Lapping the Continent, Sort of...

So this summer I'm taking a trip that I've been planning and thinking about for the last eight years. The idea came for the trip whilst perusing the Iron Butt Association's rides. The one that really caught my eye was the Ultimate Coast to Coast ride (Key West to Prudhoe Bay, AK, or vice-versa, in 30 days or less).

Over the past eight years, I've had two kids, moved more times than I care to count, bought and sold many bikes, etc., etc., but I finally seem to be in a position to undertake such a journey. Trouble is, my imagination ran away with me in that time, so the trip will now look something like this:

[image: maps.google.com - 2012-04-10 - 12h-14m-08s.png]

Ignore the various green dots, as this is just the preliminary planning map. Also, I won't be taking the ferry up to Alaska. Sheesh, I don't understand Google Maps sometimes. I'll be stopping different places along the trip. Point is, I'm "lapping the continent," or at least I'm getting very close to it. Simply don't have time to include Mexico into the equation and I've never been to Montana, so I figure I'll take the opportunity. I'll be leaving NY on May 24 and returning on July 5, give or take. Just in time to teach in a new summer school program for high school students.

I'll be camping the entire way, or as much as I can. While I can afford the gas (ouch!), I can't afford even the cheapest flea-bitten hotels for every night. So, I've got a full set of camping gear ready to strap on the bike. Oh, the bike! Here it is:
[image: Posted Image]

It's a '98 with 17k on the clock. I've sold the high-mount Staintune (thanks RedShed!) in favor of the OEM pipe. I can now easily mount my (soft) luggage, and my son, when he rides with me, won't melt his shoes. :rolleyes:

I'm also using this trip as a catalyst for a book. I teach creative writing and literature here in upstate NY, and I've been working on a series of essays about motorcycles for a year or so now. This should be the shove I need to finish that project.

So, there it is. I'll update here as the final route comes together. Woohoo!

Holly crap that is awesome!! Wow, lucky you.

Take lots of pics and document the whole thing, you will be happy that you did in the futur.

A good buddy of mine did a trip very much like this. He ended up going into Mexico. There's a fairly epic and entertaining trip report of his on...either KLR650.net or advrider. Definitely something you should read. I'll look it up right now.

Found it. It's on KLR650.net. I guess you need to register to read the thread, but it's very much worth it. If the link doesn't work, just go on the site forum, go into trip reports and planning, and sort by views. It will be "Ohio-Alaska-Honduras, 3 months, 20,000 miles. " He only mustered 96k views.

Nice!  Definitely post up pics.  That should be one hell of a ride.   :fing02:

As it was written (by one who writes such things) "Do Epic Shit" and you are online for that ... Hope you have a safe ride and looking forward to pictures and ride report.

I should be in Alaska by second week of June, heading for Anchorage on my KLR.

In 2000 I made three separate trips from the Pittsburgh area to visit the 4 corners of the contiguous U.S. and Alaska.
Key West was done in March in conjunction with a friend's trip to Daytona for Bike Week (two weeks).
Maine in May (also about two weeks)
Alaska and the west coast from July to mid-Sept (20,000) miles.

So with that background, I'll raise the following points for you to consider as you shape your plans.
What are the really important goals for the trip?
Is accumulating significant mileage crucial?
How likely is it that you'll make a return trip to any of the areas you're planning on going to?
Have you already been to any of the areas on your route?

The basic gist behind these questions is to raise the point that there are so many fantastic places to visit in each of these areas, that I think a more rewarding trip and better stories for any writing you do, would be had by scaling back the circle the country idea and concentrate on Alaska, western Canada and the areas you'd have to go through more directly to get there (Montana, Glacier NP, and Yellowstone are well worth including in such a venture). Six weeks would still make this an ambitious trip.

At the very least, reverse your routing and go to AK first, so that if time becomes an issue, dropping Key West from the itinerary won't be much of a hit compared to having to drop AK from the loop.

I've read trip reports of folks doing the IBA UCC and frankly, they're boring, as droning across the country on slab would be.
I'm not dissing anybody's desire to do that if that's what they want, and it can be done with a more entertaining road selection, but it really reduces the opportunities for what to me are the more rewarding aspects of m/c travel - conversing with the people you'll meet, stopping to spend a half day checking out interesting places (like Head-Smashed-in-Buffalo-Jump), hiking to a waterfall, or stopping early to do a good soak in some of the many hot springs that are along the way (always a treat)..
edit - Oh yeah, and riding as many pieces of twisty pavement as you can!

If you haven't done much m/c camping, realize that while setting up camp in the dark is doable, it is not recommended. Time to set up and break camp cuts into riding time, so your daily mileage may not be as great as you plan. (My average during the AK trip, which was camping about 70% of the time and a lot of park and some museum visits, was 350 miles/day)

One word of caution as told to me over a dinner with a Fairbanks native I met on the AlCan hwy. On learning that I intended to ride to the Arctic Circle on the VFR parked outside he said, "If it rains, you don't want to be on that road with those tires." He was very very right. I survived and can brag about "doin' the Dalton" (hawk, spit) now, but at the time my thoughts were, "I wan't my Mommy!"


Have fun with whatever you do.
Greg

Wow...

I did the IBA NPT a couple of years ago, and am planning the UCC this summer.  I (briefly) considered doing it on the VFR, then hoped the CrossRunner would be available.  Nope, so I bought a WeeStrom last year and did the Trans Labrador Highway as a practice run.

Anyway, a couple of links you may find helpful:

http://www.vfrdiscus...tires-on-a-vfr/

http://www.advrider....ad.php?t=371634

Why not take the ferry one way?  I'm thinking it might be nice to watch the scenery go by with a cold one in hand by that point.

Glenn

[image: View Post]MapMaster, on 11 April 2012 - 11:02 AM, said:

I've read trip reports of folks doing the IBA UCC and frankly, they're boring, as droning across the country on slab would be.

There's a month allowed.  There's no reason for it to be a slabfest.  I'd thought of a detour to the Pacific and getting all three oceans in.

[image: View Post]MapMaster, on 11 April 2012 - 11:02 AM, said:

One word of caution as told to me over a dinner with a Fairbanks native I met on the AlCan hwy. On learning that I intended to ride to the Arctic Circle on the VFR parked outside he said, "If it rains, you don't want to be on that road with those tires." He was very very right. I survived and can brag about "doin' the Dalton" (hawk, spit) now, but at the time my thoughts were, "I wan't my Mommy!"

:laughing6-hehe: That's why I got the Strom...

[image: View Post]MapMaster, on 11 April 2012 - 11:02 AM, said:

Have fun with whatever you do.
Greg

Definitely do this!

Glenn

I am on a small island near West Vancouver. We have plenty of room for a tent...

Holy cr@p on a stick, that's one heck of a trip you have planned.  I live in So. Cal., if you need any help when your in the area, please do not hesitate to pipe up.

Hey when this summer are you going? and which direction? Im headed up to Vancouver from California if you want company for a few days. I will also be camping

[image: View Post]MapMaster, on 11 April 2012 - 11:02 AM, said:

The basic gist behind these questions is to raise the point that there are so many fantastic places to visit in each of these areas, that I think a more rewarding trip and better stories for any writing you do, would be had by scaling back the circle the country idea and concentrate on Alaska, western Canada and the areas you'd have to go through more directly to get there (Montana, Glacier NP, and Yellowstone are well worth including in such a venture). Six weeks would still make this an ambitious trip.


This is all great advice. Thanks to everyone for the well-wishes and thoughts. As much as the IBA ride was the impetus for the trip, I'm not going to be terribly sad if I don't make quick enough time to actually get the license plate frame. I'm planning mostly back roads, with short bursts of slab in key locations.

Here's how the first day is shaping up:
[image: maps.google.com - 2012-04-11 - 19h-52m-15s.png]

It's about 360 miles from home to a friend's house in Front Royal, VA.

This is pretty much what my days will look like (300-400 miles) down to Key West, until I get to Lafayette, LA. Then, I plan to do something silly:
[image: maps.google.com - 2012-04-11 - 19h-55m-21s.png]

From Lafayette, LA, to Las Cruces, NM in one day (1,007 miles). I was born and raised in Cruces. Went to college there, etc. Therefore, I'm pretty familiar with Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. And, given the 80mph speed limits in parts of Texas, I should be able to make good time.

This big day also allows me to take a day or two off back home to visit with family. I haven't been back to the desert in two years, so I'm looking forward to it.

That big day (in addition to slabbing it to Phoenix) allows me time to take in the California coast/redwoods/Oregon coast in ~200-250 mile increments.

I've ridden the West Coast from Mexico to Alaska and over to (almost) Inuvik. The north is fantastic country. There are plenty of places to camp along the way for really cheap (free, $10-15 a night). Adventure Rider (http://advrider.com) is a great place for info on this trip.  Sounds like you're in for a great long ride.

Check out my website for details of the trip - Prairies to Permafrost (http://www.superfunk...bike-trip-2011/). Be prepared for the weather in the north - it snowed in the Yukon and in Alaska (July) while I was there. Also the ALCAN highway is a mess and I wouldn't want to ride it with street tires in the wet (which it frequently is). The haul road north of Anchorage is dirt, chemicals and muck compacted - if you hit nasty weather it would be dangerous on a street bike.

It's 11,000 kilometres from Calgary to Inuvik and back through BC and Alaska and it took me 20 days - you're in for some 16-20 hour riding days to do it in the timeframe you mentioned and probably won't have much, if any time, off the bike. Also keep in mind that in northern Alberta, BC, Yukon, Alaska and the NWT there are almost no people so come prepared for emergencies and don't push your luck.

All the best and good luck. Drop me a PM when you're near Calgary and I'd be happy to ride with you for a day through the mountains.

[image: View Post]tc339, on 11 April 2012 - 06:26 PM, said:

Hey when this summer are you going? and which direction? Im headed up to Vancouver from California if you want company for a few days. I will also be camping

I should be in CA during the first week of June, give or take. I'd be happy for some company if we can meet up. :smile:

Looks like coming down from Alaska you are headed south on highway 43 to Edmonton?

If so, I've got couch space for a night in whitecourt, assuming I am NOT working at that time. If I'm on days off, you're welcome to crash, or I can direct you to a nice campground nearby.

Wow, I hope the ride goes well for you.

Here's a question I've always wondered about with long trips like these.  Besides time off you need some $$$.  If you don't mind me asking...what's your tentative budget for something this epic.  I know you want to camp as much as possible but it's still going to add up.

Curious...

booker82,

Here is a link to a trip  to Alaska on a VFR, and a pretty good read................

Wrong  Link...............

Sorry......



LH

Wow - That's fantastic. Best of luck to you. I cant imagine 20k miles on the viffer in 35 days or so, the most I have done is 3000 in 2 weeks and my rear was major sore. I think I would only attack it on an ST bike.

- How are you handling your maintence stops? You might need new tires and an oil change a couple times in the trip. And the usual one - check electrics, bring an extra R/R!

[image: View Post]booker82, on 11 April 2012 - 07:03 PM, said:

[image: View Post]tc339, on 11 April 2012 - 06:26 PM, said:

Hey when this summer are you going? and which direction? Im headed up to Vancouver from California if you want company for a few days. I will also be camping

I should be in CA during the first week of June, give or take. I'd be happy for some company if we can meet up. :smile:

Darn, Im not going until July. But I'd still be up for a few hundred miles if you wanted someone to ride with for a day. And I have a garage full of tools if you need anything!

[image: View Post]mello dude, on 11 April 2012 - 08:45 PM, said:

- How are you handling your maintence stops? You might need new tires and an oil change a couple times in the trip. And the usual one - check electrics, bring an extra R/R!

That's part of the reason I'll be stopping in Cruces. I'll change tires and oil and do other things while in a friendly driveway. As far as the rest of the trip goes, I'll probably be winging it. It's not ideal, but I can probably change oil in the parking lot of AutoZone, or some other parts shop. And, up in Alaska, there's a cool shop called Adventure Cycleworks that can change tires again, etc. I've also got some friends along the way that'll let me change oil and adjust chains, etc.

And, yep, I've got a spare r/r (thanks again RedShed!) I'm bringing with me.

[image: View Post]YellowFuzz, on 11 April 2012 - 08:16 PM, said:

Here's a question I've always wondered about with long trips like these.  Besides time off you need some $$$.  If you don't mind me asking...what's your tentative budget for something this epic.  I know you want to camp as much as possible but it's still going to add up.

Curious...

The time off is easy for me, as I'm a professor and have a large chunk in the summer to do what I like. As for $$$, well I've been saving for quite some time. And, this summer I took on an extra class to make some more scratch. I've got $3000 to play with, give or take, though I hope not to use it all. My wife and I are celebrating our tenth anniversary in July, and I figure I need to bring home a really nice present after being gone so long :tongue: .

Actually, the most expensive single expense (after gasoline) is another month-and-a-half worth of daycare. Usually, I stay home with the kids in the summer, but this year we're keeping them in while I'm gone. That'll be going on $900 just by itself. Sheesh :sad: .

to cross the open plains.......








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Good luck. Have a great time and don't leave your tank bag in a Canadian gas station as I did. LOL. I had a 5th gen like yours then. Thus the "missing in action","behind enemy lines" poster below. I'm anxious to read your report and check out the pictures.  Wish I could go with you.

[image: View Post]Dutchy, on 12 April 2012 - 11:28 AM, said:

to cross the open plains.......

Crossing the Great Plains from east to west, solo, is the m/c equivalent to the Native American tradition of a vision quest.
Instead of fasting for four days in solitude to induce hallucinations, two days of droning along lightly traveled two-lane will do the same.
I swear those mountains/bluff that gradually appeared in front of me where deliberately shifting as I neared and the clouds became horses galloping along just out of my reach, no matter my speed. Seriously :tour:

An epic ride indeed. Everyone should do something like this at least once in their life.

I live in a first-ring suburb of Minneapolis, MN. Look me up if you want any relief here. I have a couch, or a backyard to pitch a tent. And a decent (usually) shower. Some tools also. And a driveway/garage to work in.

I'd love to hear about your adventures and any tips you pickup along the way. I've been on several month-long trips and each was a great time.

Ride safe

Terry Gale (612-866-1525)

[image: View Post]Veefer800Canuck, on 11 April 2012 - 07:08 PM, said:

Looks like coming down from Alaska you are headed south on highway 43 to Edmonton?

If so, I've got couch space for a night in whitecourt, assuming I am NOT working at that time. If I'm on days off, you're welcome to crash, or I can direct you to a nice campground nearby.

I might take you up on that! Thank you.

Have any of you guys done the Beartooth highway up in Montana? I think I'm probably going to cross back into the US near the Waterton Lakes national park, and then bum on down and ride the Beartooth. It looks amazing:

[image: Posted Image]

Then I think I'm going to trek on over to Deadwood, SD, just for giggles.

booker82,


Here is the link to the ride to Alaska that I tried to post yesterday. One of the bikes is a VFR and this is a pretty good read..........


http://www.advrider....ad.php?t=706698




LH

[image: View Post]booker82, on 12 April 2012 - 07:12 PM, said:

Have any of you guys done the Beartooth highway up in Montana? I think I'm probably going to cross back into the US near the Waterton Lakes national park, and then bum on down and ride the Beartooth. It looks amazing:
...

Yes, a few times and it is a very good road. The views are fantastic, the run may or may not be great depending on traffic and weather.
As it's just outside of Yellowstone, a swing thru there is a must if you've never been.
Coming down near Waterton, that's well worth a visit and Glacier NP even more so. The Going to the Sun road in Glacier is stunning, more so than Beartooth, but tourist traffic pretty much guarantees a slower ride. You'll need that just to soak up the sights. If you need a twisty road fix in the area, check out MT 49 between Kiowa and East Glacier Park. Keep and eye out for moose and bear.

[image: View Post]booker82, on 12 April 2012 - 07:12 PM, said:

Have any of you guys done the Beartooth highway up in Montana? I think I'm probably going to cross back into the US near the Waterton Lakes national park, and then bum on down and ride the Beartooth. It looks amazing:

[image: Posted Image]

Then I think I'm going to trek on over to Deadwood, SD, just for giggles.

Do the Beartooth, and Chief Joseph highway also. Worth it.
[image: Posted Image]


[image: Posted Image]

Watch for cows.

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[image: View Post]MapMaster, on 12 April 2012 - 08:55 PM, said:

The Going to the Sun road in Glacier is stunning, more so than Beartooth, but tourist traffic pretty much guarantees a slower ride.
THIS!

Not a road to make time on, and if you do it, go from East to West, that way if there are construction delays on the West side (which there always are), you are going downhill, and can turn the bike off and coast, as opposed to frying your clutch going uphill (east).

The views are freaking SPEC-tacular.

[image: Posted Image]

[image: View Post]Veefer800Canuck, on 12 April 2012 - 11:17 PM, said:

[image: View Post]MapMaster, on 12 April 2012 - 08:55 PM, said:

The Going to the Sun road in Glacier is stunning, more so than Beartooth, but tourist traffic pretty much guarantees a slower ride.
Not a road to make time on, and if you do it, go from East to West, that way if there are construction delays on the West side (which there always are), you are going downhill, and can turn the bike off and coast, as opposed to frying your clutch going uphill (east).

Good advice if you're only making one pass through there, but unless your head is on a 360 degree gimbal mount, you really should ride it both ways. With lots of photo stops.

Wow, thanks for the pictures. I'm definitely going to have to spend some time in that part of the world.

Yes, it is amazing. A really good climb on both sides.

If you're using Adventure Cycleworks in Alaska make sure to order your tires before you leave. It's a guy that works out of his own garage at his house. He's very nice and quite helpful but has limited supply of parts/tires, etc. When I was up there he only had dual purpose tires and just Michelin.

Also a hint on tires. Some of the roads up there are pretty sketchy, nothing too scary but a dual purpose tire really helps. I bought Pirelli Scorpion dually tires up in Anchorage and they handle like a sport touring tire but give a bit of extra bite - they come in sizes to fit the VFR.

[image: View Post]booker82, on 12 April 2012 - 07:12 PM, said:

Have any of you guys done the Beartooth highway up in Montana? I think I'm probably going to cross back into the US near the Waterton Lakes national park, and then bum on down and ride the Beartooth. It looks amazing:

Then I think I'm going to trek on over to Deadwood, SD, just for giggles.

Thanks for the Pirelli tip. I was just planning on going the Pilot Road route the whole way. Might as well have an extra bit of grip where it's needed. Can you give me a sense of the mileage on those tires?

Hello from Savannah, GA, everybody! I thought I'd update this thread now that I've found some Internet service. I'm just about 1000 miles away from home now, a mix of Interstate and back roads. I had a little trouble finding first on the bike (thanks to all who replied in my other thread over in the fifth gen forum).

At any rate, it's been a (painful) hoot. I suffer from bursitis in a couple of my joints, and it's been acting up like crazy when on the bike. I've had to stop every 50-60 miles in order to rest and feel a little better. But, I finally feel like I'm finding a groove. It's also been outrageously hot! Bike temp gauge said 100 today heading through South Carolina. Been drinking tons of water. Anyway, here's what my SPOT map looks like:

[image: share.findmespot.com - 2012-05-26 - 18h-02m-40s.png]

My public page, in case anyone cares to look: http://share.findmes...1bqtb3KjVzGvQ3S

And here, too, are some of the choicer pictures so far:
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I took this one for my son. This is "Dinosaur Land," just outside Front Royal, VA.

First camp:
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Skyline Drive:
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And, finally, in the parking lot of a gas station today, after having been asked to purchase a $300 food stamp voucher for $120 by a tattoo'd dude with a tracheotemy and a voicebox (hell of an adventure, so far), I realized she had just turned 18000 miles:
[image: Posted Image]

So, there we are. Now, if I can figure out whether or not tropical storym Beryl is going to cream me tomorrow, I'd be happy.

Thanks for looking!

Cool, I mean HOT! Looking forward to more updates!

Wow, looks like a cool trip.  Drop me a line if you want some company as you come through Calgary.  I've got lots of space if you need a place to stay for the evening as well - and even a garage for the bike if you need to do so work.

Thanks for the good words, folks. I have Internet again, so I thought I'd give another update. But before I do, mods, should this move to ride-reports? It's still kind of both, so I don't know.

At any rate, I left off at Skyline drive and I've since made it to Holbrook, AZ. Long damn way, let me tell you. Let me get you at least a few more days of stories.

After the Skyline Drive, I continued to head south, where I stopped in Savannah, GA. Very cool place. However, unbeknownst to me as I drove idly down the road, tropical storm Beryl was spinning up off the coast. I got to my hotel to find three or four texts from family members, telling me to watch the weather. The weather did not look good. At this point, I still had every intention of making for Key West, but that storm just looked nastier and nastier. When I woke up in the morning, I decided to forgo Key West, as it seemed like I'd lose at least a day or two to the weather. Instead, I went to Jekyll Island, GA, so I could at least tag the Atlantic. So, some pics:

[image: Posted Image]

Turns out, the outer bands of Beryl had already started hitting the shore. When I got there, the waves were very high and the wind was even higher. I had to hold the handlebars just to make sure the bike wouldn't tip over right before I left. Another pic:

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Just wasn't pretty. So, I decided to tuck tail and run. I only got so far:

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This pic hardly does it justice, but that's the bike, bridge, and Beryl. When I came on the island, one could see the entire bridge. By the time I left one of the bands was hitting. I spent twenty minutes in heavy crosswinds and rain for that little "tag the Atlantic" stunt. But, I also got to see some great stuff in Georgia for my trouble:

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I continued west the next day, eventually making Mobile, AL. Here's the Bay of the Holy Spirit:
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There were a couple of really nice dudes fishing there, to my left. We talked quite a bit. It continued to be excruciatingly hot. That day wound up being 101 degrees with something like 80% humidity, or worse.

Oops, forgot this cool picture just before Pensacola, FL:
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And then, to make a long story short (mostly because this internet connection sucks and I've only been able to upload a tiny fraction of my pictures to Photobucket), I drove across Texas. Actually, I drove from Lafayette, LA, to Las Cruces, NM in one day. 1002 miles. I now officially qualify as an Iron Butt, I guess. I did the run in 19 hours, 12 minutes. The bike was absolutely flawless, let me tell you. As you can imagine, at that pace, I didn't take a whole hell of a lot of photos, but I did manage to snap these while I was running through Texas:

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I don't know why I like this one so much, but I do:
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And, my favorite of that group:
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I have now traveled well over 3k miles from my home. I'm due in Beatty, NV tomorrow, with Reno the day after. Then, I'm heading to the Left Coast, with the intention of heading up the coast until about the middle of Washington. At that point I'll hang a right and pick up the Interstate again to cross the border.

Heat waves, tropical storms, 1000 mile days. This has been one hell of a trip so far.

- A 19 hour drone it day? omg - I salute you sir! Wow!
Thanks for the update  - best wishes for the rest of your trip!

Booker82 - so sorry we didn't get to meet for dinner as you passed though (or I guess by) Florida (stupid storm) - You were to be the first Vfrd member I would have met in person!  Glad to see your safe, and making great progress.  Thanks for the call - your a true warrior.  Enjoy your epic journey.  Redshed

Hey RedShed,

I'm sorry too. I hope you didn't get too drenched. I'll get down there again one of these years, certainly.