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Messages - judyrans

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31
Routes / routes in Canada
« on: September 06, 2005, 03:34:51 am »
Whois wrote, Can anyone recommend any routes/tours through Canada?

Cycle Canada
http://www.cyclecanada.com/

Cross Canada Cycle Tour Society
http://www.vcn.bc.ca/cccts/

Also, try the Adventure Cycling Cyclists Yellow Pages - Online
http://www.adv-cycling.org/cyp/list.cfm?s=Canada&f=lCountry

We've done only two organized bicycle tours in Canada. The first one, back in 1996, was Cyclevents first Alaska Highway tour. Most of the Alaska Highway is in Canada's Yukon Territory and British Columbia province. For more information see http://www.cyclevents.com/full/alaska1.htm.

For way more details of that original tour see Ed Noonan's description at http://www.tailwinds.org/, or more specifically, http://www.tailwinds.org/general/index.html.

Our second tour, in 1999, was of Nova Scotia with Atlantic Canada Cycling, http://www.atlanticcanadacycling.com/planning/bicycleroutes/newfoundland/

A cross Canada tour is still on my "to do" list, although I've made it across the U.S. twice.


32
Routes / Lewis & Clark - Section 7
« on: July 06, 2005, 07:43:49 pm »

Styx wrote:
Quote

Supposedly a trail near a fish hatchery before Cascade Locks? Anyone know of this?


I hope this is being sent too late...

Columbia River Gorge Bike Map

Historic Columbia River Highway

We got copies of the brochures at the Visitor Center for the Dam at The Dalles, but that will be the wrong end for folks riding from the coast.

According to The Cyclists' Yellow Pages you can get the bike map by calling 503-986-3555, e-mailing michael.p.ronkin@odot.state.or.us, or go to
Bicycle Maps and Touring Information .

Have a good trip!


33
Routes / Map Addenda
« on: June 23, 2005, 07:19:43 am »
Use your mouse or keyboard to select the addenda portion of the web page. Then, click on "File", "Print" and "Selection" (in the "Page Range" section of the drop-down). This should print just the addenda information, although it may still be narrow.

If it's too narrow for your needs, copy the selected section, open your word processing program, and paste it in. Save the new document. You can then edit the document. Remove the excess carriage returns. You can do this by first selecting “Tools,” “Options,” “View” Carriage marks. Use your word processing program to search for carriage returns and replace the excess ones with nothing. Make any other changes you want, like font sizes, colors, and print styles, and margins.

To save more paper and ink, go to http://www.fineprint.com. Download a demonstration copy of FinePrint. You can use FinePrint to print 1, 2, 4, or 8 reduced-sized pages on one page. You can go from 16 single pages to one double-sided page! You can get rid of the “www.fineprint.com” message from the bottom by paying for the program. FinePrint allows you to save a lot of money by using less paper and ink.

However, don’t get carried away, make the print large enough that you can read it easily while riding.

This message was edited by judyrans on 6-23-05 @ 3:20 AM

34
Routes / Suggestions needed: Seattle to Anacortes
« on: April 24, 2005, 05:45:33 am »
Note that although Bellair Airporter makes a trip north from the Seattle-Tacoma airport about every two hours, it only makes one trip a day from the downtown Seattle Sheraton Hotel, 1400 6th Ave. http://www.airporter.com/dev_doc/board.htm. The King Street (Amtrak) Station is located at 303 South Jackson Street, about a mile away. But, if you have to stay overnight to make connections, you can check out Pioneer Square, the Klondike National Historic Park, the Seattle Visitor Center, Safeco Field (Seattle Mariners) and the waterfront.

In Anacortes the Airporter stops at Old Salts Deli-
Skyline Marina, the Washington State Ferry Terminal, and the Shell Station at 14th & Commercial. There are several motels along Commercial and nearby. You can dip your wheel in nearby Padilla Bay (best looking at high tide), or ride around to Washington Park which is off Rosario Strait. (Both are salt water, but neither is the ocean itself.)

Have a great trip!



35
Routes / North Cascades Loop
« on: April 25, 2005, 05:06:43 am »
The best source of bicycling information for Washington State is the Washington State Department of Transportation - Bicycling website http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/bike/.

There is a link specifically for planning tours: : http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/bike/Planning_Maps.htm .

There are links to Accommodations, Campgrounds – Washington State Parks, Washington State Ferries and Amtrak Cascades, Bikes on Transit, Bicycling from SeaTac Airport, Bicycle Paths and Trails , Bike Clubs, and Local Bike Shops by County .

I've ridden State Route (SR) 20 in both directions. Either way you have a steep, but georgeous climb. This area is known as the Washington Alps. We were totally spoiled for our 2004 Cross Country Ride during our first week crossing the Cascades! Nothing could compare! The Adventure Cycling Northern Tier Route follows SR 20 (mostly), so Northern Tier Map 1 would help. Although ACA leaves SR 20 at times, there is no real reason to do so, especially since almost all the services are on Highway 20. But, do keep in mind, it's a mountain pass, conditions could be cold, wet and nasty! You are surrounded by National Forest and National Park, so ammenities are limited.

The route along the Methow River on SR 153, and Columbia Rivers on US 97 is very nice. It can be very hot and there are few services. The section between Wenatchee and Leavenworth has more services.

The return route over US 2 is also very scenic. Again, it's National Forest land with few services.

The west side connection between US 2 and SR 20 is the hard part. SR 9 used to be a nice quiet alternative to I-5, but not any more. Last time I was on it (in a car), traffic moved very slowly if at all. There are some alternate roads, which may involve more hills, but could get you away from the traffic.

Try exploring the maps at http://www1.co.snohomish.wa.us/Departments/Public_Works/Divisions/TES/ProgramPlanning/transpelement.htm for a route between Monroe and Sedro Woolley.

Explore the Snohomish County bicycle club, B.I.K.E.S., http://www.bikesclub.org/, website. See if you can find someone to contact for information on avoiding SR 9. (Let me know the answer.)

Northwest Mileposts , http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1878425803/qid=1114399769/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-1457820-3881626?v=glance&s=books&n=507846, last published in 1995 has mile-by-mile logs of SR 20, US 97, and US2. Although 10 years old, the descriptions for National Forest and National Parks areas haven't changed much.

In case you decide you don't want to carry your gear, Adventure Cycling has a supported loop tour of the north cascades and more http://www.adventurecycling.org/tours/cyclewashington.cfm?pg=more. (Jul 30 - Aug 08; Route begins and ends in Redmond, WA; 10-day catered and van supported event, 10 days,  Miles: 50 Daily average  Roads: 100% paved   Riders: 150 Cost: $999

CycleAmerica does a North Cascades Loop: http://www.cycleamerica.com/np11cascades.htm
(August 13 - 19, 7 days, $645).

Have a good trip!



36
Routes / St Louis Airport to start of L &C at Hartford Il
« on: April 18, 2005, 07:00:49 pm »
First, do the Adventure Cycling maps give a route? I don't know because we did our trip before they were published.

We used a route in Tod Rodger's Bicycle Guide to the Lewis & Clark Trail, http://www.deerfootpublications.com/index.html.
The author has helpfully put a copy of the book on-line so you can browse it before ordering. By going to http://www.deerfootpublications.com/chapters/05wb.pdf, you can see his directions for getting from the St. Louis Airport to St. Charles.

It was very nice of him to make the book available on-line. You could print the whole book out for free, or at least for just the cost of the paper. But, that's really stealing. Buy the book! And, if you'd like to have daily route sheets, you can print them off the computer. This way you don't have to tear up the book.

I haven't tried to compare the book route to the Adventure Cycling Route.

There was some road construction going on when we went from the airport to St. Charles. Things could be different. And I think we scratched our heads a few times, but you ought to be able to make it. I don't see anything in the updates. Traffic wasn't a problem.

We found the book useful for our trip even though our trip was sagged by a commercial touring company. It was nice to have an idea about what could be found in the little town.

Have a good trip.


37
Routes / Pacific Coast - Getting out of Seattle
« on: April 03, 2005, 10:31:36 pm »
Amtrak also goes to Vancouver, BC. Bring your passport or birth certificate plus government ID (driver's license).


38
Routes / Touring Alaska
« on: March 14, 2005, 06:57:52 am »
My husband and I rode the Alaska Highway in 1996 with Cyclevents
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http://www.cyclevents.com/full/alaska1.htm/ , their first Alaska Highway tour.  There are two main differences between our tour and the current tour. First, we camped every night, the current tour stays in motels for eight nights. As a result, the current price is about twice what we paid. The price included the shuttle from the Fairbanks airport to Delta Junction (100 miles), and the shuttle from Dawson Creek, BC to Edmonton, AB (370 miles!).

Second, we went north to south, while the current tour goes south to north. The chief advantage of the north to south route was that we got to watch caravans of Winnebagos headed north without having to worry much about the drivers’ driving skills. The disadvantage was that we weren’t going “North to Alaska,” and that we had to do BC last. BC ‘s Highway Department brags about how they (1) eliminated 132 curves from the Alaska Highway in BC, (2) cleared trees and brush for 50? meters on each side of the road, (3) dug deep ditches on both sides of the roads. While these conditions might reduce the chances of motorists and moose colliding (I haven’t checked for statistics), it makes for a very BORING bike ride. Better to go through the boring section while the trip is new and exciting, and you haven’t seen the fantastic scenery further north. In 1996 BC also had very few rest rooms (or even outhouses). So, when you needed to “download  water,” you faced a deep ditch and a long sprint to the nearest bush. The only practical choice was to follow a driveway to the trees, and hope the folks couldn’t see you from the living room.

Ed Noonan
Code: [Select]
http://www.tailwinds.org/ started his trip from Fairbanks, rode north to the end of the paved road, then turned south to ride with the Cyclevents group from Delta Junction. After finishing the tour in Dawson City, he continued on to Florida! He has a lot of helpful information on the Alaska trip, his other tours, and touring in general on his website.

If you don’t want to do a supported tour, buy a copy of The Milepost,
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http://www.themilepost.com/ and start planning. There’s also Bell's Mile by Mile Travel Guide for Alaska, Yukon & British Columbia,
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http://www.bellsalaska.com/ , which isn’t updated as often, or as full of ads. It doesn’t weigh nearly as much, or cost as much, either. You can also print out these pages
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http://www.bellsalaska.com/alaska_highway.html to use as “cue sheets.” Or, choose from here
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http://www.bellsalaska.com/highways.htm , if you prefer a different highway.

Things to remember:
1.   It’s a long, long way between facilities. If you go self-supported, you must be prepared.
2.   The weather will probably be cooler than your typical U.S. summer tour. It may rain—hard. Oh, we woke one morning to snow,
Code: [Select]
http://www.tailwinds.org/canada/yk/day16.html . Plan for “winter riding,” and “winter camping.”
3.   It’s a real adventure! Have fun!



39
Routes / Milage routes for city & towns (not freeways)
« on: February 09, 2005, 04:34:47 am »
Try the Adventure Cycling Association's Cyclist Yellow Pages, http://www.adventurecycling.org/cyp/index.cfm.
Here's their lists for the US: http://www.adventurecycling.org/cyp/us.cfm
and for worldwide: http://www.adventurecycling.org/cyp/ww.cfm


40
Routes / Touring in AZ
« on: February 09, 2005, 04:38:39 am »
Try the Adventure Cycling Association's Cyclist Yellow Pages, http://www.adventurecycling.org/cyp/index.cfm.
Here's their lists for Arizona: http://www.adventurecycling.org/cyp/list.cfm?s=Arizona&f=lState


41
Routes / Touring in AZ
« on: February 09, 2005, 04:27:58 am »
Consider joining the Arizona Bicycle Club (http://azbikeclub.r.m6.net/) or the Greater Arizona Bicycle Association (GABA)(http://www.sportsfun.com/gaba/index.html). Take one of their Road I courses (offered monthly, free to members), learn how to ride safely, legally, and confidently in traffic, and meet some other local cyclists.

Here are some old books that I have that still can be found in used book stores on the internet. (Try Amazon and Barnes & Noble.) However, the problem with using old books is that what used to be a quiet back road may now be a 6-lane arterial to 10,000 new homes. Another reason to check with a local bicycle club.


Bicyclist's Guide to Arizona
by Peter L. Bower
Paperback
Publisher: Phoenix Books (1980)
ISBN: 0914778366
1.   Short Rides, Phoenix Area, 15, 23, 27, 40, and 32 miles.
2.   Short Rides Tucson Area, 11, 32, 26, and 32 miles.
3.   Intermediate Rides, Phoenix Area, 46, 59, 45, 46, and 36 miles.
4.   Intermediate Rides, Tucson Area, 34 &36 miles.
5.   Intermediate Rides, Prescott & Flagstaff, 51 & 51 miles.
6.   Long Rides, Phoenix Area, 93 & 121 miles.
7.   Long Rides,Tucson Area, 70 & 92 miles.
8.   Long Rides, Other Cities, 93, 104, 93, 132, 168, 164, 148, & 120 miles
9.   Extended Tours, Phoenix Area, 370 miles.
10.   Extended Tours, Central and Northern Arizona, 235 & 320 miles.
11.   Across Arizona, West to East, 540 miles.


Bicycle Touring Arizona
by Dennis Coello
Paperback: 136 pages
Publisher: Northland Pub; 1st ed edition (1988)
ISBN: 0873584341
1.   Grand Canyon Loop, 1000 miles.
2.   Grand Canyon/Wupatki, 216 miles.
3.   Mormon Lake, 175 miles.
4.   Four Corners Loop, 850 miles.
5.   Petrified Forest Loop, 270 miles.
6.   Apacheria Loop, 865 miles.
7.   Tucson/Nogales Loop, 170 miles.
8.   Phoenix/Prescott Loop, 335 miles.
9.   Kingman/Prescott Loop, 430 miles.

Most of my Arizona touring was in the 1980's so even the above book suggestions may be out of date.

Happy cycling!


42
Routes / Queen Charlotte Island
« on: December 27, 2004, 12:52:05 am »
Bryan wrote: "Does anyone out there have experience cycling and/or camping the Queen Charlotte Islands, Canada?  Any info would be a help.  Thanks."

Here's a couple of other tidbits you may or may not have found...

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/queencharlotteislands/

http://www.qcinfo.ca/
with an e-mail address, phone number and street address for the Queen Chatlotte Islands Visitor Info Center.


43
Routes / Queen Charlotte Island
« on: December 27, 2004, 12:22:31 am »
Bryan wrote: "Does anyone out there have experience cycling and/or camping the Queen Charlotte Islands, Canada?  Any info would be a help.  Thanks."

Noone has responded, and I haven't been there either, but here's some general advice:

If you haven't already, type "Queen Charlotte Islands" into the search engines for amazon.com and bn.com (Barnes & Noble). You'll get some books that might be useful.

Also, my ancient first edition copy of Moon Publications British Columbia Handbook has 13 plus pages on the Queen Charlotte's. The current 6th edition, Moon Handbooks British Columbia, may have more or better information. There's contact information, so maybe you could find out if there's more information in the current edition.

You could also try your local bookstore. Or, your local library. Try the reference librarian if you can't find anything on the shelves. The library may also be able to get a book via interlibrary loan.

For example, our local library has 10 books on the Queen Charlotte Islands, http://catalog.wcls.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?index=.TW&term=queen+charlotte+islands&searchButton=Find+in+Catalog#focus.

Take a good raincoat, rain pants, rain boots, a helmet cover, and gloves to keep your hands warm and dry!

Good luck!


44
Routes / Short TransAm on the Northern Tier?
« on: September 14, 2004, 06:32:05 am »
Scott (MrBent) wrote:

“I'm just doing some dreaming, wondering about a TransAm. What is the shortest but still pleasant way across the northern section of the US?”

Last summer we did our version of the “Northern Tier.” We had a sag driver. We took a total of 57 days. We took off 8 Sundays and an extra day in the Buffalo/Niagra Fall area. We could have finished on Saturday rather than Monday, but were waiting for a friend to get home. We totalled about 3500 miles. Without a sag it would take longer, or you would work a lot harder.

Our route: From hotel row in downtown Anacortes, WA we dipped our wheels in Fidalgo Bay, with an oil tanker in the background. We stuck to Highway 20 all the way across Washington State saving us 50 miles (that’s a day) over the ACA route.

At the Idaho border we followed US 2 through Sandpoint, then took the ACA route to Eureka, MT. Leaving Eureka we followed the ACA route and hated the very rough pavement and hills. Other cyclists who took US 93 said the shoulder was narrow in places, but just fine. On the other hand, between Whitefish and Columbia Falls some of us found the wide shoulders of US 93 and US2 to be full of gravel and rocks, while another found the ACA back roads to be quite nice. Since we had a support vehicle we drove from Columbia Falls to West Glacier via the ACA route and returned via US 2. We chose to pedal the ACA route despite 3 miles of gravel, rather than climb the steep hill and inconsistent shoulder and sidepath around Hungry Horse.

To save time and avoid having to meet the Road to the Sun time limits, we took Marias Pass. It poured rain that day. Another cyclist took Logan Pass. With a French Canadian accent, she said, “I could see that if I could have seen anything, it would have been beautiful.”

We then continued on US 2 to the Wisconsin/Michigan border. In ND, ACA takes you “away from the traffic and boredom of US 2,” but we enjoyed the many miles of wildlife habitat along US 2. We could have gotten along without some of the rumble strips.

Instead of continuing across NW Michigan on US 2, A friend living in Florence, WI advised us to turn south on US 51, then west on SR 70, SR 139, and SR 70 to Florence.

From Florence, we followed mostly US 2 to its end at the Mackinac Bridge. From there we took MI 23 to Cheboygan, then MI 27, and then MI 33 to Alger, where, I think we picked up an I-75 frontage road to Standish, then followed MI 13 to Bay City where we picked up the Adventure Cycling Lake Erie Connector route.

That route took us across southern Ontario to Fort Erie, ON. At US Customs we met a Buffalo area cyclist who lead us to a downtown bike shop, then onto NY 5 to Amherst. We continued across NY mostly on NY 5.

Utica, where NY 5 joined NY 8 and 12 and I-790 to join/cross I-90 was not for the faint of heart. We didn’t see any signs saying cyclists weren’t supposed to be there, or cyclists go this way, so we continued on. We may have been too busy watching traffic and other directional signs to see cyclist signs. (This part of the route wasn’t planned before we left home.)

A conversation with a bike shop employee ended up in an alternative route out of Schenctady when NY 7 said “bikes prohibited.” At Latham we joined NY 7 and followed it to the NY/VT border. We followed VT 9 to Brattleboro, VT jogged north on US 5 then followed NH 9 to near Keene, NH. We followed 101 to Milford, then 101A to Nashua, 111 to Canobie Lake. We finished at Plum Island, MA.

Originally, we planned to camp out during the week and motel it on weekends. However, one member of our group had sleep apnea. His nightime breathing apparatus required both electricity and a reasonably consistent temperature. As a result, he and his daughter (the sag driver) stayed in motels all but a few nights, while the rest of us generally camped. We stayed in a youth hostel in East Glacier. During the week we went across NY, VT, NH, the men’s wives showed up and we stayed in motels. Campgrounds would have been hard to find anyway.


Judy



45
Routes / Pacific Coast
« on: May 10, 2004, 06:11:52 am »
The easiest way to get from Bremerton to Seattle is to take a 1 hour ferry ride across Puget Sound on a Washington State Ferry. See http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/.

Judy


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