Trans Am - Intro.............

Okey dokey - blog #13 already!  This is another long distance bike ride.  Wikipedia says "The TransAmerica Bicycle Trail was the first bicycle touring route to cross the U.S.  It was developed and mapped by Adventure Cycling Association, and travels between Astoria, Oregon and Yorktown, Virginia, along mostly rural, two-lane highways.  The TransAmerica Bicycle Trail began as the route for Bikecentennial, a mass bicycle tour across the country to celebrate the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976.  The route was developed and mapped in the years preceding the event by volunteers and staff members of the organization Bikecentennial, which changed its name to Adventure Cycling Association in 1993.  Over 4100 cyclists rode at least part of the route during Bikecentennial, with 2000 riding the entirety of the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail.  The current route length is 4228 miles, or 6804 km.  The TransAmerica Bicycle Trail takes riders through the following states:  Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia."

I have done three previous long distance rides in the U.S. with the company WomanTours.  I'm travelling with them once again, and will once again ride with some familiar faces as well as many new (to me) ones.  I'm guessing that most of the women have also done previous long distance rides, often with this same company.  There is a strong feeling of comradery amongst the troops and I like their support model.  This is a new route for WomanTours, and they have decided to break it into 4 sections to be run in four consecutive years.  This is year 1/part 1 and will be the western-most section of the route.  We're actually skipping the Oregon Coast part of the ride from Astoria to Florence.  I'm OK with that, since I've already done that part on a private trip in 2013.  So - we'll start in Florence OR on September 6th and end in West Yellowstone MT on September 30th.  Total distance is estimated to be 1885 km (1183 miles) and 17,780m (58,344') of climbing spread over 21 riding days.  This trip will likely have a new challenge for me - forest fire smoke.  Time will tell how that works out......

I haven't done a lot of training for this, but I think I've done enough to get by.  I hope to get in a few more rides this week and then get packed and get ready to go.  For a change I'm renting a bike for this trip; hopefully that will work out OK.........

Here's our schedule:
Sept 6:  Florence OR to Eugene OR.  78 miles (126 km)
Sept 7:  Eugene OR to Rainbow OR.  57 miles (91 km)
Sept 8:  Rainbow OR to Sisters OR.  45 miles (71 km)
Sept 9:  Rest day.
Sept 10:  Sisters OR to Prineville OR.  54 miles (87 km)
Sept 11:  Prineville OR to Mitchell OR.  47 miles (76 km)
Sept 12:  Mitchell OR to John Day OR.  69 miles (111 km)
Sept 13:  John Day OR to Baker City OR.  80 miles (128 km)
Sept 14:  Rest day.
Sept 15:  Baker City OR to Halfway OR.  54 miles (87 km)
Sept 16:  Halfway OR to Cambridge ID.  58 miles (92 km)
Sept 17:  Cambridge ID to New Meadows ID.  48 miles (76 km)
Sept 18:  New Meadows ID to Riggins ID.  35 miles (55 km)
Sept 19:  Rest day.
Sept 20:  Riggins ID to Grangeville ID.  51 miles (81 km)
Sept 21:  Grangeville ID to Kooskia ID.  40 miles (64 km)
Sept 22:  Kooskia ID to Powell ID.  72 miles (116 km)
Sept 23:  Powell ID to Missoula MT.  59 miles (94 km)
Sept 24:  Rest day
Sept 25:  Missoula MT to Hamilton MT.  48 miles (76 km)
Sept 26:  Hamilton MT to Sula MT.  43 miles (68 km)
Sept 27:  Sula MT to Jackson MT.  52 miles (82 km)
Sept 28:  Jackson MT to Dillon MT.  49 miles (78 km)
Sept 29:  Dillon MT to Ennis MT.  71 miles (114 km)
Sept 30:  Ennis MT to West Yellowstone MT.  72 miles (115 km)