West to East, Across the US, in 3-4 months start March, looking for buddies

[kalach]

Hello!

As the subject line states, I am looking for touring buddies to travel from the West Coast (Seattle or San Francisco, or somewhere else) to the East Coast (NYC, Providence, Boston). March is my departure date and I hope to average about 50-60 miles a day and travel for about 3-4 months. Contact me with any ideas or plans you may have. I am flexible.

Best,
K

[Somebuddy]

Greetings from Scotland.   I am hoping to come over to the States next year to cycle the Northern Tier. ( Anacortes to Boston) , finishing in Boston instead of Bar Harbor as my sister lives in Boston and could source me a bike box for the flight home. I am hoping for a bit more than 50 miles a day as I have to finish inside 3 months so I don't require a visa. But I can't start this until June as the " going to the sun " road is closed until 21 June. I'm not looking for a cycling buddy, as they could be a better or worse cyclist than I am and want to keep going or stop for the day when I don't…!!! or we may not get on for whatever reason. They may want to camp or get a hotel/motel when I want the opposite. So I figure just go myself and meet people along the route. I have read many blogs on www.crazyguyonabike.com and if you stay to the ACA route, northern tier, southern tier or transam route then you will meet loads of cyclists. Cycle with different ones for a few hours and then go your own way / pace. You would also have to find someone in your age bracket who had similar likes. Anyway, good luck and maybe I'll see you on the road…………..

[John Nelson]

I can't start this until June as the " going to the sun " road is closed until 21 June.

I agree that waiting for GTTS Road to open is a great idea. Your trip would be missing something special if you cannot do it. However, I must warn you that it doesn't have a fixed opening date as you have implied. The NPS has announced that the earliest possible opening date in 2014 is June 20. Over the last 14 years, GTTS road has been open by June 21 exactly half of those years, 7 times. Only two of those 14 years, however, has the opening been past June 28. In 2011, it didn't open until July 13.

I would suggest monitoring the snow reports to see how much snow Glacier gets this winter. If the snow is heavy, you might consider pushing your starting date out far enough so that you don't get to Glacier too soon. It's a bit less than 800 miles from Anacortes to the base of GTTS Road, so it will take you about two weeks to get there. You also need to monitor the status of Washington Pass, which you will encounter in the first few days out of Anacortes.

[Somebuddy]

Thanks John. You may just have saved me a big disappointment. I would have headed out early June.

[jamawani]

Not the best idea.

[John Nelson]

Not the best idea.

I'm guessing that what jamawani is referring to is that a March start in the West will almost certainly be blocked by snow unless you start in San Diego.

[jamawani]

Jamawani is weary. 
Kalach has one posting.

[John Nelson]

Jamawani is weary. 
Kalach has one posting.

I sympathize with you. It's a lot of work to craft a length explanation for somebody who is likely not coming back to read it.