The Spawning of a Trip

About 1 year ago a friend talked to me about riding the Great Continental Divide Mountain Bike Route this summer that starts in Banff, Canada, and ends in Antelope Wells, New Mexico. It is primarily on dirt and gravel roads, and I figured it would be kinda neat riding a route that was on those types of surfaces with lesser vehicular traffic. So I agreed to do the trip with him. I even bought a used bicycle that could accommodate wider tires, which would be beneficial on dirt and gravel roads. Even with this new bike, I was still leaning toward trying to do the trip on my old faithful touring bike since we have been through a lot together and really mesh well.

The only downside to this trip was going to be figuring out the logistics of getting me and my bicycle to Canada, and then back home from New Mexico.  I typically like to start a bicycle tour from my home and end it at my home, but this was not going to work for this trip. I had already started trying to figure out how Lisa, my wife, was going to transport me and my bike for the trip. I certainly did not want to go through the hassle of flying with my bike.

At about the first of the year, my friend told me that he was not going to be able to do the trip.  It was disappointing, and I then began thinking about what kind of bicycle tour I could do this year. From looking at photos of Banff on the Internet, I really liked the idea of riding a bicycle in that area to enjoy the beauty. I decided I would try a trip from my home in Chattanooga to Banff, and then ride back a different route. It will be about a 5,000 mile round trip IF I make it the entire way. I have never done a trip of this magnitude, but I'm looking forward to giving it a shot.  I'm sure I'll have to remind myself several times during the trip just to take "small bites" out of this "big apple."  I've always bicycle toured with the mentality that "it's not the destination, but the journey."  We will just have to wait and see where this adventure leads.