Rogermcd

I am planning to do this ride, leaving very early in June 2012 from Anacortes in WA

At the moment, I am riding alone but I would I would like a a few companions to ride with me all or even part of the way. Ideally you would be about the same vintage as me

I a a 67 year old male but despite the advancing years, I have cycled across Australia and the US in the past 5 years, so I have a few more miles in the saddle left in me.

My most recent blog is at https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?..._id=4222&v=1UG
I look forward to hearing from anybody interested in joining me or anybody else who has done this trip and has ideas or advice for me

Regards,

Roger McDougall

indyfabz

I did the entire NT (west to east) back in '99, the western portion to Glacier N.P. in '00 and a short section (Whitefish to Eureka) in '09. I will send you a PM with some comments.

Cyclebum

With your experience, I seriously doubt we could offer any useful advice. The NT in summer ought to be a fine ride. Surely there
won't be a repeat of last summer's unusual heat. You're probably already aware of the oil field traffic in ND, and that ACA has changed
the routing to try and avoid.

indyfabz

Looks like they are heading south from Wolf Point, MT, probably passing through or near T. Roosevelt Mem. NP (which I hear is terrific) and then through Bismarck.

https://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/RouteNetwork.pdf

I rode through Bismarck in '06 during a supported ride. It's a large city by ND standards, but the traffic wasn't that bad.

Rogermcd

Thanks Guys

Actually I was not aware that ACA were changing the route. Looks like this will be available in May so this gives me time enough. Thanks for the information, without this I would have blissfully used the old route

Whilst I have done a lot of long distance cycling. I am after all an Australian. We don't have Grizzlies here or Lyme disease. I cant ever recall a cyclone so yes, I need all the help I can get. Its much appreciated.

Some unkind souls would say we don't even speak English here or at least nothing the average American would recognize as English

Regards,

Roger

Cyclebum

You suggest that you are going to use the ACA maps. Excellent decision for a "foreigner." Be best bang for the buck. No need to be a slave to them though. Check out detours to off route attractions. I'm specifically thinking of Manitowoc, Michigan, ferry across Lake Michigan, thence onward to Niagra Falls through Canada. Reconnect with the NT at Buffalo, New York. That would complicate the visa stuff, but maybe doable, and would be like adding a sea cruise to your ride. Many agree that the Falls are more spectacular from the Canadian side.

There may be an ACA "connector" for part of this. I couldn't tell for sure from their web site.

I throw this out to you as it's on my agenda for this Fall.

indyfabz

Bliss it would not have been. It has now become very profitable to extract the oil in eastern MT and western ND. The original NT route goes through Williston, ND. That area has exploded in population and traffic with the growth of drilling. People are even living in FEMA (temporary disaster) trailers due to a shortgage of housing. Some motels are charging hundreds of dollars a night for a room. Along with the influx of workers has come crime, excessive drinking, drugs and prostitution. Another factor may have been the rising Devil's Lake in the Minnewauken area. It's been creating a need for construction work to keep the roads above water.

I will send you a PM today with my thoughts up to where the rerouting starts. The new route eventually hooks back up with the old route in the Fargo, ND area.

valygrl

Awesome ROger, that should be a great trip!

WIth regard to bears, you are going to be going through bear country. The protocol is:

- mostly you'll be in black bear territory. black bears want your food and aren't agressive unless confronted or they are crazy. brown bears (grizzlies) want your food and can be aggressive for no good reason. You might be in brown bear territory in idaho and montana for a few days, but there are very few of them. they mostly hang out in yellowstone and canada.

- never eat in your tent. ever. smells linger and bears have sensitive noses. they want your food, not you.

- confine your food and eating equipment and smelly toiletries (sunscreen, toothpaste, lip stuff) to a subset of your panniers/bags, one or two at most. those bags will not be in your tent in bear territory (some say never), best to not combine clothes or valuables in those bags, to make life easier with regard to daily re-organizing and contamination with food smells

- when in bear territory, your food bag(s) will be quarantined when you camp - either in a bear-proof box provided in campgrounds, stashed in an outhouse, stashed in someone's trunk or cabin, stashed in the bear-proof dumpster (hopefully outside the trash bag), or as a last resort, hung in a tree. I say as a last resort because the chance of hanging your food well enough in a tree to actually keep bears away from it is like .00000001% - but if you have to do this, at least do it far away from your tent and it will keep the bears from being right next to you while they are eating your stuff. You can google around for how to hang your food, but it's pretty close to impossible. bring cord anyway, it makes a good clothesline.

- if you're not sure if you are in bear territory, ask the camp hosts, look for bear containers at the camp ground, or if there are trees and you are in the west, assume there are bears.

- the other critter you need to watch out for is racoons. They are like tiny bears only smarter than you are. treat food the same as for bears. you'll have racoons in the west.

Have a great trip!!!

P.S., most American's think the aussie accent is the sexiest thing ever... in case you are looking for some company on your trip ;>

Rogermcd

Following this information and indyfabz thoughts, I will definitely avoid the old routing. Thanks again. I look forward to further information on this section

Regards,

Roger

Rogermcd

Thanks Valygirl,

I will keep this in mind.

Actually I am looking for company on my ride, sexy or not. I would like at least one companion for the ride or even sections of it. Its a bit daunting thinking about doing this on my own but I will if I have to!

Any ideas where I could entice a few?

Even the bears are starting to look attractive!

I am planning now to leave Anacortes on the 10th or 11th June


Regards,

Roger

valygrl

I think your best bet finding pre-arranged company (or at least, the bike-touring kind) would be Adventure Cycling's Companions Wanted or Crazyguyonabike.com.

But chances of the relationship lasting are so low, and the compromises so many, I find it nicer to just go solo (or with an actual friend), and then you may or may not find company along the way. People are super friendly, though, if you have the slightest inclination to be sociable, you won't be lonely much.

Or you could just smear your tent with peanut butter and jelly, and you'll have more company than you can, um, ring a bell at. ;D

===================

Q: How do you tell the difference between black bear poo and grizzly bear poo.
A: The grizzly bear poo has bells in it and smells like pepper.