Bike Across America beginning mid August 2006

I plan to ride my bike across America following the Adventure Cycling Association route maps. See their web site for everything about bicycle touring and the route. The web site is: http://www.adventurecycling.org The trip will take 60 to 90 days and will begin at the Pacific Ocean at the mouth of the Columbia River in Astoria, Oregon, and end at the Atlantic Ocean in Yorktown, VA. Although the country is said to be about 3000 miles wide the trip is over 4000 miles as we don't go the direct route and avoid the major highways.

In 2000 my wife Millie and I hiked the Appalachian Trail 2168 miles from end-to-end. The bike trip is my next great adventure.

My friend and Appalachian trail Thru-hiker Mike Caetano, trail name Cimarron (he spells it CimaRRon) will crew me driving along in his VW Euro-Van Camper. He'll monitor the daily progress and find us suitable places to stop for the night which will include camping, hostels, and motels. I will not need to carry everything as I'll see him now and then throughout the day and every evening. He'll carry an extra bike so breakdowns will not cost me pedal time. We plan to go about 40 miles per day at the start and to progress towards 50-60 miles per day.

Millie says she's not going along. Others have been invited, but no one else has committed. It seems a shame to have the whole organization planned and to go it alone, but we will!

We'll carry the laptop and should be able to update this Web Log twice a week.