{"id":1801,"date":"2011-07-08T10:08:22","date_gmt":"2011-07-08T13:08:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/?p=1801"},"modified":"2016-05-29T11:07:33","modified_gmt":"2016-05-29T15:07:33","slug":"northward-bound-ready-set-go","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/2011\/07\/northward-bound-ready-set-go\/","title":{"rendered":"Northward Bound: Ready, Set, Go!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Monday July 11th<\/sup>, 8AM from Missoula\u2019s own Adventure Cycling<\/a>, we set off for Alaska.<\/p>\n

Yippee!<\/p>\n

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Our first Adventure Cycling Portrait taken by Greg Siple back in 2009.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since the big Bolivia theft, it\u2019s been a long hard struggle to get back on the road.<\/p>\n

After taking the painful decision to leave South America (just two countries shy of a complete circumnavigation of the continent), we flew to Miami in mid-May.<\/p>\n

Our original plan was to re-group in Florida.\u00a0 Arrange for Eric\u2019s new bike, get the gear we needed and then set off across the US to my hometown of Missoula, Montana.<\/p>\n

Well, as we\u2019ve come to learn over the past five years on the road, things don\u2019t always go to plan.<\/p>\n

Plan C<\/h3>\n

In the end, we came to the conclusion that the best plan of attack would be to organize everything from the comfort of \u2018home\u2019\u2026well my parent\u2019s home. Being voluntarily homeless, mom and dad\u2019s place is the next best thing.<\/p>\n

So, we hung out in Miami (at the home of the amazing Ted, couchsurfer extraordinaire\u2026guy even picked us up from the airport!) for almost two weeks waiting for a super-cheap flight to Spokane, Washington.<\/p>\n

What, they flew to Washington State? Now, I know what you must be thinking, she must really come from some podunk place, isn\u2019t there even an airport in Missoula?<\/p>\n

Rest assured there is.\u00a0 Missoula is hardly a contender for Hicksville, USA.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got an airport, just one that is damned expensive to fly into.\u00a0 A little problem called no competition.<\/p>\n

So we flew to Spokane, caught a ride with an old rancher and finally made it to Missoula just in time to celebrate Memorial Day.<\/p>\n

Mind you, we were completely bike-less by the time we pulled into Missoula. \u00a0Airline lost my Koga.\u00a0 Turned up later.\u00a0 Seems she took a little jaunt without me to Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

Home at last<\/h3>\n

What a relief to be safe and sound in Missoula.<\/p>\n

June was a month wrangling with customs rules and shipping companies, but finally Eric\u2019s beloved Koga arrived.<\/p>\n

What can I say?\u00a0 I\u2019m jealous.\u00a0 She\u2019s a beauty.\u00a0 Sleek and dark, running smooth, no rattles and shakes.<\/p>\n

We couldn\u2019t have done it alone<\/h3>\n

Again, many thanks to everyone who has supported us during our mini-crisis.\u00a0 So many thoughtful blog readers and fellow cyclists rallied around us in our time of need.\u00a0 That\u2019s heartwarming stuff.<\/p>\n

A special thanks to everybody who lent a hand at getting the Koga across one massive ocean direct to our doorstep in Missoula.<\/p>\n

Sponsors to the rescue<\/h3>\n

Ours was a potential $6,000 loss<\/a> (not to mention the cost of flights just to get back to the US and start re-grouping). That\u2019s one big budget OUCH.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, sponsors<\/a> rode in like white nights and saved the day.\u00a0 Suffice to say, we have never, ever been so well-equipped.\u00a0 Thick down sleeping bags<\/a>, moisture-wicking base layers, waterproof headphones<\/a>, a kindle, a brand-new Big Agnes tent<\/a>, Scottevest<\/a>\u2019s highly functional travel vest, bright-red panniers from Ortlieb<\/a>, high-tech cycling jerseys from dare2be<\/a>, protective slime<\/a> to cut down on flats, McNett <\/a>products for easy gear care and repair, \u00a0flashy reflective gear and mirrors<\/a>, unbreakable water bottles<\/a> and many more useful odds and ends from Planet Bike. <\/a><\/p>\n

So much cool stuff.<\/p>\n

Please spend a moment on the sponsors page<\/a> and see which companies are supporting us on our quest to cycle every country on the planet.<\/p>\n

A new gear page<\/a> is in the works.\u00a0 Keep checking back for updates.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be including information on how the cold-weather equipment stands up under Arctic conditions.<\/p>\n

Arctic bound<\/h3>\n
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We hope to make Prudhoe Bay before the snow starts falling. Don’t fancy a run-in with an Ice Road Trucker.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We are Arctic bound.\u00a0 And given the 4,000+ kilometers and numerous mountain ranges that separate us from the Arctic Ocean, I have a feeling we\u2019ll get a taste of that invigorating arctic weather.<\/p>\n

There\u2019ll be a few hardships I\u2019m sure (think freezing temperatures, glacial winds and grizzly bears).\u00a0 Speaking of Grizzlies, the big news in our neck of the woods is a fatal bear attack in Yellowstone Park<\/a>.\u00a0 That\u2019s sobering stuff.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve got some fool-proof bear avoidance strategies, please pass them on.\u00a0\u00a0 Eric\u2019s not got much meat on his bones, so I\u2019m certain a hungry Griz will size me up as a much tastier morsel.<\/p>\n

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Don’t fancy seeing this guy in my rear-view mirror.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Vacation at an end<\/h3>\n
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The Griz in the foreground is the University of Montana’s best loved symbol, behind you can spot the massive “M” on Mount Sentinel…my favorite hiking spot in Missoula.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Vacation in Montana is winding down.\u00a0 I\u2019ll miss my zumba classes, hiking up to the M and just hanging out with family and old friends.\u00a0 I reckon Eric will not miss the long hours spent behind a computer screen chasing down new gear.<\/p>\n

So, Monday it is.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be off on our epic Alaska adventure.\u00a0 Check back soon for tales from our ride through the wide open spaces of Western Canada, the monumental scenery of the Yukon, and across the windswept tundra above the Arctic Circle.\u00a0 Just hope we won\u2019t have any grizzly encounters to report.<\/p>\n

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