The New Tour

As most of you know, I ran into several hitches on my road trip. I was driving in a loop to drop of my bicycle and gear in Astoria, OR, where I was going to be starting my ride, and then dropping off my possessions in Pullman, WA, where I'll be studying physics in the Fall. These road trip hitches included ~$1600 in car repairs and the loss of all of my touring gear (minus my bike, tent, and sleeping bag & pad). Yes, I ran into hitches, but I also ran into immeasurable sympathy and innumerable gifts from friends and strangers making it possible for me to still ride my bicycle [very nearly] across the country.

I've got to start a little later now, because I'm waiting to receive donated and lent gear from a number of friends across the country. Also, because I'm starting later, I'm also going to be starting just shy of the West Coast.  Actually, a whole state shy. I'll start pedaling from Pullman, WA on friday 15 May from my temporary residence with Ben, a second-year WSU physics grad student. I'll first be aiming East at Missoula, MT, then directly South through Idaho to Logan, UT. I'm still planning to fly out of Salt Lake City to be there with my sister when this wedding thing goes down.

I'm pretty sad that I won't get to dip my wheels in the Pacific, or camp along the Oregon coast, or ride up and over the Cascades, or visit my friends Jason & Sarah in Bend, OR. But I'm glad I'm still going to get to ride across the country this summer. Really, I'm amazed that I can still do that. I'm still a bit in shock at how my parents and my friends have gathered and shipped nearly everything that I'll need.