Oregon Trail - Post Tour Stats and Comment

Garmin Statistics

Total Milage: 849 miles (BJ & Tom)
280 miles (Bill)* 360 miles (Joe)*

Calculated Calories Burned: 54,000 (Tom)

Total Time on Bike: 65 Hours (Tom & BJ)

Maximum Speed: 47 MPH (Tom)

Average Speed: 12.5 / 14.5 MPH (Tom)

Total Feet Climbed: 36,000 (Tom & BJ)

*Note: Bill and Joe left as planned after the first week of riding. Bill missed about 40 miles of day 3 and all of day 4 due to equipment failure (a broken shoe.)

BJ, Gay and I rolled into Missoula Montana after 11 Cycling days, and 2 rest days. We ended the tour at Adventure Cycling's world Hq. An organization we have used for years to guide us on numerous tours.

Our tour took us all the way across Oregon from the coast to the Snake River and thru Idaho into western Montana. Gay and I also drove through parts of Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Wyoming, traveling to and then returning from the tour.

Our daily mileage average was challenging creating at times a fair amount of fatigue and mental stress for all the riders. Even with the challenges, it was marvelous even with the 50 plus fires burning across the region. Due to the hurricanes, few people know about these fires. But they are real and burn as this is written.

I stopped to meet and talk to a number of true bicycle tourists. The photo below is Greg, who began his tour fully loaded in New York on April 1. He rode down to Virginia and then across the heart of the US to Montana where I met him near LOLO Pass headed the direction we just came from, to the coast of Oregon. Greg will have over 4000 miles when he completes the tour in a couple of weeks. Other photos of people I talked to are in the linked photo album.

There are just too many stories to tell in a blog like this. But there were a few highlight stories that I just have to tell.

The Water Story - Joe and BJ ran out of water at least 2 times on the tour. Each initially carrying 2-3 bottles and drinking them at a rate they did not anticipate before support arrived. On one of those days, Joe began stopping people asking if they could spare water which led to a meeting with a highway worker named Leroy who told us about multiple Eclipse festivals in Oregon.

One of those festivals had over 70,000 people who paid $400 each to camp in the wilderness and experience a Woodstock like experience. He was vivid in his description of the topless women swimming the the stock ponds during the event. He said they had over 700 security people. Bet you didn't hear about that in the news.

Later, Joe miraculously began to appear each morning with a camel back on after that day. BJ simply stuffed additional water bottles in his jersey pockets.

Another story occurred in Baker City where I met a guy named Gandalf riding a recumbent trike. He said he was riding across the US and handed me a card. Behind him was a trailer with what looked like a covered wagon. He said that is where his dog sits. We checked out his card and found out he lived in Baker City and had not left yet on this grand tour. But he indicated that his reason for the tour was to start what is called "The Joy Pandemic North America Bicycle Tour", creating a new and greater state of being. (Yea Right) His pic follows. Hes on Facebook if you want to know more.

In brief summary, we all had a great time. We were challenged and we persevered. We saw parts of Oregon and Idaho we would never have seen. And found places we want to go back to.

Leg 1 of the ride across the US is now complete.

Photos and videos can be found here.