Transamerica Questions
 

On our upcoming E-W transamerica trip I was wondering about ways to shave a little time off of the trip if it becomes necessary. I have 8-1/2 weeks of vacation and can use 4 weeks of unpaid leave before they have to change my status at work. I am not sure of all of the impacts of a status change but want to avoid it if possible.

Anyway 12 weeks may be more than enough, but I figure that is hard to call upfront. I am not the only one going so I can't completely control the pace. I don't want the trip to become a death march by forcing a pace based purely on my time constraints. Are there places where it makes sense to shorten the route a bit? It looks like finishing in Florence would knock off a couple days or so, does that create logistical problems?

Are there other places that it would make sense to take a shortcut or take an alternate route?

That obvious diversion as far North as Missoula seems prime for pruning to me.

I'm planning on doing a cut-off in Idaho on a West to East starting in June. While my planned route probably won't save time (LOTS of climbing via Lowell, Stanley, Challis, then Rexburg & Teton Pass) - it seems to me you could divert from Jackson - over Teton Pass to Rexburg, then to Arco, then follow US 20 to the Boise area. Then you'd just pick up US 26 in Ontario, OR

Not sure the best way to noodle from the where US 20 hits I-84, but I seem to remember someone mentioning in a previous thread here a way to do it on non-interstate roads via Mountain Home

IF you are following the ACA maps you can always do the Western Express portion and finish in San Francisco - I think this is around 600 miles shorter.

By 3/4 of my way across I just wanted to finish so got state maps en route and took lots of shortcuts, most of which involved staying on main roads

Since you are now going west to east -

The Idaho cut-off is very lovely.
From John Day, OR stay on US 26 to Payette, ID
The follow the Payette River thru Lowman -
(Hot springs right by the river you can camp next to)
Sawtooth Mountains demand a day off.
Then Stanley, Challis - -

a) Either continue on to Salmon and Lost Trail Pass and reconnect with Trans Am
or b) Cut across thru Arco and Rexburg to Jackson, WY

There's also a much easier route along the KY/Tenn and VA/NC borders.

trans am 2009
 

i'm planning on riding the TransAm from jun-aug 09, east to west.

looking to deviate the start, however, to accomodate another calendar commitment. planning on leaving from myrtle beach SC, and heading NW to hook with the TA trail, perhaps in kentucky.

for anyone with familiarity with the SC / NC / KY region, does anyone have any suggestions as to what roads / routes i should consider planning to take ?

thanks for any input.

Hey staepj1, 12 weeks, would, I'm sure, be fine. I messed around quite a bit and came in just under 15 weeks. Plus I had three or four days getting to Yorktown. Someone mentioned omitting Missoula—I'm with that 100%. No reason to go there. Florence does knock off a couple of days. Rent a car to get to Portland for the flight back. There's a LBS in Florence that'll pack your bikes up and ship them back—but watch that guy—I don't trust him all that much—hind-sight being twenty-twenty. Avoid winding up at Pippas Pass for the evening. No place to stay or camp. It was the only place I was sketchy about.

So, when did this E-W come up? Lucky dog. Who ya travelling with?

Lisa and her daughter did the tranam west to east ending here in Wilmington, some 75 miles up the coast.
Her journal is here:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?...c_id=2260&v=X4
I'm planning on using some of the route so I made a google map with locations.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en...,79.101563&z=4
you could hit Whiteville or Dillion from Myrtle and then follow the route above

Route
 

you could cut thru the Columbia River Gorge, and Portland? Save you a couple of days. Kinda windy in the Gorge though, great people along the way.