Making Tracks

After much head scratching, I figured out how to make Basecamp "see" the City Nav maps on my GPS ...it was a pain in the ass.  But like everything, now that I know how to do ...well, it's pretty simple.

Tonight I started creating tracks.  I created about 50 miles.  That's 50 miles out of 5000 miles!  I got my work cut out for me ...lot of time at the laptop in my future.  I still don't understand how it's all going to work on my GPS.  But I figure it others can do it, so can I.

It took me at least an hour to do the first 50 miles ...that means unless I get faster it should take me about 100 hours to enter all of this in ...holy crap!  I plan on leaving in early May ...holy crap!

GPS

As I write this, I am downloading City Navigator maps from Garmin.  It's taking forever!  Forever, like I went out for groceries and it's still loading.  I am probably not helping matters by blogging, but it can't get much slower.  I meant to order the DVD version, but I inadvertently ordered the down load version.  The Garmin dude says I will still have an opportunity to download Basecamp which I will need to do all my tracks  ...tracks to follow to Oregon!

The TAT maps arrived.

The Trans-America Trail maps and roll charts arrived today!  It's very exciting and kinda nauseating at the same time.  Exciting because it's the first concrete thing that says "You're going on a 5000 mile off road motorcycle trip!" ...and nauseating because it says "You're going on a 5000 mile off road motorcycle trip!"

What have I gotten myself into?  Most folks don't go solo ...I'm going solo.  Most folks go in August ...I'm going in May, which means I just might get cold and there will not likely be any others out on the trail when I am on it.

On the other hand, what guy hasn't at least dreamed a little about a epic cross county motorcycle trip.  While it would be great to be a full time adventure traveler, it's just not in the cards for me.  So, this will truly be a once in a lifetime trip.  A trip to clear my middle aged head ...and that's really what this trip is all about, taking a break from things to get a little perspective on life at mid-life.  I think a month alone on a motorcycle in some pretty desolate places should do it!

The TAT is on!

Today I ordered all of the maps for the Trans American Trail  ...I also ordered Garmin City Navigator for my GPS.  I guess that means I'm going!  It's a little scary thinking of embarking on a 5000 mile solo off road trip.  Well, not off road, but on dirt roads mostly.  Still, it will be quite an adventure.  The funny thing is I can't remember how I even heard about the TAT.  I know my wife and I watched The Long Way Round and I guess after that I just started poking around on the Internet.  Next thing ya know I'm talking about taking a 5000 mile trip on a motorcycle ...that I didn't even own yet.  That's me though.

Now I have to get my KLR 650 ready to go.  It's amazing how much there is out there that you can spend money on ...farkles they call it ...or farkels  ...not real sure about that one.  So, with money being by far my biggest issue, I have to decide what I really need and what would be sweet, but no so much necessary.  Skid plate.  Definitely want a good skid plate.  The KLR comes with a plastic one, which probably isn't bad, but come on ...plastic?  I already have some waterproof fuses from the guy I bought the bike from ...I just need to install them.  It also came with some "off road" lights that I think I will install.  Why not.  I already have them.

Really the bike came quite upgraded from the previous owner.  So, I really don't have to do any major mods to the bike, which is nice.  I did have to lower it because it was crazy tall.

Mainly, I just have to plan, get my GPS coordinates in, then hit the road and take it one day at a time.  I will try to keep this blog going during the trip to document the whole thing.  That's all for now!