Wish I was there

[1gewb702g]

I was there in 1976.  My username is my trip code from that trip.  For those that don't know the codes, it means that I was a member of a Golden Spokes East tour group, starting in the west and riding east and we were a bike-in (as opposed to camping) group and our first day was July 2.  Actually July 2 would have been the shakedown ride in Pueblo, CO and we actually left on July 3.  We ended up in Yorktown, VA at Camp Chickahominy. Oh, what a wet & muddy field that place was. It probably was nice when it didn't rain.
The other Golden Spokes rides (that those that started in Yorktown and went to Pueblo and those that started in Astoria, OR and went to Pueblo) carried Golden Spokes which were assembled into a wheel by the time the summer was over.  At least that was the game plan.  I don't know if they actually had enough spokes to do it.  You should know that there were plans for 10,000 cyclists that summer.  By the time it was all over, only 4100 cyclists rode all or part of it.
My group has 2 pictures on the full history page (http://www.adventurecycling.org/whoweare/historylong.cfm)of the ACA website.  The leader and Bob are the 2 sharing the water bottle.  The middle photo with all the riders riding 2-abreast is also from our group.  Dan Burden shot those photos.  I'm riding the white line, 2nd rider, counting from the rear.

I had so much fun that I decided that I would do the whole enchilada 4 years later when I would graduate from college.  And I did.  And let me tell you: if your tour starts with a bang, it could be because Mt. St. Helens erupted.  Yep, my 1980 trans am ride got started on Friday, the 13th of June when the volcano erupted for the second time that year.

If it didn't cost so much to have slides scanned, I'd have done it already.  And don't say to do it myself, as I have slides from the 2 trips, and to get a good scan takes a number of minutes per slide.  Plus I don't own a good slide scanner.

[bigK12603]

to hoosher - wow! I don't think I remember and / or having been told by John Rakowski that he led a Bikecentenial group - he may have mentioned that but I may have forgotten - I should explain that I had lived in NJ just a few relatively short miles from Middletown NJ where he had lived - I did not know of John Rakowski at the time I did my Colonial Virginia trip east to west in June of the same year - 1 month after your trip

John Rakowski was my "mentor" my "Obi Wan" for bicycle touring

[jblodgett]

I was there in 1976.  I rode from Astoria to Denver before I ran out of time (had to get to graduate school).  I did it as an independent and alternated between camping and Bike Inns.  I did the whole route from VA to OR in 1996 with my wife.  We also did the entire GDMBR in its inaugural year (1998).  I intend to do both routes again when I retire in a couple of years.

[terminustom]

I was the assitant leader on TAWB523.  We left from Reedsport, OR on May 23.  It was a "Bike Inn" group with sheltered place to stay each night.  Meaning, we didn't have to carry a tent and cooking gear.  What a wonderful trip for a 17/18 year old! Still riding today.  Is there anyone out there from this group?

[twinrox]

I was there AND we had a reunion 29 years later.  It took some time to look up all the names and track them down via the Internet, but, for those of you who are expressing interest in finding your group members, it can be done.  i found my group members via www.switchboard.com .   In 1976 we rode from Astoria to Jackson Hole utilizing the Bike Inns.  Then we got together two years later in Virginia when Dick and Betsy got married, but then we all went our separate ways.  When we got together iin Kittery Point, Maine, in 2005, we all found that the 1976 trip had been a life changing, unforgetable experience for all of us.  Our ride was 5 weeks and 1,746 miles.  Only one of us had touring experience. the rest of us weren't even sure we could complete a tour, but all of us did.  Hardly a day goes by when i don't think about the journey.  i have my Bikecentennial certificate of completion framed, with our group photo taken in Astoria, hanging here in my office.  We ranged in age from 16 to 60, there were 6 guys and 3 girls. we got along beautifully.  what a time it was.  what a trip it was !!!  i am so thankful to Dan and Liz Burden, and the others who put Bikecentennial together.   

[mucknort]

If it didn't cost so much to have slides scanned, I'd have done it already.  And don't say to do it myself, as I have slides from the 2 trips, and to get a good scan takes a number of minutes per slide.  Plus I don't own a good slide scanner.

Slide scanners keep getting cheaper and easier to use:

http://www.amazon.com/Epson-B11B193081-Epson-Perfection-V300-Photo-Color-Scanner-Black/dp/B001GBKTGM/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1298650367&sr=1-2
 
http://www.amazon.com/Wolverine-Digital-Converter-2-4-Inch-TV-Out/dp/B002TKMG92/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1298650367&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Ion-Audio-SLIDES-Negative-Converter/dp/B001DCGMR4

[Jabez]

Just found this site.
I rode from Reedspoint, OR to Yorktown, VA in 76
TAWB523
A few years ago i was abe to drive back over the route from Baker City, OR to Reedsport.
I could not believe I had done this trip GREAT memories

Rick

[Jabez]

Hey,
I was in TAWB523...been looking for those in this group
My name is Rick
Who is this?

[gnilier]

The original 1976 route did not go through Lexington, KY - it has always gone through Berea. I looked at the trip offerings from 76 in the archives here at the ACA office and the trip I think GAmado is referring to was from St. Genevieve, MO to Berea, KY. Carbondale and Lexington were the 2 closest largest cities to those towns.

There are some maps here in Missoula but I don't know of anything online that shows the original 76 route. Amazingly, for its length, we have changed less than 150 miles of the route. There are short sections in VA, KY, IL. MO and KS that have been re-routed. The 2 biggest adjustments have been in CO and OR. In CO the route between Walden and Kremmling was changed, and in OR there is a new route between Eugene and Florence (which was always the shortcut to get to the coast) though the route officially began/begins in Astoria.

Interesting, thanks.  I would have guessed that it had changed more.

I was there we were 1tawk526 leaving Reedsport, Oregon not Astoria, so I do believe that the trail started in Reedsport way back in 1976, so that part has also changed.