Originally Posted by
hueyhoolihan
the simplest solution is to fly to Seattle, get the ACA northern tier maps and take them as far as NH. they went right through the lower third of the state in '96. then get a local map. that should get you close. and should be close enough to your distance and time constraints.
+1. The NT goes through Lincoln, NH, which is in the northern half of the state, but closer to the middle than to the northern border. Find your own way from there.
In MN, there is a route option that shortens the distance:
http://www.adventurecycling.org/rout...?pg=detail&s=5
The northern route option shown above comes down from Grand Rapids and meets up with the southern option at Diablo. If you take the shorter version, you will miss, among other things, the opportunity to walk across the headwaters of the Mississippi at Lake Istasca S.P., Mille Lacs and Grand Rapids, the home town of Judy Garland.
You can also shorten it some by not going into Alberta, Canada. There are couple of ways to do this, but I would definitely not take U.S. 2 from West Glacier and miss Going to the Sun Road in Glacier, N.P. It's that spectacular. From the west end of GTS, there are ways to cut out the Canadian section and get to Cut Bank, MT to meet up with the route again.
You will be charged something extra for your bike unless you fly Frontier. How much depends on the airline. It could be a lot. For example, U.S. Air charges $200 for a bike. United/Continental was $100 the last time I checked. I think Delta/Continental is something like $175. Carry on one pannier, put the rest of your stuff in a cheapo duffle bag that you can either toss or mail back home when you get to Seattle. Note that, technically, if you fly with a stove is may be confiscated because of ash residue and/or chemical residue. At least that's what the TSA told me. For that reason, I ship my stove in the same box I ship my bike in. That's one option for avoid airline fees. Ship your bike to a shop at your starting point.
Another option is Amtrak if you have the time. The Coast Starlight goes between LA and Seattle. The bike charge on Amtrak is something like $15.
In light of your circumstances as noted by Valygrl, I recommend sticking to an established route like the Northern Tier. The maps cost, but they could easily make up for that cost as they tell you where there is free or likely cheap camping (E.g., a city park in probably going to be free.) Also, there are several places along the route that you could catch the train back to Seattle and then south through CA should things not work out.