28:54 pm »
Let us know how camping goes on the Icefield Hwy - I am planning that in the next couple of years and have the same questions :-)

Eric

4
General Discussion / Re: Adjust Your Plans for Touring in the West
« on: March 07, 2023, 01:28:49 pm »
I rode East last year along the borders of the Dismal Swamp and realized I probably knew just enough about swamps to get myself into real trouble should I venture deep into the interior on foot.

Similarly in 1969, after growing up in small town Colorado I went to graduate school at Illinois Tech on the south side of Chicago (32nd & Michigan).  They advertised walking distance to downtown, so I tried it - just once.  The white boy made it 4 blocks before 4 angry young men shouted something rude enough to scare my white ass back to school as quickly as possible.

It is always wise when traveling somewhere new to realize that you may not know as much about the hazards as you think you do, and checking with the locals is always a good idea.

Eric

5
General Discussion / Re: Adjust Your Plans for Touring in the West
« on: March 05, 2023, 04:54:10 pm »
I think a quick melt with flooding is a major concern.  Not just high water, but road damage.

I'm looking at routes from the Oregon Coast to Missoula with a flexible June 1 start. 

I'm thinking Newport to Portland to Lewis & Clark for the Columbia River Gorge and Palouse, or the TransAm from Florence for McKenzie pass, Smith Rock, and John Day.  Have to see how things go. 

The Columbia is big enough I don't really expect much flooding, but...

Eric

6
Routes / Re: Great Plains Gravel Route?
« on: March 01, 2023, 12:55:54 pm »
We lived in Houston through the 1980's and my memory is that March was the nicest weather in Texas - the wildflowers in the Hill Country were magnificent, so I was thinking early March for the start.  I looks like a great ride.  Anyone with more recent ideas?

Eric

7
General Discussion / Re: Return to beginning of ride info
« on: January 13, 2023, 09:37:08 am »
John

Last I heard Greyhound was not accepting bicycles anymore.  Do you know something I don't?

Eric

8
Classifieds / Re: Wanted - old northern tour hwy 2 routing maps
« on: December 08, 2022, 05:24:20 pm »
Thanks Guys - I just bought a set of maps - they are in the mail :-)

Eric

9
Classifieds / Re: Wanted - old northern tour hwy 2 routing maps
« on: December 01, 2022, 05:55:56 pm »
I sent you a private message with my email and address :-)

Eric

10
Classifieds / Re: Wanted - old northern tour hwy 2 routing maps
« on: November 26, 2022, 11:27:43 am »
Nah, 75 :-)

11
Classifieds / Re: Wanted - old northern tour hwy 2 routing maps
« on: November 25, 2022, 06:32:23 pm »
Yeah Jamawani, we lived in Monroe from 1975 to 1980 - It was 3,000 people on the very leading edge of the bedroom community boom.  We were so proud we had our own Safeway store and a stop light at Main St and Hwy 2.  Traffic over Stevens Pass was a lot less.  Went back 2 years ago and what a difference.

Heard they open McKenzie Pass to bicycles for 2 weeks or more before open to cars - that would be the sweet spot for a spring trip.  I'm fairly flexible for timing.

I'll remember the camping next to Smith Rock :-)

Eric

12
Classifieds / Re: Wanted - old northern tour hwy 2 routing maps
« on: November 25, 2022, 11:09:53 am »
Jamawani - I wasn't bitten by the touring bug, it swallowed me whole :-).  I started on my own routes, and in the west with all the public land to camp on I am very comfortable there.

Thank you for the historical insight - I was thinking Hwy 2 in Montana to catch Ft Peck and follow the Missouri River, but you make great points.  I will add the Mandan villages to the route.  Thank you for the book recommendations too - I agree it adds a lot.  I grew up with Guthrie's "The Big Sky".

I spent 5 years living NE of Seattle in Monroe Washington (on Hwy 2) and Cascade weather can be very unpredictable - have not decided on a spring or fall trip yet.  Fall is nice to avoid the bugs (particularly the black flies), but New England can get cold and campgrounds start to close after labor day. 

I have family in Portland and can take Amtrak there to start.  I was going to ride to Astoria and do the western Lewis and Clark to ride the Columbia Gorge, but I think the Western TransAm looks over all prettier and have not ridden that yet. 

I have not done the Lochsa River yet - sounds wonderful. 

Thank Much

Eric

13
Classifieds / Re: Wanted - old northern tour hwy 2 routing maps
« on: November 25, 2022, 10:44:32 am »
Thanks John - I agree with you about the Northern Tier west of Browning and the Pacific Coast.  I have done both of those and the Pacific Coast north of San Luis Obispo is my all time favorite. 

I've driven the Minnesota woods (French Voyageurs), the shore of Lake Superior,  and the Michigan UP and enjoyed them all.  We used to live in upstate New York and liked Adirondack State Park and New England very much, although that was 50 years ago.  Eastern Montana, North Dakota, and Cleveland through Buffalo I am not so sure of, but that is the cost of going east :-)

Eric

14
Classifieds / Re: Wanted - old northern tour hwy 2 routing maps
« on: November 24, 2022, 11:31:05 am »
Thanks Jamawami - the info really helps with decisions.  I know about the oil field boom in the Williston, the latest traffic counts I found for ND were from 2020 - Hight of corvid, so not sure how appropriate they are today :-)

US 89 south from glacier is a great ride :-)

The goal is to ride coast to coast emphasizing scenery & history, and staying north to avoid the worst of the summer heat / humidity.  I rode the TransAm from Colorado to Yorktown this year and almost melted in Kansas and Missouri. 

My current plan is to ride the TransAm east to Missoula, then Lewis and Clark (alternate?) to Great Falls and catch the Northern Tier from there.  In Minnesota I want to ride the north shore of Lake Superior from Duluth to Grand Portage and maybe into Canada along the northern shores to Niagara Falls and back to the Northern Tier.  Or ride from International Falls to Thunder Bay and south to Duluth, then the North Lakes and Lake Erie Connector. 

I like the Northern Tier from Anacortes through Glacier, but rode that part 4 years ago. 

I ride self-contained, almost all camping, and love touring in the west with all the public land for dispersed camping.  I ride a large bike with 29x2.6 tires so gravel and the occasional mellow single track are good. 

Thanks

Eric

15
Classifieds / Wanted - old northern tour hwy 2 routing maps
« on: November 23, 2022, 01:13:31 pm »
I am looking for the old northern tour routing maps that follow hwy 2 through Eastern Montana, North Dakota, into Minnesota for a potential tour next summer.

Thanks

Eric

Pages: [1] 2