Those faded panniers say so much...

2011 vintage.

Morocco was done with LEICA M8

Used Fuji XT3 for years, and since 2021 I use the Fuji X E4 with one lens only 18mm = 27mm. Light and compact tool.

great!!

On the GDMBR last week. Lots of racers passed us. Lots of other tourers (or were they bikepackers?) going north and south. I think everyone I talked to had heard of ACA. Two ladies from New Zealand, lots of Europeans, a man from Turkey. A Canadian racer commented to me that he thought the top 10 race leaders were all European. I wonder why they are all here if North America is such an awful place to tour? I know, a different thread.

OH, and somebody please tell me - am I touring or am I bikepacking? Since I'm 72 and aging out I'm touring? If I were only 32, I'd be bikepacking? Or no, it is the racks and bags? I am so confused! I saw one other rider (he was young!) with the Crank Tank. He said it was the best purchase he made for the trip and that everyone asked him about it. Nobody even noticed mine! It is not fair. I am pleased with it though.

I apologize for the cliche photo, which ACA would find totally unacceptable these days.

Two bighorns.

Pretty boring 55 miles today. 😀

During my recent few days on the TA south of Missoula I met a guy from Germany. He obviously had spent some time here because he stayed with a friend in Darby. In Wisdom I spent the night with two guys from the Netherlands who were riding the TA east to west. In Twin Bridges there was a retired, married man from D.C. who was crossing the country with a young Danish woman. She appeared to be in her late 20s. I didn't ask how they hooked up. I might see them in July as the man has a friend who live here in Philly. He's looking to get to the Jersey shore. I gave him my contact info as I ride down there fairly often.

View from 7,400' Big Hole Pass.

Apulia.

This old barn is located on a dirt road that parallels MT 41 outside of Twin Bridges. It was restored and now serves as an event venue.

Laundry with a view.

Mt Fuji, Japan:


Innoshima, Japan:
https://www.japan.travel/en/itinerar...imanami-kaido/


Maijishan Grottoes, Tianshui, China (Silk Road)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maijishan_Grottoes


Abandoned road over Wushaoling Pass, Gansu, China (Silk Road). Modern road is 23 miles of tunnel underneath.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexi_Corridor


Jiayu Pass - Western Terminus of Great Wall, China (Silk Road)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiayu_Pass


Dunhuang, China (Silk Road)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crescent_Lake_(Dunhuang)


Same location as above, looking left


Schloss Neuschwanstein, Bavaria, Germany
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuschwanstein_Castle


The Inn Valley above Innsbruck, looking down from Brenner Pass, Austria
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innsbruck

The Walls of Constantinople, Turkey
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walls_of_Constantinople


Serpent Column Erected by Greeks in 479 BC to commemorate the defeat of the Persians at the Battle of Plataea, moved From Delphi to Constantinople by Constantine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpent_Column


Ruins of Nicaea
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Council_of_Nicaea


The great salt lake of Tuz Gölü (lit. 'salt lake'), Turkey
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Tuz


Ilhara Valley, Cappadocia, Turkey
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ihlara_valley


The Valley of the Upper Euphrates, Turkey
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erzincan


Ani, Armenian Highlands, Turkey (Formerly Armenia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ani


The Caucasus, Turkey/Armenia border
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_highlands


Bonus Photo
Plataea, Boeotia, Greece (aforementioned Serpent Column battle site)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Plataea

Yan, like the times that you nabbed the slivers of light vs dark shots. Gotta grab em when you can. Always fun to see images of your travels.

TBT. 2014 after sifting for sapphires at Gem Mountain. I was there again last month.

Sweet Oscar photobombed this shot of Georgetown Lake.

This is "The Stack". Pretty much all that remains of the once massive copper smelting operation in Anaconda, MT. Copper was mined under the streets of Butte and rolled downhill by rail to Anaconda. The Stack believed to be the largest free standing masonry structure in the world. The Washington Monument could fit comfortably inside.

July 30 2025, southern Albania, climbing toward Leskovik

July 30 2025, southern Albania
This very moment

nice, I am just leaving to Albania, Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro.

Nice. Don't skip the Ciro trail or the Koto Serpentine. Watch out for gypsies around Shkoder.

Do you have a Strava account others can follow?

hello Yan,

sorry, have no strava anymore. after staying 3 days in Bari last night we took the ferry to Dubrovnik. ferry arrived 7AM this morning and we cycled straight to Kotor. tomorrow the serpentines .. and then on to Dumitor. here the planned route, 99% little tarmac roads. skipping some very beautiful off roads. a favor to my wife.

Montenegro to Albania

Nice. After the serpentine I recommend lunch at this restaurant: https://maps.app.goo.gl/wNgE2KT2ubeWmBgX7

Also recommend you skip the Njegusi serpentine and take the tunnel instead. It's downhill and you will be through in just a few seconds. Hardly any cars on that road anyway. https://maps.app.goo.gl/CcFfgrJxZVtMngT26

I thought the Njegusi climb, even with the tunnel, was harder than the Kotor climb. As you can see the Kotor climb wasn't very hard at all. Njegusi is the small climb at the three hour mark:

the whole valley had no electricity, at that restaurant i asked for a coffee, that was around 10AM. so no coffee. we went a bit on and stopped for some ham (the valley is known for their good ham) and bread at one of these garage sale places. yes we took the tunnel. the old road looks destroyed anyway, on the north side it does not connect anymore to the new road. we made it to Niksic 87k 1780m