Hi All,
Many thanks to you all for your replies..
It's taken me so long to reply as there have been some changes to my plans!
Not long after I posted on this forum my friend who lives near Seattle told me he was getting married in August. So as it looks like I'll be heading that way this summer anyway, it makes sense to plan a route in that area, so I've decided on the following. I'd love some of your opinions on it..
So from my friend's place in Kingston, WA I'll follow the Washington Parks route anti-clockwise around the Olympic National Park to Yakima, then take the 82 (or similar) down (S/E) until I reach the Lewis & Clark Trail which I'll follow to Missoula. From there I'll follow the Great Parks North route up to Eureka where I'll follow the Northern Tier route west until I pick up the Washington Parks route which takes me back to Kingston.
Altogether it's around 1670 miles, over about 42 days including 12 zero (or near enough) mileage days. Rest days scheduled for Whitaker's Bunkhouse, Kennewick, Missoula, Sandpoint, Winthrop and Mt. Vernon. Average daily mileage is around 55 miles, with a max mileage day topping out at around 70 miles. Daily miles are dictated by the campsite options.
I appreciate that the best laid plans can very easily change when you're on the road, that's part of why I love it.. But at the same time I just can't resist planning a trip!
I chose against taking the Pacific Coast route as I've seen a lot of the West Coast already from top to bottom, so decided on something a little different this time.
As I say, I'd much appreciate any opinions and views you might have on this planned route. One thing in particular I've not planned for is the contours of the land and any climbs I might have to do. I appreciate that they will affect my daily mileage and that a mountainous area will be a lot slower than a flat one!
Thanks for all input..