I waited a long time to start this blog. The reason for delay is that I just wasn't sure when it would all come together. Today, however, I am sure that it is all set in stone. I have purchased the train tickets to take me from my home in Glenwood Springs, Colorado to Centralia, Washington. It's a one way ticket, because I'm going to ride my bicycle home.
It's quite the endeavor, to be sure. The estimate is about 1,800 miles by road, and I'm doing this tour on my mountain bike, dodging asphalt as much as possible and seeing just how much singltrack stretches between here and there. I know it's plenty, but try finding routes on google earth without specific property lines and other obstacles in your way. I've poured over maps, guides and every rescource I could find for the past year to figure out a general route that isn't going to kill me. Of course, living basically paycheck to paycheck, I've sold a bicycle to afford the trip and have to make it home in an unreasonable amount of time if I want to keep my job. The question "keep my low paying job I like or really take the time for this trip?" forces itself on me. fifteen days is obviously not enough time for the trip. Especially seeing as I will be spending time with the incredible woman who gave birth to me for five days before I begin to pedal. That puts me at well over 100 miles per day, a race pace to put it lightly. I will barter for time tomorrow, and work until the 23rd of June to make sure there's a little money coming in while I'm out. I still need to pay rent, all the bills and make sure that we don't fall behind back home. I am truly blessed by my incredibly supportive wife, Danyelle. She is my rock in an unstable landscape.
I shall assume that all things work out as they are supposed to, and just go for it. The route is amazing, taking me along the Olympic peninsula, across the Puget sound, and through many national forests and parks. Often times it's the journey and not the destination that drives us, and for me it has never been more true. I've trained long for this, and hard. Now all I can do is get in my last few workouts and days on the bike before my departure, then two days on a train to relax. I sense much yoga in the aisles, meet some interesting people and see things I haven't before. I will board the California Zephyr and ride for a day and a half to Sacramento, California, then board the Coast Starlight and ride another sixteen hours to Centralia, Washington. I'll re-assemble my Banshee Paradox, throw on the panniers, and ride the Willapa hills trail to Raymond where my mother lives.
I'll try and find a way to update this while on the road. But we all know how that may go, things like computers are heavy, and blogging on an old cell phone can be trying at best. I want to post pictures, try and bring all my friends along even though this is a solo trip. I've found very little info for my journey, but what I have come up with is priceless. If you find yourself going along this route, please come pedal along. If you see me out there, don't be afraid to say hello, Lord knows I can use the break.
