getting closer

I shipped my bike today to San Diego. I'll probably rest or maybe take a few light rides between now and next Tuesday. I'll be meeting Brad Smith in San Diego. He's a friend I've known since my days living and working in Vail. He lives in Denver and will be joining me for the first two weeks or so. He's a fairly experienced "back country" adventurist. He's been on lots of extreme ski trips, extended sailing expeditions to the south Pacific and probably too many dirt bike trips. But through it all he has learned how to deal with the unexpected so for that reason, and many others, he'll be a great friend to have a long for the first part of this ride.

One of the things that I have enjoyed about the planning of this trip is working through the incredible amount of logistical details. There are more than you might realize and it's been a fun challenge to engage in. I've logged a lot of hours on the bike since starting to train for this ride. I've done most of my training riding by myself, which I find to be very peaceful. But it's also given me a lot of time to think through all of those details. I guess I'll know soon just how well I did or didn't think all of this through.