I did a “thing”

A “Thing”

So the other day, I did a thing.  This is probably not a “thing” for most of you, but I’m a very anxious person, so it was a really big deal to me.  I reached out to two total strangers to ask for advice on the trip.  I found both of them on the internet, one on YouTube, and another through the first.  The first was Amanda Zito and she’s a YouTube channel worth watching if you’re into this sort of thing.  She’s done a couple of long trips, one she calls the Pilgrimage that covered the state of Montana and the other was the Flight of the Magpie.  The Flight of the Magpie was an epic journey across the United States that she did in 24 days, quite similar to what I am planning.  I have started to follow her, as I found her videos very informative and super helpful.  It was through watching these videos that I found the second person, Cynthia Ayers.  She has a YouTube channel as well, but I found her through her blog.  I had a blast reading her blog and learned a lot from her.

Things to know

Anyway, I emailed them both, asking for any advice they cared to share, anything they wished they knew beforehand, what they would do differently, where they struggled, pretty much anything I thought I’d need to know.  Both of these women were so gracious and got back to me straightaway.  Amanda warned me about the potential need to stay in far more hotels than I would think, given the COVID situation.  People are sick of being on lockdown and are flocking to campgrounds.  This leads to full campgrounds with no availability.  I’ve increased my hotel budget as a result.  She also sent me her map, into which she put a lot of work.  Her map had campgrounds, hotels, sights to see, places to eat, etc.

The map

I studied her map and created one of my own with my route including, Bunk-A-Biker sites, affordable hotels, campgrounds, BMW repair shops, potential sights to see, and potential vegan restaurants.  This map shows up on my Google maps, so I can use it to get where I want to go.  I might make some adjustments to the route, of course, but all the information is there.  Currently, Google will not allow me to make a route on the roads that are closed at this time of year, but I put the information where the road should be!

My unfinished map

Ringing a stranger

In her answering email, Cynthia suggested I ring her up, so I did.  Those that know me know that talking on the phone to strangers is terrifying to me, but I gathered my courage and reached out.  Boy am I glad I did!  She was full of advice, things that might trip me up, and offered support throughout my journey.  She sounded so excited and happy for me, it increased my own excitement and lessened my doubts about myself.  She told me to ring or email anytime, and I am sure I’ll take her up on it.

Cynthia warned me I might be more tired than I expect and to maybe plan to stay places for a day or two to rest and to not do too many miles in a day, particularly in the beginning.  She also told me Glacier National Park was the highlight of her trip and she recommended I go through it as part of my trip.  I started researching.  There were plenty of hotels and campgrounds on that route, and it wouldn’t take me any longer to go through Glacier rather than Yellowstone.  At this time of year though, Google won’t take me on the roads I’d travel because they are all closed for the winter!  How frustrating.  My BFB suggested I research when these roads open.  The Road to the Sun doesn’t usually open until mid to late June, so that ruled Glacier out for this trip.

Open?

That got me to thinking, when would the Beartooth Pass open?  Research tells me Beartooth Pass will open on Memorial Day.  I am planning to be there on the 8^th of June.  This could mean I may need to reroute, as the turnouts may be full of snow and the road may be icy.  And, the road may not be very scenic, as I might not be able to see over the snow berms.  I’ll definitely need to play it by ear.  I guess that’s the thing with an undertaking like this.  You have to leave early enough in the year to not die of heat exhaustion in the south, and late enough to not get snowed in when you go through the north and be able to go with whatever you get.

Part of the excitement of travel is not having a “regular” schedule, not knowing what will happen, seeing what there is to see.  These potential challenges add a touch of excitement for me, especially since I’ve already planned for their potential and have a plan to deal with them.  The planning has helped some of the anxiety for sure.  I can’t thank Amanda and Cynthia enough.

Getting closer!

It’s now less than 2 months until I leave.  I’m so excited!