A few days before our flight I picked up a box from a local bike shop, one less box for them to break down.  The bike fit by removing the front wheel, fender and rack along with the pedals and pulling out the seat post and handlebars.  I loosened the rear fender so it sit snug against the back wheel and box.  I’ve read more than a few trip reports that started with bikes damaged in shipping so I tried my best to see that everything was secure and protected.  I cut a piece of wood to fit between the forks for added protection and wrapped most of the frame in pipe insulations along with the forks and top of the seat tube.  The bike fit snug, not too loose or too tight so I felt confident it was well protected.  I took one of my rear panniers as a carryon and stuffed the other three into a large duffel bag.  

Michelle dropped me off at the airport with the bike before dropping off the car so we didn’t have to worry about fitting it in the shuttle.  Getting my box and bags in the airport was easier than expected since the checkin was right inside the door.  When I dropped the bike at security they looked a bit perplexed.  I heard one say it won’t fit in the scanner and saw her grab for a knife.  A few swipes later my box was opened with two agents rummaging around.  So much for my careful packing.

After landing in Seattle we both traveled to the car rental facility leaving the bike at the airport.  Getting the box on the shuttle didn’t look feasible and it did give me an opportunity to test out the Apple AirTag I have stashed on the bike.  From the rental desk I could see the bike sitting at the airport, cool.   Car rentals are insane now! We paid more for our car rental than the plane tickets and we only rented a normal full size sedan.  The back seats dropped down so the whole bike box just slid inside.

The next day I assembled the bike and brought it over to a bike shop for a quick tuneup.  I meant to call last week and make an appointment but completely forgot.  The gears could use a little adjusting so I figured best to get it professionally adjusted before heading into the Cascades.  They were crazy busy, as are all bike shops around here for some reason, I guess the riding season beginning, but since I’m heading out in a couple days they agreed to take a quick look.  They only charged me $10 labor.  When did you last get anything done for $10.  Thanks Skagit Cycle Center!

I went out and bought food for the first few days and reorganized my gear after stuffing everything in a duffel bag. Things were not fitting as planned, bags were overflowing.  I laid out all my get into two piles, essentials and non essentials making difficult choices.  I decided to pair down my clothes a bit and drop a few items like my rain pants.  If it rains I still have a jacket to stay mostly dry and the weather forecast for the next 10 days looks great so I should avoid the cold mountain weather I had feared months ago.  I’ll send some items home with Michelle.

Weeks ago I made reservations for the first few nights as campgrounds seemed to be booking up in the area.  All weekends starting in June were fully booked.  I want to stay close to the start of the Washington pass climb the night before which is about 100 miles away so I’ll break that into two days for an easy start.  First night will be in Concrete at Rasar State Park, about 57 miles away.  The second day will be super short, only about 45 miles to Colonial Creek Campground on Diablo Lake, right at the start of the climb.  Third day is my concern, my first mountain climb up to 5,000+ feet.  I’m staying that night at the Pine Near RV park in Winthrop.  Finding accommodations the following days shouldn’t be too difficult.

We spent the last couple days on Camano Island in a house on the water owned by Michelle’s friends she made while walking the Camino de Santiago (her retirement trip). They’ve been super helpful along with giving me some pointers on places to stop as I ride through the Cascades.  Thank you Julie and Carolyn!  I start tomorrow morning around 8:30.

I thought it would be interesting to write out some of my pre trip expectations to see how they pan out as the riding unfolds.

Route

As stated I will follow the Northern Tier Route mapped out by the Adventure Cycling Association but with different start and finish points. My start on Camano Island is only about 30 miles south of Anacortes. My finish will be home in Danbury, Connecticut. I don’t plan on veering off route until I get to the Erie Canal where the route heads north a bit east of Buffalo. I will follow the canal all the way to Albany and take the Empire State trail (some trail, some road) south to Brewster, New York then head east to Danbury. I have some decisions to make about alternate routes the ACA has mapped out for example you can avoid climbing Logan pass with one of these alternatives. There’s also a spur that heads north into Glacier National Park and into Canada but with the border still closed that’s not a possibility. I may try to find a route through some of glacier. So I don’t really know what my total distance will be. The complete northern tier is about 4,300 miles but I expect my ride to be about 3,800. I should finish in about 45-50 days.

Riding

I hope to get early starts around 7:00am to take advantage of cool mornings with less traffic. I would like to wrap up by mid afternoon around 3:00-4:00 to avoid some of the days heat. The eight or nine hours time will include stops for food, water, or photography so I should spend about 6 hours a day in the saddle. I expect to average about 70-80 mile a day depending conditions. I will start off peddling my bike and finish peddling my bike preferably with no walking or motorized vehicles in between.

Accommodations

I’m bringing full camping gear along with a stove, intent on camp most nights, 5 or 6 nights a week.  I see camping as part of the experience. I know there will be nights where the weather, mosquitoes or my own fatigue will find the call of air conditioning, endless hot showers, and a bed irresistible. I do hope to camp as much as possible, saving hotel days for when the weather or conditions are particularly bad. I’ve heard many people rave about Warm Showers but I rather spend my evenings chilling by myself rather than hanging with my host.

Food

Cooking meals has a significant cost in added weight. While I want to camp most nights I want to eat most dinners in restaurants.  I’ll cook oatmeal and coffee for breakfast which is just boiling water.  I would like to stop for a second breakfast or brunch after a couple hours riding.  Breakfast food is cheap and filling, negating the need for a larger lunch.  I’ll bring tortillas and peanut/almond butter or Nutella for lunch or snacks.  Tortilla are very dense and packable.  For nights where I can’t eat out I’ll keep a couple nights rice and beans on hand. 

Navigation

I bought both the digital and paper maps from the Adventure Cycling Association.  The digital maps are provided through the “Bicycle Route” app on the phone which I expect to be my main navigator.  The paper maps are split into about a dozen maps, each has a description of the area and panels the break the ride down into 20-50 mile segments including information about services. I bought them as a backup to the digital maps and as an easier way to peruse the upcoming days for route planning.

Weather

My main weather concern is the first week in the Cascade which could be cool and wet especially at elevation.  I’m trying to avoid carrying too much gear I may never use but balancing that with the expected cool mornings. If days are unusually cold or extremely wet I can stay in hotels rather than camp. Storms in the midwest can be extreme. Not much I can do but pay attention to the forecasts and weather maps.

Clothes

I know I’m brining more clothes than necessary but I prefer doing laundry over hand washing every night.  With my clothes choices I should be able to go a week with only a couple days of hand washing. I’m not bringing much of anything for long shirts or pants.  Just one pair of convertible pants, primarily for off bike wear.  I have a lightweight hoody which works well for cool riding in the high 50’s.  For cooler weather I have leg and arm warmers.  I can also layer on my rain gear and sweatshirt if the weather gets too cold.

Safety

Certainly a concern, primarily around distracted drivers. I’ll keep my rear flasher on all the time and wear my high vis vest when I feel a bit unsafe.  I don’t have much concern about theft or other criminal activity but I will lock my bike at night and keep valuables in my tent. Of course I’ll bring it all in when staying in a hotel. I don’t intend on leaving the bike locked and unattended for long periods of time, just quick trips into stores or whatever.

Rest Days

I don’t have any planned rest days but I’m sure I will take some. I don’t expect to take weekly days off, more like every 10-14 days or so. I’ll try to time these for when the weather is particularly bad or when I feel like I really need a break. I’m not planning or renting a car or doing any other kind of motorized traveling while on tour. I want the whole trip to be only by bike.