Sep 16 - Travel Day - PedalPushin 2024

September 16, 2024

Sep 16 - Travel Day

This trip is somewhat about returning to lands that we’ve cycled before. As I mentioned earlier, we first cycled Oregon, Idaho, and Wyoming on our first long trip covering 1400 miles in 23 days. We were riding long wheel based recumbents, and truly didn’t really know much of what we were doing. Too much stuff, a simple automobile road map, and a simple mission to head east. At one point I learned about adjusting derailleurs in front of a prison and we discovered free camping on BLM lands hiding from the wind behind a sign.

Time to fly south as Fall has embraced Alaska

Our travel day has finally arrived! It seems like this day kept feeling farther and farther away as the Summer progressed and the Fall arrived. Fall in Alaska is usually a rather short season but this year it has progressed slowly as the leaves have been turning for a few weeks and the days have been slowly cooling off. What was a bit unusual this year, however, was the seeming endless days of rain and drizzle. Combine that with slowly decreasing temperatures and one gets a combination that just begs heading south.

Trikes packed, weighed, and sorted. Time to tape up and head to the airport.

This trip will be much different. Since that time, we have cycled all 50 states and done 20 different trips evolving from upright bikes, to 2 wheel long wheel based recumbents, to recumbent trikes. And with that evolution, we have also transitioned from carrying all our gear to now renting a mini-van and driving between destinations to explore trail systems on our trikes. We also now cover a lot more “road” miles as we have the option of diverting when the need arises.

We even cleaned the tires for the journey.

This trip is about cycling various trails that I’ve read about in Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon and perhaps Utah, Nevada, and California. Wherever the road takes us, the goal is no rain, mid 70’s temperatures, and the ability to cycle in more comfort than we once did.

So … today we jump a flight from Fairbanks to Seattle, pick up our rental van, get to our hotel which is 1/2 mile from our first trail, re-assemble the trikes, and enjoy a leisurely evening. We did cycle indoors before we left so there is no need to get a few miles in this evening thus keeping my “cycle” every day goal which is still intact for 2024.

Too bad the rental van experience was so messed up … Budget was overbooked, perhaps a 5 hour wait … hmmm, nope! Found the same van at Sixt, they matched the price and off we went. Very kind and helpful folks much like the Iraqi limousine driver who went out of his way to direct us towards the shuttle bus but then insisted that he walk us there, push the cart with our trikes and load the boxes on the shuttle. No tip needed though offered, happy to simply help.

Today's ride: 15 miles (24 km)
Total: 7,748 miles (12,469 km)

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