2010 Trip Log
My first cross country bicycle trip
In 2010 I decided to fulfill a lifelong dream and ride a bicycle across the United States. As it turned out, this was far more significant than I ever imagined. With little training or knowledge about cycling I embarked on four thousand plus journey. It changed my life. What I experienced along the way, the challenges and people I encountered served to teach me lessons which even today are engrained in my person.
Below is the log I kept of that first trip. I didn’t have a GPS but rather an old Cateye Strada mechanical computer. Each day I kept track of my miles, the number of times my wheels turned, average speed and put it into a spreadsheet along with short notes about that day. It’s amusing to look back now and see what I did.
Rolling Across America 2010 Recap Video
This map mostly reflects the route I took. For this trip I did not have a GPS but instead used an old Cateye Strada mechanical computer. This was fairly accurate but not 100%. There were detours, day trips and other short excursions which are not on this map.
Total Miles: 4,022.42
Average Miles Per Riding Day: 45.20
Average Speed: 10.1 MPH
Average Saddle Time Per Day: 5.75 Hours
| Date | Distance In Miles | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 2010 | 25.62 | Cannon Beach, OR | First day, strong rain and headwinds. Getting used to pulling trailer fully loaded. |
| May 19, 2010 | 20.16 | Wheeler, OR | Constant rain, wind gusts to 50MPH. Battered pretty good. |
| May 20, 2010 | 23.83 | Tillamook, OR | Better day, flat and very scenic. No rain, some wind. |
| May 21, 2010 | 0 | Tillamook, OR | Day off. |
| May 22, 2010 | 25.29 | Pacific City, OR | Rain but no wind. Flat road for the most part. |
| May 23, 2010 | 40.70 | Grand Ronde, OR | Best day so far. Gentle hills, light sprinkles. Getting in the groove. |
| May 24, 2010 | 46.67 | Corvallis, OR | As a USC Trojan fan I resent being here with Ducks and Beavers. Good day, very good in fact. Rolling hills, no rain, light breezes. Legs are rubber. 6+ hours in the saddle. |
| May 25, 2010 | 0 | Corvallis, OR | Rest day. A bit sore. Off to Eugene tomorrow. |
| May 26, 2010 | 0 | Corvallis, OR | Rehabbing a very sore left knee. |
| May 27, 2010 | 41.27 | Eugene, OR | Flat and very nice roads. Needed an easy day. Mountains ahead. |
| May 28, 2010 | 0 | Eugene, OR | Taking care of business issues. Bank closed account! They thought I was a victim of identity theft again. |
| May 29, 2010 | 43.66 | Blue River, OR | Starting to ascend. Great ride out of Eugene. Moderate uphill climb. |
| May 30, 2010 | 33.80 | Fish Lake, OR / Highway 126 | Camped out in the rain on the side of the road. Went from 1,000 to 3,000 feet altitude. Tough climbing. |
| May 31, 2010 | 30.56 | Sisters, OR | Over the Santiam Pass at 4,817 feet. Very hard climb! Rain all the way. Still snow on the side of the road. |
| June 1, 2010 | 42.68 | Prineville, OR | Great day! Rolling hills and flat terrain. No rain! Average speed 15+MPH. Butt didn’t even hurt. |
| June 2, 2010 | 0 | Prineville, OR | Rest day. |
| June 3, 2010 | 49.22 | Mitchell, OR | Over Ochoco Pass at 4,731 feet. Longest day so far, most distance ridden, nearly 50 miles in 6+ hours. |
| June 4, 2010 | 0 | Mitchell, OR | Sightseeing day. |
| June 5, 2010 | 69.61 | John Day, OR | Longest day so far. One mountain pass, 8 hours in the saddle. No rain and warm, sunny. |
| June 6, 2010 | 0 | John Day, OR | Rest day and sightseeing. |
| June 7, 2010 | 28.71 | Austin Junction, OR | First of 3 5,000 foot passes. Camped tonight. |
| June 8, 2010 | 51.70 | Baker City OR | Did 2 5,000 foot passes, bucked headwinds. Lots of wildlife – deer, coyotes, eagles. |
| June 9, 2010 | 0 | Baker City, OR | Bicycle maintenance and laundry, bills and shipping extra stuff home. |
| June 10, 2010 | 54.39 | Halfway, OR | Brisk winds and one mountain pass / climb. |
| June 11, 2010 | 0 | Halfway, OR | Rest day. |
| June 12, 2010 | 0 | Halfway, OR | Stayed in town to attend festival. |
| June 13, 2010 | 57.64 | Cambridge, ID | First day in Idaho. Very hot, big mountain climb of 2,200 feet. |
| June 14, 2010 | 47.65 | New Meadows, ID | Couple of hills and hot again. No more rain for awhile I guess. |
| June 15, 2010 | 35.02 | Riggins, ID | Easy ride through canyon, downhill. |
| June 16, 2010 | 0 | Riggins, ID | Sightseeing day. |
| June 17, 2010 | 45.75 | Grangeville, ID | Tough 2,900′ climb up the White Bird Pass. |
| June 18, 2010 | 0 | Grangeville, ID | Bike maintenance and sightseeing. |
| June 19, 2010 | 0 | Grangeville, ID | Nursing sore back. |
| June 20, 2010 | 0 | Grangeville, ID | Nursing sore back. |
| June 21, 2010 | 0 | Grangeville, ID | Nursing sore back. |
| June 22, 2010 | 49.39 | Lowell, ID | Great day, downhill. |
| June 23, 2010 | 65.96 | Powell, ID | Slight uphill. Long day. |
| June 24, 2010 | 57.05 | Missoula, MT | Lolo Pass! Finally in Montana. |
| June 25, 2010 | 0 | Missoula, MT | New brakes on bike and visit Adventure Cycling HQ. |
| June 26, 2010 | 53.66 | Hamilton, MT | Nice ride in to Hamilton. Pretty flat but a little breezy. |
| June 27, 2010 | 16.45 | Darby, MT | Short hop to this great little town. |
| June 28, 2010 | 57.93 | Wisdom, MT | Over the Chief Joseph pass at over 7,200 feet. |
| June 29, 2010 | 18.54 | Jackson, MT | Sprint to this little town and stayed at the hot springs. |
| June 30, 2010 | 48.87 | Dillon, MT | Two 7,000 foot passes today. Herd of cows in the road stopped me. |
| July 1, 2010 | 0 | Dillon, MT | Rest day |
| July 2, 2010 | 39.20 | Sheridan, MT | Easy day. Flat, few hills. |
| July 3, 2010 | 35.59 | Ennis, MT | One big pass outside Virginia City. Camped outside of town. |
| July 4, 2010 | 74.24 | West Yellowstone, MT | Fireworks at Yellowstone. Long haul slightly uphill from Ennis. Bucked headwinds last 8 miles. |
| July 5, 2010 | 0 | West Yellowstone, MT | Playing tourist. |
| July 6, 2010 | 0 | West Yellowstone, MT | Playing tourist. |
| July 7, 2010 | 56.18 | Grant Village, WY in Yellowstone Park | Old Faithful and the Continental Divide. Camped out. |
| July 8, 2010 | 54.67 | Moran, WY | Left Yellowstone. Fairly easy ride. Saw grizzly bear up close. |
| July 9, 2010 | 45.82 | Dubois, WY | Climbed Togwotee Pass – 2,600 foot climb to 9,658 feet. |
| July 10, 2010 | 74.47 | Lander, WY | Easiest day yet. All downhill and fast pace. |
| July 11, 2010 | 0 | Lander, WY | Rest day |
| July 12, 2010 | 0 | Lander, WY | Sick as a dog! Food poisoning |
| July 13, 2010 | 0 | Lander, WY | Still sick. |
| July 14, 2010 | 0 | Lander, WY | Recovering. |
| July 15, 2010 | 44.46 | Sweetwater Station, WY | Bonk! Hot and dehydrated. Camped at Mormon Historic Site. |
| July 16, 2010 | 89.01 | Rawlins, WY | Bonk! Hitchhiked from Muddy Gap into Rawlins. |
| July 17, 2010 | 0 | Rawlins, WY | Recovery day. Refuel and replenish. |
| July 18, 2010 | 44.61 | Saratoga, WY | Relatively good day, windy. |
| July 19, 2010 | 18.13 | Riverside, WY | Easy and short day. |
| July 20, 2010 | 48.87 | Walden, CO | Windy day, rolling hills. |
| July 21, 2010 | 61.44 | Kremmling, CO | One pass, lots of rain. |
| July 22, 2010 | 0 | Kremmling, CO | Rest day. Heading up to highest pass on TransAm Trail tomorrow. |
| July 23, 2010 | 45.83 | Frisco, CO | Nice ride in. Easy day. |
| July 24, 2010 | 0 | Frisco, CO | Sightseeing day. |
| July 25, 2010 | 10.48 | Breckenridge, CO | Easy ride on bike path. Less than an hour. |
| July 26, 2010 | 68.15 | Guffy, CO | Over Hoosier Pass at 11,542 feet. Highest point on TransAm Trail. |
| July 27, 2010 | 35.31 | Canon City, CO | Easy ride, all downhill. Met up with my dad. |
| July 28, 2010 | 0 | Canon City, CO | Sightseeing with my dad. |
| July 29, 2010 | 38.00 | Pueblo, CO | Downhill into Pueblo, spend time with my dad. |
| July 30, 2010 | 0 | Pueblo, CO | Sightseeing with my dad. |
| July 31, 2010 | 52.93 | Ordway, CO | Easy ride, 4 hours. Hot! |
| August 1, 2010 | 62.07 | Eads, CO | Hot day, flat terrain. |
| August 2, 2010 | 55.52 | Horace, KS | Hot day again, humid. Better get used to it. |
| August 3, 2010 | 49.62 | Scott City, KS | Really hot and humid! Road at night to avoid heat. |
| August 4, 2010 | 56.08 | Ness City, KS | Ditto. |
| August 5, 2010 | 0 | Ness City, KS | Took day off. Too blasted hot and humid to ride. |
| August 6, 2010 | 64.43 | Larned, KS | Still hot. Started riding at 3:30am to avoid the heat. |
| August 7, 2010 | 69.93 | Hutchison, KS | Long day. Continued heat and humidity. |
| August 8, 2010 | 37.15 | Newton, KS | The song remains the same. |
| August 9, 2010 | 0 | Newton, KS | Took day off and lived in air conditioning. |
| August 10, 2010 | 0 | Newton, KS | Ditto. |
| August 11, 2010 | 37.61 | El Dorado, KS | Hot and humid. What’s new? |
| August 12, 2010 | 0 | El Dorado, KS | Too hot to ride. |
| August 13, 2010 | 0 | El Dorado, KS | Ditto. |
| August 14, 2010 | 64.63 | Yates Center, KS | Hot and humid and flat. |
| August 15, 2010 | 0 | Yates Center, KS | Too hot to ride. |
| August 16, 2010 | 60.58 | Fort Scott, KS | Almost to Missouri! |
| August 17, 2010 | 39.07 | El Dorado Springs, MO | In Missouri. A bit hillier. |
| August 18, 2010 | 49.72 | Bolivar, MO | First flat tire of the trip. On my trailer. |
| August 19, 2010 | 34.34 | Springfield, MO | Doing repairs, getting laptop fixed. |
| August 20, 2010 | 0 | Springfield, MO | Repairs and such. |
| August 21, 2010 | 65.24 | Mountain Grove, MO | Starting to hit the Ozarks. Some hills. |
| August 22, 2010 | 11.95 | Cabool, MO | Short ride to relatives place |
| August 23, 2010 | 51.59 | Winona, MO | Easy ride through the Ozarks |
| August 24, 2010 | 0 | Winona, MO | Sightseeing. |
| August 25, 2010 | 51.56 | Piedmont, MO | Rolling hills through some pretty country. |
| August 26, 2010 | 0 | Piedmont, MO | Sightseeing. |
| August 27, 2010 | 46.12 | Marble Hill, MO | Fairly easy day, rolling hills |
| August 28, 2010 | 29.87 | Cape Girardeau, MO | Easy day though hot and humid |
| August 29, 2010 | 0 | Cape Girardeau, MO | Rest day, sightseeing |
| August 30, 2010 | 49.92 | Carbondale, IL | Crossed the Mississippi River today! |
| August 31, 2010 | 38.53 | Harrisburg, IL | Rolling hills. Hot and humid |
| September 1, 2010 | 0 | Harrisburg, IL | Sightseeing day |
| September 2, 2010 | 36.79 | Morganfield, KY | Short but steep hills |
| September 3, 2010 | 47.04 | Madisonville, KY | Multiple dog attacks! |
| September 4, 2010 | 0 | Madisonville, KY | Sightseeing day |
| September 5, 2010 | 37.28 | Hopkinsville, KY | Nice little town |
| September 6, 2010 | 71.77 | Bowling Green, KY | Hot and long day |
| September 7, 2010 | 0 | Bowling Green, KY | Sightseeing day in college town |
| September 8, 2010 | 34.22 | Glasgow, KY | Short flat day |
| September 9, 2010 | 20.22 | Edmondton, KY | Dogs and more dogs! |
| September 10, 2010 | 0 | Edmonton, KY | Sightseeing and rest |
| September 11, 2010 | 30.65 | Burkesville, KY | Lots of steep hills |
| September 12, 2010 | 33.32 | Monticello, KY | More hills, VERY steep |
| September 13, 2010 | 55.89 | London, KY | Winding roads, steep, hot and humid |
| September 14, 2010 | 0 | London, KY | Sightseeing, nice little town |
| September 15, 2010 | 55.69 | Middlesborough, KY | Daniel Boone country, almost to Tennessee |
| September 16, 2010 | 0 | Middlesborough, KY | Sightseeing |
| September 17, 2010 | 46.62 | Morristown, TN | Smoky Mountains, steep climbs, pretty country |
| September 18, 2010 | 22.71 | Newport, TN | Nice day though some steep hills |
| September 19, 2010 | 0 | Newport, TN | Sore back, rest day |
| September 20, 2010 | 0 | Newport, TN | Rest day, sightseeing |
| September 21, 2010 | 0 | Newport, TN | Still have sore back so a little downtime |
| September 22, 2010 | 0 | Newport, TN | One more rest day perhaps |
| September 23, 2010 | 0 | Newport, TN | Okay, tomorrow I’m going |
| September 24, 2010 | 38.74 | Ashville, NC | Hard day, STEEP, STEEP climbs |
| September 25, 2010 | 0 | Ashville, NC | Sightseeing in this pretty little town |
| September 26, 2010 | 0 | Ashville, NC | Pouring rain, staying put today |
| September 27, 2010 | 0 | Ashville, NC | Still raining |
| September 28, 2010 | 59.28 | Rutherfordton, NC | Finally out of the Smoky Mountains |
| September 29, 2010 | 36.79 | Kings Mountain, NC | Very hard rainy day, windy |
| September 30, 2010 | 43.49 | Mathews, NC | Long day navigating Charlotte, lots of traffic |
| October 1, 2010 | 0 | Mathews, NC | Lunch with a friend, sightseeing |
| October 2, 2010 | 41.00 | Wadesboro, NC | Flat terrain |
| October 3, 2010 | 42.15 | Laurinburg, NC | Almost to my brothers place |
| October 4, 2010 | 23.00 | Hope Mills, NC | Arrived at my brothers house! |
| October 5, 2010 | 0 | Hope Mills, NC | At my brothers |
| October 6, 2010 | 0 | Hope Mills, NC | At my brothers |
| October 7, 2010 | 0 | Hope Mills, NC | At my brothers |
| October 8, 2010 | 0 | Hope Mills, NC | At my brothers |
| October 9, 2010 | 51.88 | Elizabethtown, NC | Finally push to the Atlantic |
| October 10, 2010 | 48.99 | Wilmington, NC | The End. Arrived. Great day! |
Final Tale Of The Tape:
Total miles peddled: 4,022.42. Half on the TransAm Trail and the other half finding my own way. This is as measured using my Cateye Strada. With GPS (map above) the distance is slightly less but did not take into account detours and other day trips.
Total revolutions of my 26” wheel: 3,120,178
Total riding days: 89
Total rest days: 57 (okay, I like to sightsee)
Average miles per riding day: 45.20
Weight loss: Started at 170lbs plus and finished at 146lbs.
Total climbing: 157,000+ feet, almost 30 miles of climbing.
Flat tires: 3 flats – one front tire, one rear tire and one on my trailer. Better living through Kevlar….and good quality rim tape.
Major mechanical issues: None, zero, nada. I love my Surley Long Haul Trucker.
Brakes: Two sets, one in Missoula, Montana and the other in Pueblo, Colorado. After that got a little braver on the descents.
Broken spokes: None
Tires: One set. My Vittoria’s made it all the way, worn out but they made it.
Fastest descent: 51.4 mile per hour on a two mile stretch of 7% grade in the Smoky Mountains.
Close calls: A couple dozen. Six really close and two very, very close on the same day in Kentucky.
Dog attacks: 100+