DirtyDog's Solo TAT 2011

UPDATE: The ride report with pictures has begun. See HERE.
Direct links to daily reports: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14-17






<HR>

So I managed to convince my employer that I deserved to spend some of my hoarded comp hours this summer and I weaseled my way into having the entire month of June off. Unfortunately, neither the spouse or my bank account would permit a 30-day ride, so I settled on two solo weeks on the Western TAT. I already did the solo OK TAT last summer (see RR in sigline), so I'm picking up the trail at the NM state line. I LOVE the Western US; desert riding is my favorite type. I have yet to ride in the PNW, so this is gonna be a blast.

My complex plan is this:
1. Leave Broken Arrow, OK at daylight June 8th
2. Ride the Western TAT
3. At some point (hopefully the coast), turn back and ride scenic pavement home via Montana and Wyoming
4. Return to Broken Arrow, OK by June 24th

I'll probably be camping pretty much most of the time, as I hope to spend as little cash as possible. I typically put in pretty long riding days and have meals on the trail, so I hope to cover a bunch of ground. I've organized my route into roughly <200 mile sections and each section starts and ends in a fuel stop- less to think about while riding.

There is no real build-up or planning thread. For the most part, I'm winging it, although I have done a lot of work on the bike and the routes. The rest of the pieces will fall together as I ride.

I won't have a laptop with me, so updates from the road will be minimal- the occasional text snippet or pic from my blackberry. I'll chronicle the whole mess properly with many pics, videos, and tales when I return. In the meantime, you can follow my SPOT progress here-
(The map won't be operational until I leave June 8th and start sending messages)


Edit: I removed the interactive map in favor of a static image of the completed route. Click the link HERE
to see the interactive SpotWalla map.

I think I'm the early bird in regards to the Western TAT this summer, so I'll be leaving some breadcrumbs along the way for my fellow ADV TAT adventurers.



Hopefully the passes will be open when I get there. Currently, some are reported as open. Status check here -> BushDucks

I'll post some real-time pass info as I traverse them.

I'm riding my ragged old KLR with lots of shiny new parts. Hopefully, I'll get to leave on schedule. There was a shipment delay on my sprockets, so my final assembly will be tomorrow, June 7th. Gotta love that last-minute anxiety.

Wish me luck.

Bring it.

Nice dude sounds like a great trip! Starting out from a good location....I was not able to do TAT past Moab UT, so looking forward to more reporting on your return! Ride safe!

Currently (patiently) waiting for snippets and pics.

Have a good trip Jason Maybe you can make it to one more pub crawl before you go??

My marriage counselor suggests otherwise- going to the bar with buddies is not what I should do the night before abandoning the wife for 14 days.

I'll have a beer or two at home though.:slurp

I leave 17 Jun from Monterey, CA taking backroads to Monticello, UT where I'll pick up the TAT, ride it to the coast in Oregon and then back home to Monterey. I've done much of the CO TAT already and am looking forward to this ride. Can't wait for your report. Good luck and godspeed.

Likewise.

great plan man, good luck.

No worries! We'll take care of Mrs. Dirty Dog while you're away

I'll be a week behind you and watching this thread intently. I'm hoping for a little less heat than what you'll be experiencing. I take it you'll just haul ass to New Mexico to pick up the TAT. Have a great ride. I'll be looking for your crumbs.

Yes. Day 1 will set the stage for the rest of my trip. I'll let you know how it goes.

This is going to be fun!
I'll be following along via this forum.
Lion

hers is a link to check for pass open/closed


http://www.bushducks.com/tripreps/passopen.htm

ON THAT OLD THING?




good luck, DDog. looking forward to reading this.

Represent the KLR Klan!
Cheers

It begins.

WHERE'S THE PICTURES....... too soon for that I guess, have a blast be safe.