Cali Trip 2011
 

I am really starting to go in high gear in preparing. I have purchased a ton of equipment and going to work overtime like crazy during my upcoming refueling outage this april to have it paid off before I even go. Going to try and work the maximum 72 hours a week we are allowed due to a silly fatigue rule we have in place now. Route is about 95% final. Still debating the portions from Vegas to San Fran. Trying decide between death valley (want to do it but everyone says its stupid, but all those people did it anyway too) and going through 375 to see where Area 51 is. Also how I am going to go from Yosemite to San Fran.

Planning on leaving May 26th or 27th. If anyone is bored and wants to tag along for any portion. Hit me up via PM.

Purchased:
Video Camera
P&S camera
portable hard drive
camping gear
spot tracker
Sena Headset
Rev It Tornado suit
new lid
alpinestar ds boots
dual USB car charger to power video camera and headset/phone
netbook
tires

To be purchased:
a few more underarmour gear
maybe on a heated vest

would love to but its a little out of the way for me.

I wear bicycle shorts for really long days in the saddle, makes for a much easier ride. They feel like you took a shit in our pants and are walking around in them, but when on the bike they feel great.

The Russell Day Long saddle is my easy ride.

don't forget about the Devils Tower in the north east corner of Wyoming... near your flag...

if you want to save some $ there's a camp ground in the northern part of texas near your hotel stay.... can't remember the name but just search for state parks in TX.

don't push your day too long, trust me you'll regret it when the trip is over. I mean you'll enjoy the trip... but you'll enjoy the trip more if you're not rushed and you have a bit more time to take in the scenery.

Yeah I have a bunch of POI that aren't on that map that I will be stopping at. I am going to Alice's Restaurant and Apple in San Fran.

With how much overtime I am working for the outage, I plan on hotel stays almost every night after how much I found I hate camping. Money won't be an issue this trip thankfully. I am bringing my gear just in case I get curious. One month of being stuck at work to be able to enjoy the trip will be awesome. Sucks you can't go, I would offer you the same deal I gave drewpy.

Yeah, this last one is going to be the hardest. The route may adapt as I go. I told work two weeks, but I may length it if I need to slow up to see some things. I will just email in and say I got behind or had trouble.

And I was just about to say...Trip camp?? Haha.

Take TONS of pictures...And enjoy it.

Doing it alone?

Yeah, ask Derf how much I enjoyed camping on the BRP trip. I like camping up until you have to sleep. I just don't sleep well outside. If I could sleep, I would love camping.

I will be taking a ton of pics and video. I got lanyard to hold my camera around my neck, so I can shoot mid ride.

I am mounting my video camera to the bike and will be filming the whole trip.

Yep, doing it alone. Unless Drewpy mans up and decides to come.

If you're comin' across northern Oklahoma during the weekend, I'll ride with ya out to Colorado. :D I won't be leavin' for Prudhoe Bay until July sometime.

I assume you'll stop at the Lil' Ale'inn in Rachel, Nevada when you make way up the Extraterrestrial Highway. Hopefully they have cleaned up the sign on the south end out of Vegas.

Also, when you get to Alice's, get the chocolate cream pie! Nom nom!

you could always scale back the trip... like say skip death valley, or blast through Vegas... after all (with vegas) you can always Fly there, and not loose any of the WOW factor