Thursday, April 27, 2006
Planning Part II
I'm starting to gather things together according to the lists...
- 2 cameras: a Polaroid (didn't think they even made these things anymore...) and my Olympus digital. Polaroid is for the 4 Corners shots to send to the SCMA and Olympus is for everything else.
- iPod, charger and earphones (bagged up in plastic)
- Garmin MAP76 (for extreme corners documentation), PC to Garmin cables and charger (also bagged)
- water sample bottles for the 4 extreme corners, labelled
- cell phone charger - plugs into cigarette lighter on Tigress...
- 5 disc audio book (where's the Walkman?)
- 1Gb jump stick to be used as backup for map files, pictures, etc.
- minimalist case for Sony computer; accessory bag for cables and power brick. I think the computer is going to live on the top of the Moto Fizz bag in the waterproof compartment along with the Kanetsu electric liner.
- Backplate for Moto Fizz will be here next week. When I get that, I'll review how everthing packs on the bike and unload/reload it 3-4 times to make certain I know what I need to take and where it is stowed. Kinda like getting ready for a sailboat trip...
- Appointment for bike tuneup and general checkup set for Monday: new tires, brakes, fluid change, coolant change, fuel filter, cable lube, etc., etc.
- Wash and re-waterproofed the 'stich tonight. The Aerostich Darien jacket and pants combination is a wonderful outfit for this trip: well padded, waterproof, 3/4-season suit with the proper layering and very visible. It is almost impossible to take a picture of a 'stich without getting some flashback from the reflective panels. While putting the pads back in I noticed some wear spots around the padding, so I call Aerostich (they're in Duluth). They said to bring it in and they will seam tape the wear spots for me. I thought about this for awhile and if I go up there, I coulb probably get more stamps - Apostle Islands NL, a raft of them in Calumet, MI and maybe even Ft. Wilkins at the top of the Keewenaw Peninsula. And, ssince the bike will be back from tune-up and new tires, it would give me a chance to break them in...
- NPT stops are almost complete. I've gotten the 25 states, but now I'm short the 50 stamps, so I'll have to review the list again. I'm beginning to see that the limiting factor is the available times for the stamps, not the daily mileage. I'm going to review my route and post an overall route, a leg-by-leg file and a day-to-day file so I know exactly where I'm going from day to day as well as where I'm headed for that particular leg. I'll publish the routes as they are finalized.
- computer - reviewed camera photo capture software, Garmin Mapsource, MS S&T (Streets & Trips) and Delorme map programs. I usually do my route planning in S&T, transfer it the a GPS Utility program, save it as a GSX file, then over to Garmin Mapsource, then the the GPS Receiver. Sounds like a lot of work, but the GPS receiver only reads routes from Garmin software (Mapsource) and Mapsource simply sucks for route planning.
Time marches inevitably onward... 20 days to go.
Mike
- 2 cameras: a Polaroid (didn't think they even made these things anymore...) and my Olympus digital. Polaroid is for the 4 Corners shots to send to the SCMA and Olympus is for everything else.
- iPod, charger and earphones (bagged up in plastic)
- Garmin MAP76 (for extreme corners documentation), PC to Garmin cables and charger (also bagged)
- water sample bottles for the 4 extreme corners, labelled
- cell phone charger - plugs into cigarette lighter on Tigress...
- 5 disc audio book (where's the Walkman?)
- 1Gb jump stick to be used as backup for map files, pictures, etc.
- minimalist case for Sony computer; accessory bag for cables and power brick. I think the computer is going to live on the top of the Moto Fizz bag in the waterproof compartment along with the Kanetsu electric liner.
- Backplate for Moto Fizz will be here next week. When I get that, I'll review how everthing packs on the bike and unload/reload it 3-4 times to make certain I know what I need to take and where it is stowed. Kinda like getting ready for a sailboat trip...
- Appointment for bike tuneup and general checkup set for Monday: new tires, brakes, fluid change, coolant change, fuel filter, cable lube, etc., etc.
- Wash and re-waterproofed the 'stich tonight. The Aerostich Darien jacket and pants combination is a wonderful outfit for this trip: well padded, waterproof, 3/4-season suit with the proper layering and very visible. It is almost impossible to take a picture of a 'stich without getting some flashback from the reflective panels. While putting the pads back in I noticed some wear spots around the padding, so I call Aerostich (they're in Duluth). They said to bring it in and they will seam tape the wear spots for me. I thought about this for awhile and if I go up there, I coulb probably get more stamps - Apostle Islands NL, a raft of them in Calumet, MI and maybe even Ft. Wilkins at the top of the Keewenaw Peninsula. And, ssince the bike will be back from tune-up and new tires, it would give me a chance to break them in...
- NPT stops are almost complete. I've gotten the 25 states, but now I'm short the 50 stamps, so I'll have to review the list again. I'm beginning to see that the limiting factor is the available times for the stamps, not the daily mileage. I'm going to review my route and post an overall route, a leg-by-leg file and a day-to-day file so I know exactly where I'm going from day to day as well as where I'm headed for that particular leg. I'll publish the routes as they are finalized.
- computer - reviewed camera photo capture software, Garmin Mapsource, MS S&T (Streets & Trips) and Delorme map programs. I usually do my route planning in S&T, transfer it the a GPS Utility program, save it as a GSX file, then over to Garmin Mapsource, then the the GPS Receiver. Sounds like a lot of work, but the GPS receiver only reads routes from Garmin software (Mapsource) and Mapsource simply sucks for route planning.
Time marches inevitably onward... 20 days to go.
Mike
Monday, April 24, 2006
Great Day!
I returned from a visit to my dad in Michigan to find:
- formal documentation for the 4 Corners Tour - I've been waiting for that for 3 months...
- my Passport! Although it's not an absolute necessity, having a passport does make border crossings easier between Canada and the US.
- a notice from the guy who is building a backplate for me that it is ready and will be available on Sunday. This backplate fits behind the passenger seat and allows me to better mount and hold my travel bag. It's my design and I can't wait to see it.
Next things to do are to change oil, filter and rear end grease, make an appointment for tuneup, brakes and new tires at Action PowerSports and Tigress should be ready to roll.
Great Day!!!
- formal documentation for the 4 Corners Tour - I've been waiting for that for 3 months...
- my Passport! Although it's not an absolute necessity, having a passport does make border crossings easier between Canada and the US.
- a notice from the guy who is building a backplate for me that it is ready and will be available on Sunday. This backplate fits behind the passenger seat and allows me to better mount and hold my travel bag. It's my design and I can't wait to see it.
Next things to do are to change oil, filter and rear end grease, make an appointment for tuneup, brakes and new tires at Action PowerSports and Tigress should be ready to roll.
Great Day!!!
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Planning for the 4 Corners...
Lists, lists, lists...
Who would have thought that a simple 21-day trip around the country would take so much planning? List for the bike, list for clothing,list for computer and electronics,list for documents to take, etc. etc. I think the lists are getting together and creating new lists.
Even though it is now 5 weeks from a planned start on 20 May, I'm still getting a little on edge about the whole thing.. Can I really put this all together and pull it off?
The idea started with the 4 Corners Tour, sponsored by the So. Cal. M/C Assn (SCMA). You ride and document your ride from any of the four corners of the continental US: Madawaska, ME, Key West, FL, San Ysidro, CA and Blaine, WA. It doesn't matter what order or what route you take, just visit those four cities and prove that you were there with a photo, a phone number from a specific telephone in that city and a receipt with date, time, etc. By my calculations, the minimum distance I have to ride is about 6700 miles. BUT, I had to get to the starting line in Madawaska (add 1300 miles) and get back from Blaine, WA (add 2700 miles)
One night I started thinking about the extreme corners of the United States... Where were they and how hard were they to reach? North, East and South points were pretty easy: North is Angle Inlet in Minnesota; East is West Quoddy Head in Maine, South is Key West, FL. There is considerable question, however about the westernmost point of the continental US. Is it Cape Flattery or Cape Alava in Washington state? Or, as some have suggested, is it Cape Mendocino, CA? No doubt that C. Mendocino is the westernmost point in California, but is it further west than either of the capes in Washington?
In additon to the 4 Corners and the extreme points of the country, I'm also doing a National Parks Tour - visit 50 National Parks, Historic sites, Landmarks, etc. in 25 states within one year. There aren't too many National sites around Milwaukee, so I'll have to make a long weekend ride to pick up states outside of the more easily accesible neighboring states. Ideally, I'd like to have some 25 stamps and 10 statesin the bag before I leave to ease the pressure of finding NPT sites. If I do that, the NPT sites will come as the states roll by.
So,,,,,,, the lists continue to grow.
Later,,,
Mike
Who would have thought that a simple 21-day trip around the country would take so much planning? List for the bike, list for clothing,list for computer and electronics,list for documents to take, etc. etc. I think the lists are getting together and creating new lists.
Even though it is now 5 weeks from a planned start on 20 May, I'm still getting a little on edge about the whole thing.. Can I really put this all together and pull it off?
The idea started with the 4 Corners Tour, sponsored by the So. Cal. M/C Assn (SCMA). You ride and document your ride from any of the four corners of the continental US: Madawaska, ME, Key West, FL, San Ysidro, CA and Blaine, WA. It doesn't matter what order or what route you take, just visit those four cities and prove that you were there with a photo, a phone number from a specific telephone in that city and a receipt with date, time, etc. By my calculations, the minimum distance I have to ride is about 6700 miles. BUT, I had to get to the starting line in Madawaska (add 1300 miles) and get back from Blaine, WA (add 2700 miles)
One night I started thinking about the extreme corners of the United States... Where were they and how hard were they to reach? North, East and South points were pretty easy: North is Angle Inlet in Minnesota; East is West Quoddy Head in Maine, South is Key West, FL. There is considerable question, however about the westernmost point of the continental US. Is it Cape Flattery or Cape Alava in Washington state? Or, as some have suggested, is it Cape Mendocino, CA? No doubt that C. Mendocino is the westernmost point in California, but is it further west than either of the capes in Washington?
In additon to the 4 Corners and the extreme points of the country, I'm also doing a National Parks Tour - visit 50 National Parks, Historic sites, Landmarks, etc. in 25 states within one year. There aren't too many National sites around Milwaukee, so I'll have to make a long weekend ride to pick up states outside of the more easily accesible neighboring states. Ideally, I'd like to have some 25 stamps and 10 statesin the bag before I leave to ease the pressure of finding NPT sites. If I do that, the NPT sites will come as the states roll by.
So,,,,,,, the lists continue to grow.
Later,,,
Mike
