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Hello everyone,

I know the trip is over, but I thought I would upload some of the videos from the trip that I couldn't do while I was out there. Instead of uploading them here and youtube, you can find them all on youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/user/SurlyHeadedEast. Thanks for checking it out.

P.S. I'll try to get some pictures up also

Game Over

I've been regretting writting this post because I have to announce that Surly Headed East is no more. After a little over two weeks and 950 miles Ryan and have decided to stop in Cedar City, UT. It was a hard decision to make but I am glad we did. The main reason for us to stop was inexperience. Inexperience led us to leave too late in the season, which made the trip dangerous. After bad weather in Nevada and more bad weather forcasted through the Rockies it did not make sense to continue. Another big part was gear. We packed completely wrong for this trip and the extra weight hindered our bikng.

Although we did not make our goal I'm glad we tried. We made it 950 miles, made it through over two states, climbed an 8600 ft pass from sea level and crossed a desert. I learned a lot over the past few weeks and I now know what it takes to continue. At this point I don't think that I had the proper gear or mental and physical strength to finish. Maybe in a year or two I will plan the trip again and do it the proper way.

For anyone considering touring there are many things to consider. Weight is the main thing. Do not take anything you do not need, and i mean that. On the bike you feel every ounce. If you are going during warm weather bring only your riding clothes and night clothes. Everything smells and is dirty, why carry the extra weight of more clothes. For most areas you don't need to carry more than two days worth of food with you. We had road shoes wit lh us, but i would recommend mountain bike shoes and then leaving the camp shoes at home. Buy a multi soap that works on your body, dishes etc instead of buying each thing.

When you are trying to outfit your bike try to make everything as slim and small as possible. We had front amd back panniers to start with and then sent home the front. The weight in the front makes the bike hard to control and is not necessary. I would recomend a small handle bar bag instead of front panniers. In the back you want to be streamlline also. I had huge bags in the back which were not needed at all. If I do this trip again I'm using my front panniers (axiom monsoons) for the back and getting a handle bar bag for thing like lunch and everyday needs. When it comes to camping gear quality over quantity is vital. It is better to have the best necessary products then a bunch of neat worthless gadgets.

One thing to remember is that mother nature is queen. I am sorry to everyone who has donated or helped us out in some way. We do not have the experience to brave the weather. I know I have not completed the ride, but if you are interested in touring I highly recommend talking to someone who has toured in the past to to understand how to prepare. It is much more than just riding a bike.

Deserts are not always hot...or dry

We are here in Austin, NV staying a little motel to avoid the impending snow. The last couple days we have been putting on some more miles. Yesterday we did 87 miles and today we put in 72 miles. One of the hardest part of the desert is the wind. In Carson City it was blowing over 50mph gusts which males it very tough to control the bike. Since Carson City we have been riding on hwy 50, "the loneliest highway in America.". It is a pretty tough go. My legs feel dead, my knees feel like they are about to explode, and my back aches. Driving in a car NV looks flat, but in reality it is hilly. Today alone we had close to 3,000 ft of elevation gain.

I've had some questions on our gear and how we have things set up. A couple days ago we sent home 36lbs of gear. A lot of that gear was clothing, duplicates of items such as a stove, front bags, and books. Having the front bags off the bikes gives us more control, especially with the wind. We have also limited the food we take. Instead of having a weeks worth we have a couple days worth. Mostly we are into bagels, peanut butter, fig newtons, beef jerky, and many many clif bars. On the water front, i have three 20oz bottles and a 70oz hydration pack. Ryan carries a little more water than that. On long stretches between stops i will usually carry an extra half gallon water jug on top of my pack. Camping has proven to be an interesting event each night. In California it was pretty hard to find places and i usually slept with my knife in case of whatever. Since we have been in NV we can pretty much camp anywhere, but we aren't protected from the elements, like 50mph winds and freezing rain.

The weather has been a little hard to cope with. A week a go it was over 100 degrees and now it is in the 20's at night. During the day it gets some where in the 50's. The freezing rain and wind are the hardest part, but they hopefully will both calm down in the next couple days.

Tired

Sorry its been a few days since the last post. We've been battling the Sierras and finally made it over Carsons Pass (8573 ft). It took way too long and we are exhausted. Tonight we are motelling it in Carsons City and unfortunately we are too tired to even go to the casino. Ryan and I have come to the realization that we have way to much gear and need to send some home. I've packed a bag with about 10-15 lbs of gear to go home and Ryan has just as much. Once we lighten up we will be heading to Dayton, which is only about 15 miles or so. We are going to use tomorrow as a regrouping and rest up day. Then back on the road heading for Utah.

Flats, canyons, and bible study

Well it seems we still are not back on route, which kind of sucks. Placerville was further away than we thought and we are still 20 miles out, but we were told it is all down hill. The morning was a long flat ride which tool us to Lincoln for lunch. After Lincoln the hills came, which I liked. The afternoon hills weren't bad at first, but post Auburn was the death of us. Between Auburn and Cool is a giant canyon which the American river runs through. Cruising down the canyon was probably the best ride we have done to date. It was unbelievable, the views were amazing! However, what goes down must come up. Three miles straight up no break. After killing our legs to pull way to much gear up this canyon wall we took a break at a mini-mart. Although Ryan and I planned to get more than 62 miles in today it wasn't much use after the long afternoon.

On our way out of town we passed by the Cool Community Church which let us set up shop on their field..for a price. The have been very hospitable, but strongly encouraged us to attend their Bible study. So after a long day where we only want to eat and sleep we headed down for some Luke. It wasn't too bad and we got out early enough, plus now we have Jesus on our side.

Ok, tomorrow we will definetly be through Placerville in the morning, back on track, and heading to Carson City where we can gamble away all of our money. As of right now i need to rest my legs and get some sleep.