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« on: December 14, 2021, 04:51:17 pm »
The southern tier west to east starting January is fine. I am starting January east to west. To avoid higher elevations you can use a more southerly route than one stretch of ACA's mapped trail. From San Diego, if this is your starting point, follow ACA to Jacumba and hysterical highway 80. Get on I-8 to Ocotillo, CA. Suffer the road from hell to highway 78 to Ogilby and go south, and east to Yuma, AZ. After Yuma you can take I-8 to Casa Grande, AZ and I-10 to San Antonio, TX. You can take Texas hill country from that vicinity and stay with ACA. That will keep you off the higher elevations in winter.
Another thing, too. They are calling for winter temperatures of unprecedented warmth. The ACA route may be just fine at all locations in January-February. In fact that route has been cycled in the absolute dead cold of winter. The word is be prepared. With the right equipment, e.g., clothing, tent, sleeping bag, maps, and a watchful eye on weather forecasts you can tough it through any time of year.
I have cycled and camped the southern tier a number of times in cold cold winters, and way farther north than some parts of the ACA route. It was OK. Did I ever run into weather events that made me question my sanity for being where I was? Why, hell yes. But so what. That is part of the challenge and adventure. You cannot expect it to be a bed of roses from sea to shining sea. I assure you it will never be that. If it were that easy, why do it? The difference between cruising around town on your bike, and cycling across the continent is like the difference between sailing a boat in the river at home and crossing an ocean. Another alternate route is this one. After getting on interstate eight E. of yuma Arizona, take it to Casa grande and yet on interstate 10 to Las Cruces. Take the side roads west of I 10 to El Paso. Take a 10 from El Paso to Vanhorn Texas. In Vanhorn you can get on 90 going South. That will put you back on to the mapped out route and still keep you off the highest elevations in winter. From VanHorn Texas you can follow ACA’s Route all the way to Saint Augustine Florida.