This is a story of a true angel. This story starts as most do on the trail. We were walking about 2 miles from our campsite when we ran into an old time friend of mine. Rock Ocean as he is referred to on the trail was also on his thru-hike. So we stopped […]
Archives for March 2015
3 Tips to Ship your Bike Across Country or Around the World
When we started planning the a bike ride across America, we first faced the decision of where to start and where to end the trip. We lived in North Carolina, and we decided that we would start on the Pacific Coast (Astoria, Oregon) and bike east to Topsail Beach, North Carolina. Our reasoning was that […]
Crash and Floods when Biking the KATY – Bike Across America Day 51
Location: Hartsburg, MO (Small town park) One month to Topsail. I had my first real crash today. I’ve fallen before on this trip, but today I crashed. Just after we got started on the KATY, I noticed my front tire was low on air. It was slowly leaking, but I thought I might pump it […]
Longest Hike Yet – 13.3 Miles Today on the Trail
Today we left Cheese Factory site and headed for Dicks Creek Gap. We were in for a long day. The weather couldn’t be more perfect for hiking. Blue skies for days. About 2.5 miles into the day Johnny’s pack fell apart – belt buckle broke and he had to tie it around his waist, then […]
Another 60 Miles on the KATY Trail – Bike Across America Day 50
Location: Franklin, MO (KATY Roadhouse Campground) Another great day on the KATY. I moved with mindless effort over 60 miles of trail. I strained myself a bit on some soft patches on the trail, hidden from sunlight by the tangled canopy of trees and therefore still damp from Hurricane Ike. For the most part, though, […]
How Much Does it Cost to Hike the Appalachian Trail?
Hiking the Appalachian Trail is a 2,100-plus mile adventure of epic proportions and those that finish will have accomplished something amazing. Speaking from my experience successfully thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, a successful thru-hike will require mental, physical, and financial dedication to complete the trek. Wait, financial? That’s right. Hiking across 14 states for six months […]
Biking the KATY Trail in Missouri – Bike Across America Day 49
Location: Windsor, MO (City Park) I slept well in the clear, cool night and woke up to a dewy morning. Excited and eager to reach the KATY trail, Brian and I ate breakfast and then made quick work of the thirty-five miles to Clinton, the town at the head of the trail. The thirty-five miles […]
Cycling into Western Missouri – Bike Across America Day 48
Location: Adrian, MO (City Park) We had a pleasant ride today, a seventy mile ride across the rolling farmland of eastern Kansas and western Missouri. Our route away from the traditional Transamerica Trail continues to be exciting and worthwhile. We have visited some splendid small towns, including the one we’re staying in tonight, Adrian. The […]
Rain, Rain Go Away! Hiking Over Blood Mountain.
It started at about 2am and is still constant when we decided to get up and going for the day. Everything is wet, everything. We packed up as quickly as we could and off we went. We left Henry Gap about 10:30am and headed for Blood Mountain – which I have now dubbed Blood, Sweat and […]
3 days down and a Blood Mountain to climb!!!!
As you can imagine our first day out was rough. With poorly organized packs we only made it 6.2 miles the first day. Camping at the base of long creek falls. Beautiful first night!!! Our second day was much better as our packs were feeling better. We got 10 miles in when we […]