Is there anyone interested in spending 13 weeks on a bike this summer?

Figure we'd start about May 20 to Aug 20. Follow the good weather from California to New Mexico then up the Rockies into Canada and out to the Pacific at Prince Rupert. Take the ferry to Haines then do the Yukon and Alaska - including the Denali Highway and Denali Park. This route tends to follow nice weather and often has prevailing tailwinds - but no promises - just averages. I tour on a mountain bike and do maybe 33% dirt - more when I want to get away from the crowds - less when it's been raining for a week and everything I have is muddy. I also do considerable backcountry hiking in Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Banff, Jasper, Mount Robson, Kluane, and Denali. I have a fairly good raft that I like to send to a post office along the way to do some rafting. Maybe some canoeing in Grand Teton Park on Leigh Lake. We might go caving at Great Basin - I don't know if they still offer a technical tour or not. I'd also like to do Telkwa Pass this year from Smithers to Terrace - really remote.

I'm 48 - have been touring for 20 years - have decent equipment, but don't sweat about the details. I don't use an odometer because I'm not into counting miles. I am no speed demon, but take lots of breaks and wander off the planned route early and often. I'd say a full tour day is about 75 miles - less the first week as we get our cycling legs. My touring style is laid-back. I like to visit towns and communities along the way. I always have at least one day off per week - often a couple of half days, too. I stay in a motel/hostel about once a week - organized campground maybe three days per week - and remote camp the other three. I really prefer the latter since campgrounds tend to have loud campers who bring along everything but the kitchen sink and play their radios/DVD players all night. Trust me - there's nothing like a soft sunset in the Red Desert in Wyoming with a meadowlark providing the only sound for miles around.

Mein Deutsch ist nicht so gut, aber ich spreche Franzosisch.

Drop me a line - either here or at johnegan@vcn.com