This trip was the realization of a dream, a vision quest, of sorts. My nephews and I used to dream of traveling by bicycle and even did a camping trip once. We rode less than five miles from their home and camped three nights under the river bridge. We subsisted on the fish we caught and had a great time. I had the pleasure of reminiscing about that bicycle campout with my nephew, Tim not too long after Matt and I got to Nebraska from our adventure. But still, a self-contained camping trip was a dream that was largely unrealized by me. It sunk in on that first day as we rode the highways in Oregon, admiring the stark beauty around us. My dream was finally realized. Matt and I made the comment several times, “Here we are, we’re really doing it!” A dream realized, no matter the rough spots or the way it ends, is a wonderful occurrence in a person’s life. No matter what happens tomorrow, or the next day, nobody can take it away from me. The fact I was able to share it with Matt made it even more special.
From what I had in mind for myself, the trip plans changed dramatically with the addition of Matthew. I originally planned to rough it, sleeping where I might, when I might. With Matt along, finding facilities with showers, or at least bathrooms, became paramount. I had figured on longer days, maybe even riding into the night. We spoke to riders that were doing so, crossing mountain passes at night when it was cooler and traffic lighter. One gentleman admitted this strategy was possibly a mistake, as he did all the work without realizing the payoff in the breathtaking views from high atop the mountain passes. He was right, these were some of the most dramatic scenes along the way. Pictures cannot do the vistas justice and are, in fact a travesty. There is no way you can capture the pure, unadulterated beauty as well as your eye can. I look at some of the photos I took and wonder what it was I was trying to capture. Others are obvious, though I’m sure they mean more to me because my mind remembers how it really looked at the time.
This trip was an education for Matt in a lot of ways. He learned a lot about history, Lewis and Clark, the Nez Perce and the pioneers that crossed the Oregon Trail. These great Americans took great chances and their adventures made ours pale in comparison. We were truly awed by them. Since many of the tourists we encountered were teachers and since we both would love to do this again, I used the opportunity to encourage Matt academically. I pointed out he should work hard in school to become a teacher someday. That way, we could do this again and HE could pay the way! Matt also learned to be helpful around camp. He got really good about helping set up the tent and was especially helpful with stuffing sleeping bags while I made breakfast. We got pretty fast at breaking camp when we really wanted to. I think the thing he learned that was perhaps most important was there are a lot of really great people out there. We both learned this important lesson. This lesson hit home even harder when another cycle tourist from New Zealand told us the same thing. He was warned by friends at home that Americans were cold, uncaring, and only were concerned about making money. He came anyway and was rewarded with warm and caring people, willing to lend a helping hand when needed. It gave me a warm fuzzy to be included in that generalization. I was even more proud than usual to be an American, as was Matt.
As this trip progressed, I considered doing this final reflections article. The nature of the trip’s ending greatly muddied the effort. I’ve pondered the whys and how’s of this trip and finally came to the conclusion that no matter what, Matt and I had the time of our lives, met a lot of wonderful people and saw what could arguably be called the most beautiful part of our great land. Time and time again as we met west-bound cycle tourists, we were told this and we have no choice but to believe them. It saddens me to have missed the Tetons, but in driving to Nebraska, we were on parts of the route we would have ridden and we didn’t miss much. Matt and I can take solace in that much, anyway.
In thinking about what I would do differently if I could start over again, I have a number of things. First and foremost, you can never be too safe. In hindsight, I should never have let Matt ride so close to the trailer, but he was trying to get a little draft off me, and I could hardly blame him. The trailer did obscure his vision of road obstructions, but we had ridden some 1200 miles in this manner. If I had it to do again, though, I’d insist he leave a gap. I think he would readily agree.
I must say that the Adventure Cycling maps are the best thing going. They are clear, concise and take the worries out of where and how to get food, water, camping and most importantly, “When is this $%*&@! hill going to end?” If you are planning a trip such as this, these maps are a must.
The weight you carry on a trip like this is very important. We took along several things that didn’t weigh much by themselves but totaled up to be a certain amount of nothing but dead weight. For instance, we took along a plastic mallet for driving and pulling tent stakes. We did actually use it but could have gotten by without it. Same thing can be said for the solar shower. We used it twice and were darned glad to have it but could have easily lived without it. You think of all these things when pulling a 7% grade. The sleeping bag we took for Matt was perhaps the heaviest piece of equipment we took. It didn’t really seem to matter before the trip. Halfway up the first pass, it mattered a great deal more! The bottom line is, carry the lightest equipment you can. Even though touring is not a race and not a matter of grams, every ounce you have to lug up a mountain pass matters, as it wears on you and your bicycle.
Speaking of wearing on your bicycle…. Before beginning a cycle tour, check every single component of your bike. Assume nothing, go over everything. If a part is the least bit suspicious, replace it. Don’t skimp on tools you take. Make sure you have everything you need to work on your bike. Take extra spokes. Even if you don’t need them, you might help somebody that does. Carry a spare folding tire and at least two spare tubes. Pay attention to your tires. One mistake we made was not rotating our tires soon enough. Carrying the extra weight, you do on a tour puts a lot more wear on the rear tire. They can get threadbare in under 1000 miles. I should have been rotating them on our rest days, or once a week.
Regarding rest days…. Take them, whether you think you are tired, or not. They allow you to enjoy the area you stopped in more, catch up on laundry, bike maintenance and to generally collect your thoughts. These days are invaluable to you.
Do not skimp on rain gear. All we heard about before leaving was all the drought conditions and heat we were going to ride through. While the talk of drought and heat were all around, I didn’t pretend to think we wouldn’t get wet somewhere along the way. I did, however, assume the cheap, nylon raingear we took along would be sufficient. While it was certainly better than nothing, it was not by much. Were I to do this again, I would make sure we had better rain gear.
Do not carry a lot of cash. ATMs were everywhere, so it really does not make sense to carry large sums of cash or even traveler’s checks. It is a good idea to hide some emergency money somewhere in your gear or on your bike. I kept some cash in a sandwich bag, rolled up and stuffed inside my seat post. A handlebar plug fit tightly enough to keep it in place. I never needed it, but it was comforting knowing it was there. The last thing you want is to be in a town of 50 people without enough cash to eat and no ATM within twenty miles.
Food is another subject to discuss. Plan on eating lots. We had voracious appetites and still lost weight. We learned quickly that eating even just one meal a day in restaurants adds up quickly. We were riding in heavily traveled tourist areas where prices were jacked up to take advantage of the season. While groceries were also high-priced, we found that it was still much cheaper to eat from grocery stores and roadside markets than the greasiest of greasy spoons. Still, you have to indulge sometimes. Often, you are just too tired to grocery shop, set up camp and then cook dinner. Other times, that was the part you looked forward to. Camp cooking wasn’t that big of a challenge. Canned foods were easy to pick up and only required warming. Once, we didn’t even bother with the warming. On another occasion, we had a barbecue pit and a grocery store nearby, so we had barbecue! Food was an important part of the trip and perhaps our favorite. Matt and I both came to appreciate bread more than we have in the past. We came to love Big Ed’s Super Saucers, a chocolate chip cookie/ice cream sandwich concoction we found everywhere until we got into Wyoming. In reading the label, however, we are pretty sure we know how old Ed came to be known as “Big” Ed! Other favorite treats: Matthew- licorice ice cream in Twin Bridges, Montana. Mark- Moose Drool brown ale, brewed in Missoula. Mmmm, yummy!
Of all the equipment we took along, I’d have to say the Pocketmail composer was perhaps the best. People with cell phones complained they didn’t work in the rural areas. All the Pocketmailer requires is a phone to dial an 800 number and you can easily stay in contact. It was invaluable to us and we saw a lot of other people using them along the way. The trailer was another neat piece of gear. We saw quite a few trailers along the way, mostly BOB’s. I really grew to appreciate the two-wheeled trailer because you could disconnect it and still be able to access things inside. It was handy to get inside the trailer and find what you needed without rummaging through or completely unpacking a pannier. It tracked right behind the bike and was never a problem.
All in all, we had a fantastic adventure. The sights, the sounds, the smells and especially the wonderful people we met made for a great adventure. I can honestly say I would gladly do this trip again. Yes, I’d do some things differently. Many things I’d do just the same. Mostly, I’d just do it despite the shortcomings.
As much as you can prepare for the trip with gear, maps and clothes, you can never prepare for the least expected trial, loneliness. I really missed my family and friends while on this trip and was not prepared for it. I was glad to have Matt along, but still missed my wife and girls.
If you have an opportunity to do such a trip, just do it!
Mark and Matt
Here is the mileage log
| Day | DOW | Date | Start | End | Miles | Avg. |
| 1 | Monday | 7-Jul-02 | Eugene OR | Eugene OR | 64.31 | 13.9 |
| 2 | Tuesday | 8-Jul-02 | Eugene OR | Mckenzie Bridge, OR | 62.52 | |
| 3 | Wednesday | 9-Jul-02 | McKenzie Bridge, OR | Sisters, OR | 45.41 | 9.5 |
| 4 | Thursday | 10-Jul-02 | Sisters, OR | Lake Ochoco, OR | 41.27 | 14.2 |
| 5 | Friday | 11-Jul-02 | Lake Ochoco, OR | Dayville, OR | 80.29 | 12 |
| 6 | Saturday | 12-Jul-02 | Dayville, OR | Prairie City, OR | 46.08 | 12.7 |
| 7 | Sunday | 13-Jul-02 | Prairie City, OR | Baker City, OR | 74.98 | 11.2 |
| Monday | 14-Jul-02 | Baker City, OR | Baker City, OR | 7 | ||
| 8 | Tuesday | 15-Jul-02 | Baker City, OR | Oxbow, OR | 75.68 | 13.8 |
| Oregon Totals | 497.54 | 12.47 | ||||
| 9 | Wednesday | 16-Jul-02 | Oxbow, OR | Cambridge, ID | 41.81 | 10.5 |
| 10 | Thursday | 17-Jul-02 | Cambridge, ID | Riggins, ID | 83.06 | 12.08 |
| 11 | Friday | 18-Jul-02 | Riggins, ID | Kooskia, ID | 73.63 | 11.4 |
| 12 | Saturday | 19-Jul-02 | Kooskia, ID | Powell, ID | 92.08 | 12.4 |
| Idaho Totals | 290.58 | 11.6 | ||||
| Cumulative Totals | 788.12 | 12.04 | ||||
| 13 | Sunday | 20-Jul-02 | Powell, ID | Missoula, MT | 65.74 | 11.3 |
| Monday | 21-Jul-02 | Missoula, MT | Missoula, MT | 7.92 | ||
| 14 | Tuesday | 22-Jul-02 | Missoula, MT | Darby, MT | 71.82 | 13.6 |
| 15 | Wednesday | 23-Jul-02 | Darby, MT | Jackson, MT | 70.54 | 13.4 |
| 16 | Thursday | 24-Jul-02 | Jackson, MT | Twin Bridges, MT | 77.82 | 15 |
| 17 | Friday | 25-Jul-02 | Twin Bridges, MT | Cameron, MT | 55.86 | 12 |
| 18 | Saturday | 26-Jul-02 | Cameron, MT | West Yellowstone, MT | 63.45 | 11.6 |
| Sunday | 27-Jul-02 | West Yellowstone, MT | West Yellowstone, MT | 0 | 0 | |
| MontanaTotals | 413.15 | 12.82 | ||||
| Cumulative Totals | 1201.3 | 12.3 | ||||
| 19 | Monday | 28-Jul-02 | West Yellowstone, MT | Grant Village, WYO | 50 | |
| Wyoming Totals | 50 | |||||
| Grand Total | 1251.3 | 12.3 | ||||
| Avg. Miles Per Day | 65.86 |