The TransAmerican for a beginner?

[PeteJack]

I figure that in the mountains regardless of time of year you need to be prepared for a bit of cold

Too true. I crossed the North Cascades W-E in October one year in the pouring rain. Climbing was OK, the exertion kept me warm but descending from Rainy Pass to Mazama I came close to hypothermia.http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/index.html?o=1&doc_id=6088&v=3t

And be aware that you can get dehydrated when you are cold and wet, so keep drinking even if you don't feel thirsty.

[adventurepdx]

I crossed the North Cascades W-E in October one year in the pouring rain. Climbing was OK, the exertion kept me warm but descending from Rainy Pass to Mazama I came close to hypothermia.

Heck, I came close to getting hypothermia due to rain on Sherman Pass (along Northern Tier in Washington) in June!

[Westinghouse]

Is it safe for a woman to cycle that distance alone? In general, yes it is. But, you know how life can be. There are no iron clad guarantees. You should be OK. Yes, it's safe, but there are dangerous crazy people running around out there. Keep your cell phone handy. Be careful. I wouldn't worry about it. Everything should work out fine. Right now it looks like weather and traffic will be your main concerns.

If you haven't spent much time rambling in the outdoors, you should understand that weather and wind take on meanings during a long tour that are quite different from what they mean in a sheltered home environment. You might be surprised, and not necessarily always in pleasant ways, at the ranges of weather phenomena you will encounter. Be ready. Gear down and pack as light as you can.

[RussSeaton]

I crossed the North Cascades W-E in October one year in the pouring rain. Climbing was OK, the exertion kept me warm but descending from Rainy Pass to Mazama I came close to hypothermia.

Heck, I came close to getting hypothermia due to rain on Sherman Pass (along Northern Tier in Washington) in June!

I rode over Loveland Pass in late June.  Raining/snowing the last several miles of the climb.  Snow at the top.  Snow several miles on the descent.  Temps in the 30s.  Put on the garbage bag wind vest at the top.  Climb was not too bad.  Cold standing around on the top.  Cold and a bit dangerous on the hairpin turns going down.

[MarkM]

Cat,

 I finished the Transam August 11th. Started in Florence Oregon June 2. I was able to find motels in the $40 to $50 range quite often using the ones listed on the ACA maps. If you want to keep a reasonable budget, try to camp when the weather is good. There are private RV park/campgrounds that usually have grassy tent sites and shower/laundry facilities, state parks, and several small communities allowed camping in their city parks for the cross country cyclist. I found all the camping I did to be safe and was never bothered by anyone. You'll also meet other riders and will have the opportunity to ride and camp together.  Yellowstone Park was the only place I had any issues with a place to stay. I was riding with a couple guys I met earlier and was figuring on staying in a hiker/biker site only to find out that is wasnt open yet. The ACA map read the camp area opened mid June. We were there June 18 and it was still closed. A park employee invited us to camp on his site at a employee RV park. There are also a few hostels along the way. I have a journal on the crazyguyonabike.com website. Log on to the site, click the link for journals, then enter Hobodog in the search journals box. You'll see Transamerica trail 2012. If you would like, I can make you a list of motels, campgrounds, and Hostels that I found comfortable.

Mark

[indyfabz]

I crossed the North Cascades W-E in October one year in the pouring rain. Climbing was OK, the exertion kept me warm but descending from Rainy Pass to Mazama I came close to hypothermia.

Heck, I came close to getting hypothermia due to rain on Sherman Pass (along Northern Tier in Washington) in June!

Me, too, only it was snowing. We camped in Republic. During breakfast we had flurries. Not a good sign. Coming down the east slope it was windy and snowing. I think that was around the beginning of the second week of June.