08.20.2023 - the wrap, by the numbers

by the numbers:

3,300 miles approx  (actual mileage won't be known till i remap the trip.  i don't use a tracker)

55 days total.  i left mora campground on jun 26th, arrived in pittsburgh aug 19th

46 days actually spent riding

9 rest days total:  2 in seattle, 1 in missoula, 1 in casper, 1 in lincoln and 4 in columbus

3 rest days during the 46 days getting from seattle to columbus

70 mpd avg. per riding day: 

60 mpd avg. including rest days 

2 century days, shoshoni to casper and rochester to prarie creek, and several 90+ days

12 nights @ warmshower hosts (missoula2, butte, casper2, chadron, lincoln2, omaha, brayton, davenport, rochester)

2 nights @ friends (bruce in bozeman, mollie in cedar rapids)

5 nights camping, gorilla

21 nights camping, designated

2 nights in hotels, 4 nights in hostel (seattle and dubois)

5 nights with ana

2 times caught under sprinkler systems in city parks

20 breweries visited

unknown number (but alot) of coffee/tea shops visited

3, times i spilled on the bike

1 time i was scared shitless (but nothing happened)

6 flat tires

0 mechanical issues

9 mountain passes crossed:  (snoqualmie (2,600' tunnel), lookout (4,728'), skalkaho (7,257'), pipestone (6,455'), bozeman (5,730'), bighorn (7,330'), ? yellowstone (8,240'), ? yellowstone (8,391'), togwotee (9,531')

4 times i crossed the great divide

9,531 feet, togwotee pass, was the highest point on the ride

it did rain several times, but never while actually riding. a one-hour shower outside hamilton, montana  thunderstorm at cottonwood lake, nebraska, a morning delayed by a light rain in lincoln, another delayed departure in brayton, iowa,  evening rains under protective shelters along the hennepin canal in illinois and at the bridge of dreams in ohio.

amount of bacon consumed in the first month: probably more than the total in the last ten years.  it is no wonder that the average american has such a poor diet, it's hard to find decent food at the local convenient store.  everything premade has bacon or sausage.  almost everything you order has bacon or sausage and you'll pay for it whether you order it or not.  the rest of the food is sugar and carbs in one form or another.  worst purchase i made was hot chocolate and a fried apple pie as a first breakfast.

american flags seen:  there were lots of flags flying.  in many places it has become a matter of who is more american.  and, very unfortunately, for many it's become a political statement.  it was a tight race between indiana and nebraska as to who waved the flag more.

insects:  there are a lot of flies out west.  wyoming, nebraska, iowa; less in illinois, indiana and ohio.  i attribute it to farm animals.  in wyoming and nebraska, to a lesser extent iowa, there were also alot of grasshoppers.  there were places where the shoulder of the road was just littered with them.  but, surprisingly, there weren't too many mosquitos.  worse location: 3 forks campground.

most common street names:  railroad street, main street, oak street.  railroad street probably because i road on so many rails to trails.

most common creek names:  dry creek (and they usually weren't dry), deer creek, bear creek.

guess i'm ready for this trip to be over and to get back to whatever it is i'm going to be doing next.

what was it i was trying to do with this trip and have i done it?  

1.  simply prove i still can.  so that i can let it go?

2.  make a break.  to cut myself off from the... from the what?  the routine of the office and work?  to disconnect.

is that it?  was i looking for anything else?  

3.  maybe to further experience the awesomeness of the country?  olympic penninsula, yellowstone, the tetons, the sandhills, etc.

4.  was i looking for any grand insight?  a journey of self-indulgent introspection?  something that might give clarity or meaning to this next phase of life?

5.  or maybe coming to terms with my mortality?

6.  or to reaffirm my relationship with suzi.

7.  certainly not to get a grand perspective of the different cultures that make up this country?

anyway, 

the road goes on forever and the party never ends.

but you need to know when to get off and when to go home.