Trans America Trail

[Motorrad]

Permission given to post extra pictures,  cool ride story,
Admin.

NOTE: ALL WRITUPS ARE ROUGH DRAFT. MORE DETAIL TO COME..

I apologise in advance for all the Ugly pictures of my cousin. He seems to get his face into every one of my pictures..

Bike list.
2002 KTM  640 adventure (mine bought new)
2001 KTM 640 Enduro (dads)
1998? ATK 605 (cousin)

For those that dont know what the trans america trail is... here is a link

http://www.transamtrail.com/


Here we are loaded up infront of the house ready to leave. The trip started as kind of a joke. A local friend was moving to florida, and he needed people to drive moving trucks. I joked one day Id just ride a motorcycle home... well.... We talked him into letting us throw the bikes in the back of one of the ryder trucks, on the deal that we drive 2 of the trucks to florida for him, then take one up to north carolina for us to start our treck.. Worked out good.



Tenessee

Tenesee was mostly pavement. All single lane paved dirt pretty much. We got rained on alot in TN and MS. First few days were rough, trying to get suspension set right, Getting your rear end used to HOURS on a bike... after day 3, all was good.  The water crossings were treturous. There is this Black slime moss stuff that grows on the bottoms that is like greased ice.






Mississippi

Mississippi was aprox 50% dirt roads. Lots of raised roads through swamps.  The spooky part was all the water mockisons that enjoyed sitting in the road, waiting for you to go by so they could strike at the motorcycle.  Had to keep your eye out for them, and make sure you were on the opposite side of the bike as them to not get your leg tagged.  There were several "Interesting" locals we ran into. Interesting enough to wonder if we would end up in their basement... (deliverance) but they ended up being very nice people.
The Mud In Mississippi is very slick, and is the same color as the dirt. Very difficult to get used to.







Arkansas

Here we finaly hit 90% dirt from here on out. Lots more snakes and turtles.  more to come on AK


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Oklahoma

I have to say Oklahoma was the surprise state of the trip. I always pictured OK as a big flat field. Yes its flat, yes it has fields, but all the natrual grass land preserves are a must see in your life. You couldnt turn your head without seeing an old abandoned farm house, most with all the equipment still there. Tons of old cemetarys from wagon train days 70miles from anywhere. This is also the state we got to sit in a hotel room wondering if a tornado would carry our bikes away. It was CLOSE. We knew it was close when storm chasers were seeking refuge in the same hotel we were in.

[Motorrad]

New Mexico

We only cut the corner of NM. Absolutly beutifull. Id like to go back and explore more of it some day.  The second we got to NM I while taking a picture, fell in a cattle grate and banged up my leg really bad (probly fractured it). Never did get it looked at..  Pictures cant do this place justice!.



Colorado

Wow. Scenery. and COLD.  The one main stand out of CO was the change in people. In every other state, everyone wanted to befriend you, know what you were up to, where you were going, to the point of inviting you in to their house for dinner on occasion. CO was different, not for the better.  Even sitting ontop of cinimon pass (12,640ft)  people would turn their nose at you.  Once you got past all that, the place was great, wild dandilions growing everywhere. The scenery was so good, my cousin (on the ATK) actually rode off one of the mountain passes into a pine tree. Lucky for him it wasnt a cliff...




Utah
(Rough notes)
Utah, is well Utah.  Moab,
Coral pink sand dunes

[Hillclimb#42]

Awesome. Thanks for sharing.

[barryadam]

Great Job.
What time of the year did you do the TAT?  Where did you end?
I've read a few RRs on ADV rider of both East & West TAT and it looks like a hoot.  The RRs include similar pics and descritions as you have.  What a way to see the country with your dad.

[Motorrad]

Great Job.
What time of the year did you do the TAT?  Where did you end?
I've read a few RRs on ADV rider of both East & West TAT and it looks like a hoot.  The RRs include similar pics and descritions as you have.  What a way to see the country with your dad.

We were on the trail in June.  Alot of the CO passes were still closed.

We followed the trail most of the way through Utah, then turned south and headed to Payson AZ (cousins live there) from there we trailered home to San Diego. (no way home besides long hours of freeway)

I have read alot of the guys ride reports on Advrider as well.. Ill admit, im no where near as good of a story teller as them.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/

[Hick]

Thats looked like a hell of a trip.  I have always wanted to do something like that, How many days did you do this in?

[Motorrad]

Thats looked like a hell of a trip.  I have always wanted to do something like that, How many days did you do this in?

3 weeks.

We are currently working on one for next year.... plan on going from New Mexico to Canida all through the rockies.... (or from canida to New Mexico) either way, its panning out pretty good....

[KX500freak]

woow wooooooow wooooooooooooooooooooow 

these pics are incredible 
for me as a dutch who never got further away then french brittanie
this is a glimp of how it should be.
those endless dirtroads are a DREAM scenery
amazing wildlife ,if i ever get rich ..
ill ship my k5 and go visit and ride the usa
just as i,ve forseen in my youth ,dreamin of just this stuff
all day long..

big thanks Motorrad for sharing 
really really awsome .
aargh im drooling on my laptop 

[barryadam]

woow wooooooow wooooooooooooooooooooow 

these pics are incredible 
for me as a dutch who never got further away then french brittanie
this is a glimp of how it should be.
those endless dirtroads are a DREAM scenery
amazing wildlife ,if i ever get rich ..
ill ship my k5 and go visit and ride the usa
just as i,ve forseen in my youth ,dreamin of just this stuff
all day long..

big thanks Motorrad for sharing 
really really awsome .
aargh im drooling on my laptop 

As Motoradd says, look at the ride reports in
http://www.advrider.com/forums

There are great reports from ALL OVER THE WORLD to inspire you.  Check out the pics, read the stories.  I guarantee you will find lots of destinations you would like to ride.  Right now, I'm drooling over the pictures of the roads in the Machu Pichu Peru Ride Report.  Amazing.  There are a lot more of the TAT rides in there, too, written with some different perspectives.  It's all good.

Motoradd, if you are planning a CAN-AM trip, have you contacted Jerry Counts?  He has some great rides up and down the west.  By the way, I couldn't tell which one was the "ugly cousin". LOL 

Barry