View Full Version : Cycling NY to LA with a hammock
I've recently abandoned a trip some of you will have read about here - from the UK to S.Korea - because of visa problems. Now I'm doing NY to LA instead.
No planning whatsoever. In time I'll post in here asking for advice on routes, campsites etc. I'd be especielly grateful if any of you could point out hanging spots near where you live or even let me use the lawn!
But to begin with, here's the situation:
5th Oct. Arrive NY JFK 10pm. Sleep in airport lounge because there are no cheap hostels or Warmshowers hosts at short notice (please offer advice here if you have any!).
6th Oct: Assemble bike. Leave airport (any Newyorkers want to tell me which road to take?!) at sunrise. Negotiate NY whilst looking out for shops that will replace broken laptop and dying rear bike rack. Point bike towards Philadelphia. Camp somewhere for free although WS hosts are being begged as I write.
7th Oct: Continue along this red line, more or less, at 70-100 miles per day:
http://i.imgur.com/1hjqs.png
25th Dec. be in Phoenix Arizona for Crimbo with the cousins. Then go to LA and fly to S. Korea
Here's a link to the failed attempt to get to China, which has ended at the Iranian border.
(http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=55168&page=5)
Link to blog. (http://ijustfeltlikecycling.blogspot.com/) I'll carry on updating it. No time or laptop to do a new one. Apols for anti-American banter. All/most/some of it is an in-joke with aforementıoned cousins. I love you really, brethren.
Hope you enjoy reading and PLEASE speak up if you have any advice or help to offer! I like hammock geekery, free lawns to camp on and bringing beer to say thanks.
Black Wolf
10-04-2012, 11:04
here is the best place to get info and maps that are specific to biking across the US .. http://www.adventurecycling.org/
Thanks, Black Wolf, their routes look good. Edit: but way out of my budget.
If you end up close to Augusta, Ga. or McCormick, SC drop me a pm. Plenty of poles in the yard to hang from and free food. :thumbup: :tongueup:
Bajahanger, definitely going that way. Thanks for the kind offer. 99% chance I'll take you up on it!
Update for the rest, just to set your worried-sick minds at ease, I've found a place to stay tomorrow night (5th Oct). In Noo Joisey.
If you dawdle a bit, your trip might take you to MAHHA at Gathland SP in Maryland Oct. 20th. Then you could cycle down Rte 11 through the Shenandoah Valley (it runs parallel to I-81). Nice stretch, avoids mountains (but you miss West Virginia).
OutandBack
10-04-2012, 13:13
October thru December wow not my favorite months even on a southern route best of luck. I look forward to reading your trip report/s
If you dawdle a bit, your trip might take you to MAHHA at Gathland SP in Maryland Oct. 20th. Then you could cycle down Rte 11 through the Shenandoah Valley (it runs parallel to I-81). Nice stretch, avoids mountains (but you miss West Virginia).
Interested in skipping mountains. Plus I don't mind which states I cross unless cycling is illegal in some. The only ones I really want to go to are Alabama (to see if people really speak like Forrest Gump) and Arizona for family.
Tell me more about MAHHA. Link?
October thru December wow not my favorite months even on a southern route best of luck. I look forward to reading your trip report/s
It will be less cold than China would have been.
Also Christmas cheer. From what I understand of Americans, having seen a great many of them on TV, I'll be mistaken for a mysterious travelling wise man from the East and be invited into homes on a daily basis for food, wine and merriment.
It will be less cold than China would have been.
Also Christmas cheer. From what I understand of Americans, having seen a great many of them on TV, I'll be mistaken for a mysterious travelling wise man from the East and be invited into homes on a daily basis for food, wine and merriment.
Yeah, we're just like Turkey.:D
Nah the Turks never have wine.
Is this (http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=56948&highlight=mahha) the MAHHA?
If so I'd be waiting around for ten days or so rather than cycling. I've just done that in Turkey and I'm ready to punch through a wall. Shame it's not a week earlıer.
Catavarie
10-04-2012, 14:57
Well looks as if you will be passing west of my location. But if your route takes through the Raleigh/Durham area of NC I could recommend a few good places to hang and throw in some BBQ and Beer as well.
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/
Many journals and articles about bike touring that are searchable by towns or routes.
Nah the Turks never have wine.
Is this (http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=56948&highlight=mahha) the MAHHA?
If so I'd be waiting around for ten days or so rather than cycling. I've just done that in Turkey and I'm ready to punch through a wall. Shame it's not a week earlıer.
Yup, that's MAHHA. Sorry you'll miss it, but you're right to get moving quickly. It might get cold this year.
TeamVenture
10-04-2012, 17:29
While Arlington Texas is not the most bike friendly place, I'd be more than happy to host you if you go through this area. There are a few places in the city you could probably get by in. Let me know if you'll be coming through. If not, Mineral Wells State Park is a nice detour further west with great places to hang.
It looks like you will stay south of Atlanta when you come through Georgia,but if things change you should take the Silver Comet and Chief Ladiga Trail just west of Atlanta to Anniston,Alabama.There are several places to camp and you will not have to worry about any cars for about 90 miles.Enjoy your tour, I know America will treat you well!
I abandoned the old blog because Blogspot/Blogger deleted a lot of hours of uploading and typing.
Here's a new one. Read the disclaimer before taking offence, my dear Yank cousins.
ny2la.webnode.com (http://ny2la.webnode.com)
I'm about to cross the Potomac into Leesburg then turn south past Washington DC.
Thanks for the link to the new blog! If you get to the Athens, GA area you've got a place to stay and a frosty beverage too. Keep peddling!
swankfly
10-18-2012, 12:07
Got a spot for you before the finish line if you need it. Intersection of I-55 and I-12 in Louisiana! Great beer and food!
Ohhhhh, you mean the other LA! ;-)
bigroomboy
10-19-2012, 06:39
Hey buddy!
Its good to see you are back on the road again. I look forward to your blog updates when you get around to it. I think the US may be a better choice anyway with lots more trees and less chance of being arrested as a gringo spy plus hopefully less of the gay dogging going on that you got a little close to in Turkey!
bigroomboy
10-19-2012, 07:15
OK I found the blog, obviously I'm not that bright....
swankfly I wasn't planning to go that far south but that sounds a highly tempting offer. Do you mind if I think oin it for a few days?
and 2ply it's 99% certain I'll be passing through Athens. I'll definitely take you up on the offer. Thanks, matey!
That was some good reading. Thank You. Fresh, honest and just straightforward.
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for saying so. I don't think I have anything controversial to update it with from the last couple of days other than breaking 'no-camping with a cold beer' rules, so I'll leave it a while before updating.
Still slow progress though. It's either raining hard, up-and-down terrain or wind in the face in this country. Or all three, like today.
But we are fans of Denny's because it's a chain from what I gather and it has both free wifi and $4 all you can eat salad and soup, two things that have been painfully absent from my recent diet. The look on the waitress' face after the little skinny guy had had his fill was priceless.
Good read mate. Good luck to you on your way South. If you get near Myrtle Beach SC you have trees to hang from and a hot shower and cold beer waiting. Can probably find some red meat for chow as well.
Thanks for the offer. All of that sounds good! Might not be on the route but I'll warn you in advance if I head that far SE.
Gobsh How's the ride going?? We are worried about you out there in the land of big fat cars!
Hope the ride is going strong, keep two wheels to the ground!
Wolf
Seems to be stuck in a Duncan Donuts in Maryland for the last week.
Hehe I'm doing OK, had a couple of days off to get some tests done on my insides but I was better by the time they came through, now I'm in Rocky Mount NC heading south away from this storm. No problems with the fat cars but my thin laptop has stopped working three weeks after I bought it, so no blog updates for a while.
Stay safe out there. :thumbup:
g'day mate
I was getting concerned.
Trust it's all ok .
Hope to see the blog updated soon.
Catavarie
11-02-2012, 06:25
His laptop died. I'm not sure when he's gonna be able to either get it working or replaced so he can update his blog.
Laptop still dead and no word from Acer about getting it fixed. Plus side, I'm meeting my first hammock forummer tonight, Bajahanger, just north of Augusta. Is that in Georgia or SC?
It matters not a sniff, to be honest. Rhetorical question. As you were.
That is definitely SC, and a beer is waiting for you, along with some good Mexican food for dinner. :thumbup:
People on this forum are truly awesome :thumbup:
That is definitely SC, and a beer is waiting for you, along with some good Mexican food for dinner. :thumbup:
They truly are. Hammock geekery, food and good company. Lucky me!
In two days i,'ll be meeting another. Less than 100 miles but I'm allowing myself a couple of gentle days becaue that's how I roll, homies.
Enjoyable stays with Bajahanger and 2ply - I really appreciated the help and the opportunity for calorie loading!
Bajahanger, I hand nothing to write you a note with but I left the reflectix pad you made me in the garage because in the end it didn't roll up smaller than my thermarest and, although it's lighter, I would have been left with a choice: carry the two pads until I could give one away (PIF thread for example) or carry the mountain of food you gave me. Since not everything would fit in my bags in the end I went with priority 1 - calories!
In other news, what do people make of this:
http://i.imgur.com/HF0bfl.jpg
It's a cuben tarp from Zpacks and it's failing and no longer waterproof. This is not scratching - I think the fabric is just stretching because of the tension needed to keep it taut. Any dealings with Zpacks? Any chance of a refund? I'd need to get another tarp whilst on the road as well, which could be difficult to arrange. Really disappointed with this bit of kit.
Gobsh, where are you now? Did you get another Tarp? I wish I would have given you one when you were at my place. I have a Kelty Noah 9 I could have given you.
The blog has been updated slightly but there's still a lot of photo uploading to do. Takes ages!
Also quite sweary because I've been in a sulky mood. All to be taken with a pinch of salt as usual, I beg you.
Bajahanger I haven't replaced the tarp but at least it hasn't taken any serious rain since the night after I left your place. A few nights I haven't even put it up. I mentioned it on the blog: Is it worth me kicking up a fuss about it on this forum?
Edit: I'm just about to enter Mississippi.
SouthernExposure
11-22-2012, 09:16
You traveled faster than I thought. I am located in Madison, Mississippi, just north of Jackson. I would like to extend an invitation to you for Thanksgiving dinner or leftovers. I don't have much, but I certainly can provide a safe place to hang for the night, some good food and wine.
SouthernExposure
What a gent! Just got your PM. I'll reply now...
SouthernExposure
11-25-2012, 13:30
I've just emailed Zpacks to see what can be done about the tarp. I'll update with their response.
Meantime I'm with SouthernExposure and having a right old geek-off with the hammocks. Also being fattened up like a piglet for Christmas. Landed on my feet again!
Edit: This is Gobsh writing from Southern Exposure's account by mistake! Not always clever, am i?!
SouthernExposure
11-26-2012, 10:58
This is SouthernExposure.
Just a quick note to say that my wife and I have just hosted Gobsh for two nights and he has turned out to be a gracious, friendly and wonderful guest in our home. If you are near his path as he travels across the country to Los Angeles, please consider opening your home to him for a safe haven for a night or two. I believe that you too will find him to be most thankful for your generosity.
SouthernExposure
Zpacks were very helpful and apologetic and issued me a refund on the tarp with no quibbles. Good lads.
Now I've been able to borrow SouthernExposure's silnylon tarp while I look for a replacement.
Ideally I'd like the same design in a different material, which Zpacks don't make. All suggestions gratefully accepted!
Meantime I'm with SouthernExposure and having a right old geek-off with the hammocks. Also being fattened up like a piglet for Christmas. Landed on my feet again!
Edit: This is Gobsh writing from Southern Exposure's account by mistake! Not always clever, am i?!
Your idiom gave you away. Good to have you back. However, starting with Day 25 of the blog your idiom goes haywire (alien-speak translator unit made by Acer?), but the photos look good.
Well, that took me all of 30 seconds to open the blog and laugh out loud. There's certainly something to the English' humour! :)
SusanDerkins
12-12-2012, 11:54
It's not cycler specific but couchsurfing.org has, in the past, provided me a place to crash, food and conversation while wandering about the Southeast/West with only a day's notice.
Well, now that I have had 3 cups of tea whilst reading your past and present blog, here's hoping you got your computer fixed.
And Joe at Z packs is one of thee best vendors around.
What did you decide on for a tarp?
I used a MacCat Deluxe on the Appalachian Trail this year.
And just ordered a SuperFly. Doors are good :)
Safe journies.
I love all the colloquiallisms re: the dialects of each part of the country.
bigroomboy
01-08-2013, 10:52
Hey Gobsh,
Any update on your progress? You haven't updated your blog in a while now, I hope everything is going OK for you over there.
Chap(esse)s, sorry for the poor updating skills. Here's what happened:
I got to Jackson MS and had some bad news from home - long story short, I had to wire some money to help out. That destroyed my budget so I had no choice but to stop cycling and bus it to Phoenix AZ. I had planned Christmas there with Auntie Jackie but I needed to start earning again so I got my Korean employers to take me on earlier than planned. A week later I was in Seoul and I've been working insane hours since and sleeping 4 hours per night if lucky. That situation will calm down in February so I'll sit down and finish the blog.
I didn't get to try out the silnylon tarp in the end and because I was stopping the trip and needed the cash, I didn't see the point of buying my own again with the refund money. I will in the future, but for the time being I'm no longer a hammocker.
I'll post again once I've finished the blog. Thanks to all for reading and special thanks to those who took me in and treated me like family. I left the US with a much improved opinion of its inhabitants! Still 50-50 on its beer, however.
Better than we deserve on the beer. Glad you're okay. I enjoyed your blog. Let us know if you want help with hammock stuff.
Hey Gobsh .... I was wondering what had happened to you and so I looked up posts on this forum until I found this. I'm relieved because I have to admit I was worried ... and of course your there's that laptop of yours. I'd steal it if it was a Mac ... but it is on of those Pee Cee's ... so whenever you let me know how to get it to you or to get fixed ... will do. :)
bigroomboy
01-16-2013, 05:19
Glad to hear you are OK. I look forward to your blog updates when you get time.
Nevada Hammocker
01-26-2013, 19:15
thats so awesome
Thanks for your great blog and the quick reply to my PM.:)