Getting the pieces together.

Well, the easy part is just about complete. Getting the bike put together with the new equipment has been fun. I stayed up till 12:30 this morning putting the front rack, panniers and lights on.  There's a little problem with the front rack not giving me enough steering clearance but I hope to solve that today.

Deciding exactly where to place my gear will be the next challenge. I'm looking at different options of where to store the tent. I may try putting it in the front pannier for now. The decisions need to be made pretty soon because I need to start logging miles with the fully loaded bike.

The Ride

Click below to see the link to the route I will be following this summer.
The Northern Tier and connecting routes

  The Northern Tier route is designed by the Adventure Cycling Association and stretches from Anacortes Washington to Bar Harbor Maine. I will be staying primarily on this route throughout my trip.  On any sections that there is an option to choose the Northern or Southern route, I will likely choose the Northern section.

My plans are to stay with the Northern Tier Route which is the Magenta colored route shown on the map until I reach Osceola Wisconsin. From here I'll follow the North Lakes Route outlined in yellow on the map link that is attached. Again, I will choose the Northern route when there is an option.  I'll follow this section through Michigan's North Shore and down to just north of Baldwin Michigan where I'll hookup with the Lake Erie Connector shown in blue. This section will take me across Michigan and up into Canada on the northern side of Lake Erie. Eventually rejoining the Northern Tier route outside of Buffalo NY but still on the Canadian side of the Niagara River.

I will stay in Canada until the route crosses back into the U.S. north of Niagara Falls New York. Next,  I'll travel through New York into Vermont where the Northern Tier connects with the Green Mountain Loop route. Charlie Ginn and I did the Green Mountain Loop a few years ago. Also, my wife Cathy and I, did part of this loop when we were doing the Lake Champlain Loop. There will be several more steep climbs here before getting into New Hampshire.

After crossing New Hampshire and into Maine, I'll be heading North Easterly until I connect with the Atlantic Coast Route for the final leg up the East Coast into Bar Harbor.

The journey will start around June 1 and end late August.
By the time the journey is over, I will have traveled over 4500 miles. This could vary according to how many wrong turns I make or how far off the route the nearest Ice cream shop may be.

Please pray for me as I embark upon this journey of a lifetime. One I have dreamed about for many years. I am sure that it will be both rewarding and challenging.