I've been trying to think how to start this blog. Literally ,blank page syndrome and on top of that, I didn't want to tell our story too soon. Kind of counting chickens...
In less than a week, Dave and I leave on our little adventure. This will be our story. I doubt that it will be deep but you never know, hopefully entertaining and possibly some drama, although not too much of the latter.
November 2011, just as we were leaving on another awesome trip with Dave and his 2 sons Rick and Stevie, resulting in great memories and a broken rib (but thats another story),Dave asked me if I would like to ride across the States with him on an off road route called the Trans America Trail. He insisted I think it through carefully which I dutifully pretended to do. When I got home I mentioned this to Jennie (who vies only with Linda for best wife on planet award - sorry to the rest of you). Jen did not hesitate and actively encouraged me to go. This is not the first trip, I am a very lucky man.
So to Jennie and Linda (I imagine similar conversations were had in the McMillan household), thank you for being so generous. We leave with a light heart.
Imagine 7500km of dirt roads, gravel, jeep tracks, forestry tracks, high mountain passes, deep canyons, desert, sand, mud, rock, snow, creek crossings amazing scenery and some of the remotest terrain that the United States has to offer. That is the Trans America Trail, the brainchild of a gentleman named Sam Correro who decided to ride off road from Jellicoe in Tennessee to the Pacific coast in Oregon. Sam, and its worth looking at his website www.transamtrail.com ,mapped the entire route through Tennessee, Arkansas, New Mexico,Oklahoma,Colorado, Utah, Nevada and Oregon, choosing as much as possible the most scenic or interesting parts of the country to ride through. He is also special. Thank you Sam.
To tell the truth, a lot of thanking needs to be done.
Thanks Dave, for displaying the trust to choose me to share this. Dave is an exceptional man and I consider that a real honour. Dave has taken on the lions share of organising and preparation and quite simply I would have been lost in many ways without him. Think Bear Grylls organising a biking expidition..
My friend Bernie who should be coming along but for 1 number on a lottery ticket. Bernie has made my very steep learning curve for riding dirt bikes in technical terrain easy. He is a giant and has picked my bike up out of countless ruts , bogs etc. In his honour we shall name our winch(not wench) Bernie. Mark also deserves a nod by teaching me that yes, you can ride a motorbike up a vertical wall - nutter, yes also another story.
This trip then is about the trail, companionship, the great outdoors ,touching our amazing planet and very much about motorbikes. Car people can zone out now, you will not understand.
For 5 weeks we expect to spend 11hours a day on our bikes. We will ride from Santa Cruz, California to Damascus in east Arkansas (we are skipping the first bit in Tennessee). Afterwards we will ride to Seattle and leave our bikes there for the next chapter - tune in next year. The point is, the bike is important.
Much discussion has been had about the bike. Mostly, obviously, what bike?How to prep it. What to carry. Buy or rent etc
All the advice we recieved said the same thing - get a small bike. Parts of the trail are very technical and can be very challenging.
So we chose to go with heart, not head...
The KTM 990 Adventure is an awesome motorbike. It is a purists bike with great suspension, brakes and a peach of an engine. It has no frills (not even a fuel gauge). It is a happy marriage between a giant dirt bike and a transcontinental tourer. It is certainly not a small bike. I expect to be moving my right wrist in millimetre increments. I think the KTM will make this trip. Mostly its going to be a blast and the other bits are what will make this blog interesting. We always have Bernie the winch...
So what else? We will stay in motels as we wanted to have the bikes riding light. Although we intend to ride the Trans America Trail, we are not married to it and hope to do a few side trips exploring other parts of that amazing continent.
More thanks you's ,I guess. Thank you to my 2 boys, Lucien and Julius, just for being you. I will think of you both a lot.
To my wonderful friends at work and play. You know who you are. thanks for indulging me over the last 9 months.
Thanks to my patients, for may things, including, most importantly ,a clear perspective on whats important in life (and also, so many sharing the joy of this trip).
3 more sleeps.
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