So after some careful consideration I've decided to change my route around a bit.
I had originally planned to bike up the Pacific Coast and then take the TransAmerican trail in it's entirety from Oregon all the way through Virginia. This would total about 5,000 miles.
Basically, this would be the route I would be doing:
Old route: 5,000 miles of tour! Yikes!
Take a look at the highlighted region. That extra route from San Francisco to Oregon and back to Colorado is 1,200 miles. Now, I'm all for making this a ride I'll never forget but I've also got a loving girlfriend and family I'm eager to come back to.
So, I switched my route up a bit. Notice that (almost) straight line from California to Colorado? Yup, that's the new route. I've decided I'm going to be doing the Western Express route from California to Colorado and then taking the TransAmerica trail all the way to Virginia. Or, in graphical form:
New route: ~3,800 Miles. Piece of cake.
I'm hoping this will shave almost a month off my tour. I'm still going completely across country (as you can obviously tell) but it's a much more efficient route.
What are the downsides? The Western Express is considered a very challenging route. There are long stretches with no services. What's a long stretch? Well, according to Sir Sanner (who took the Western Express route) he mentioned distances of up to 70 miles without water and over 100 miles without food.
Sounds frightening right? Not really. There are a number of creeks along the way, and I plan to bring a water purifier to utilize them. Plus, I'm carrying five bags for a reason. I can likely tote almost two gallons of water a good five to eight thousand calories of food :)
In addition - I've been told by numerous sources that the Western Express route has, hands down, the most gorgeous scenery in the entire country. Desolate desert sunsets and rocks? Sign me up.
In other news, my frame is finished and is at the powdercoater getting painted. I'm not sure the wait but I'm hoping I'll be able to pick it up next week. Excitement abounds.
