Bad Tans and Beautiful Legs: Summer on the TransAmerica Trail - CycleBlaze

Bad Tans and Beautiful Legs: Summer on the TransAmerica Trail

Thoughts, observations, and reflections as I travel east on the Adventure Cycling Association's TransAmerica Trail

By Jeremy Nolan
4,555 miles (7,331 km) over 72 days between May 30, 2016 and Aug. 9, 2016
Introductions! heart 2
The Route heart 1
Equipment heart 1
Following on Social Media heart 2
Frequently-Asked Questions heart 2
T-minus one week: methinks I've packed too much food heart 1
T-minus four days: the madness of preparation continues heart 1
T-minus two days: bringing the title of this blog to life heart 3
T-minus one day: I made it to Portland (barely)! heart 0
DAY 1: Astoria to Nehalem Bay State Park: "How to violently throw up in front of two Canadians, but still have a great day" heart 1
DAY 2: Nehalem Bay State Park to Pacific City: "Ominous Bunnies and 50 Shades of Green" heart 0
DAY 3: Pacific City to Willimina: "If I die on this trip, it will probably be in Willamina" heart 0
DAY 4: Willamina to Corvallis: "A moist tour of the Willamette Valley" heart 0
DAY 5: Corvallis to Eugene: "Mennonites, leaky orifices, and a penguin suit: all in a day's ride" heart 2
DAY 6: rest day in Eugene heart 0
DAY 7: Eugene to Mckenzie Bridge: "Cycling towards paradise" heart 0
DAY 8: Mckenzie Bridge to Smith Rock State Park: "Somehow I took a wrong turn and ended up on the moon" heart 5
DAY 9: Smith Rock State Park to Mitchell: "Happiness only real when shared" heart 2
Reflection #1: have no expectations for what is to come heart 0
DAY 10: Mitchell to Prairie City: "Riding on the back of the looming storms" heart 0
DAY 11: Prairie City to Baker City: "Three summits, apocalyptic mosquitoes, and lasagna" heart 0
DAY 12: Baker City to Woodhead Park (Idaho): "High tailing it to the border" heart 0
DAY 13: Woodhead Park to New Meadows: "Today quite literally blew me away" heart 0
DAY 14: New Meadows to Grangevlle: "I like to think I'm a smart guy. Today reminded me I have some work to do" heart 3
DAY 15: Grangevlle to Wilderness Gateway Campground: "Today most definitely made up for yesterday" heart 2
DAY 16: Wilderness Gateway Campground to Lolo Hot Springs (Montana): "Blessed be he who has rain pants, for he shall only lightly freeze and will bask in evening hot springs" heart 0
Day 17: Lolo Hot Springs to Missoula: "A rest day in name only" heart 2
Day 18: Missoula to Hamilton: "Montana weather is one strange cookie" heart 1
Day 19: Hamilton to Wisdom: Screaming like a little girl, drinking a surprise beer, hanging out with family, and checking out my tan" heart 2
Day 20: Wisdom to Twin Bridges: "When life gives you headwinds, remember: they'll soon be tailwinds" heart 0
Reflection #2: the altruism of those you meet heart 0
DAY 21: Twin Bridges to Beaver Creek Campground: "Tonight for dinner: mosquitoes" heart 0
DAY 22: Beaver Creek Campground to Grant Village (Yellowstone NP, Wyoming): "Doing what tourists do in Yellowstone National Park" heart 0
DAY 23: Grant Village to Jackson: "A bear, a beautiful view, and a boyfriend" heart 2
DAY 24: rest day in Driggs, Idaho heart 0
DAY 25: rest day in Driggs, Idaho heart 0
DAY 26: Jackson to Dubois: "Bittersweet goodbyes and bonkers wind" heart 1
DAY 27: Dubois to Jeffrey City: "Butt stamina" heart 3
DAY 28: Jeffrey City to Rawlins: "Just chugging away" heart 2
DAY 29: Rawlins to Six Mile Gap Campground: "My skin is as well-done as an overcooked steak" heart 0
DAY 30: Six Mile Gap Campground to Hot Sulfur Springs (Colorado): "Wildfires and thunderstorms and winds, oh my!" heart 1
DAY 31: Hot Sulfur Springs to Silverthorne: "A rude awakening and a bumpy ride, all followed by some wonderful company" heart 0
DAY 32: Silverthorne to Hartsel: "Today I was high, wet, and scared" heart 1
DAY 33: Hartsel to Florence: heart 0
DAY 34: Florence to Pueblo: "A day cut short is a blessing in disguise" heart 0
DAY 35: Pueblo to Eads: "Prairie Horizons and a sore butt" heart 1
DAY 36: rest day in Eads: "The joy of self-reliance and independence" heart 0
Reflection #3: the added joy of traveling by bike heart 0
Day 37: Eads to Scott City (Kansas): "The relentless energy of Kansas" heart 0
DAY 38: Scott City to Larned: "Hypnotic monotony of heat, humidity, and headwinds" heart 1
DAY 39: Larned to Newton: "Wind, wind, go away. Or at least please turn the other way" heart 0
DAY 40: Newton to Eureka: "What this state lacks in diverse scenery, it makes up for in hospitality" heart 0
DAY 41: Eureka to Immanuel Lutheran Church: "Towards the soupy sunset" heart 0
DAY 42: Immanuel Lutheran Church to Ash Grove (Missouri): "The self-propelled roller coaster begins" heart 0
DAY 43: Ash Grove to Marshfield: "Downshift, pedal, and climb; upshift, relax, and descend. Repeat until in Illinois." heart 0
DAY 44: Marshfield to Houston: "The ride continues, albeit with a slightly damp twist" heart 0
DAY 45: Houston to Ellington: "Wait, I have to bike up THAT?!?" heart 0
DAY 46: Ellington to Farmington: "I'm convinced that armadillos exist only as roadkill" heart 0
DAY 47: rest day in Farmington heart 0
Reflection #4: what has this journey given me? heart 0
DAY 48: Farmington to Murphysboro (Illinois): "An average day biking followed by sweaty mosquito misery" heart 0
DAY 49: Murphysboro to Tunnel Hill: "It finally happened: I fell off my bike" heart 0
DAY 50: Tunnel Hill to Marion (Kentucky): "It was either raining from my skin, or raining from the sky" heart 0
Day 51: Marion to Seebree: "Those long days in Kansas are definitely paying off" heart 0
Day 52: Seebree to Fordsville: "Hot chicken poop and a fire station" heart 0
Day 53: Fordsville to White Mills: "If you hear banjos, turn around and run" heart 0
Day 54: White Mills to Mammoth Cave National Park: "Best. Detour. EVER. " heart 0
Day 55: Mammoth Cave National Park to Springfield: "I'm getting tired of eating like crap" heart 0
Day 56: Springfield to Berea: "A bad day made better by a burrito" heart 0
Day 57: rest day in Berea heart 0
Reflection #5: laughing in the moment heart 0
DAY 58: Berea to Booneville: "And so I descend, into uncertain lands" heart 0
DAY 59: Booneville to Hindman: "A significant change of pace" heart 1
DAY 60: Hindman to Lookout: "High spirits amidst downtrodden surroundings" heart 1
DAY 61: Lookout to Rosedale (Virginia): "My legs are glistening representations of bodily perfection" heart 2
DAY 62: Rosedale to Damascus (and a bit of Tennessee): "This place is a veritable middle-schooler's paradise" heart 1
DAY 63: Damascus to Troutdale: "Creepin' along" heart 0
DAY 64: Troutdale to Wytheville: "Easy-going in the Appalachians" heart 0
DAY 65: Wytheville to Blacksburg: "Methinks I will be buying a motorcycle after this trip" heart 0
DAY 66: Blacksburg to Catawba: "In the land of perpetual sogginess and chickens" heart 0
DAY 67: Catawba to Vesuvius: "If I was any wetter, I'd probably be a fish" heart 0
DAY 68: Vesuvius to Afton: "Exploding thighs reap foggy vistas" heart 0
DAY 69: Afton to Palmyra: "Feeling like a sweaty Snow White" heart 0
DAY 70: Palmyra to Ashland: "Slowing down and enjoying these final few days" heart 0
DAY 71: Ashland to Elko: "I am a lazy man" heart 0
DAY 72: Elko to Yorktown: "V is for victory, and victory is for me" heart 0
POST-TRIP TRAVELS: "Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and [eventually] home" heart 0
GEAR REVIEW heart 0
CLOSING THOUGHTS heart 0
ONE YEAR POST-TRIP: VIDEO UPDATE heart 0