Been working on a couple of projects while we've been landed in Colorado for the last few weeks. It goes slow though when you're workin' with a thin budget and waiting on parts to arrive from far across the Pacific...
It gets frustrating since...
... I've got two rides I'm trying to keep on the calendar for this summer... life and unexpected consequences keeps interfering with that schedule... but I'm stubborn so Something is likely to happen.
Next June I've got it penciled in the calendar to make a return ride to Alaska. I'm calling that Alaska II... This time I'd ride at least partially with another rider who is planning on riding the haul road clean to Prudhoe...
I'm not sure I've got the ambition to push a Raider that far on dirt and gravel with maybe 300 miles between fuel stations in a place or two... My Adventure level has degraded a bit with age to not wanting to wiggle and wrassle 900+ lbs of road bike, camp and biker cowboy too awful far from something that resembles asphalt :) but then... I've never been accused of exercising an excessively High IQ so... you never can tell. :)
The other guy is talking about taking the Ferry to Skagway to cut off some of the early miles and save some wear and tear for the haul road... I'm thinkin' I'd rather do the Ferry part on the comin' back leg... After my butt has started feelin' the miles... not before ;)
We'll see if I sell enough of my Western and Action Adventure Ebooks to finance another roll up to the Land of the Midnight Sun!
If course... I'm hopin' enough folks like 'em to help finance a few other rides...
One of the Bigger of several Long Rides I've got penciled out started out as what some call a Four Corners Ride, or a Border to Border or a Boundary Ride. I'd like to stretch it a touch with the Northern leg being on the North side of the Border... I think Canada will still let me in...
I'd like to start from where ever I happen to be at; Arizona or Colorado most likely... and ride out to some point along the perimeter of the ride.
Then just turn... uh... right or left, twist the throttle and roll!... Still have to decide which direction to run the ride ;) and then ride the 9500 miles give or take... probably add a few making a side ride or two along the way...
There's others... all sorts of "inspirations" for Long Rides... as if a rider needs a reason ;)
1. All the National Monuments west of the Mississippi
2. All the passes over 7,000 feet from the Continental Divide west (there aren't too many in Kansas!)
3. Every state of the "West"
4. All The National Parks of the West
5. Waterfalls
6 The ten Best Roads of the West
7. Route 66... the Whole Mother Road starting from Chicago and rolling west.
8. The Trans America Trail
9. Hwy 287 end to end
10. Hwy 89 end to end
11. The Continental Divide... zig zagging back and forth to see how close I can stay from Canada to Mexico
... and then there's always the Old reliable Inspiration; Walk out to the packed bike... Pick a Direction and just GO!
Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian
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1 comment:
First, a comment on the ferry from RVing folks who passed this tip along. If you take it on the way back, you have a deadline (reservations made) and have to make it. If you take it on the way up, you're just starting out and the timing isn't as critical. That said, this was in reference to RVs, you may not have the reservation issue with bikes, just passing it along.
I've done several of your bucket list rides and we still plan to do all of Route 66 next fall (finally-we hope).
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