Welcome to my blog!

Greetings to all and welcome to my blog! I've decided to start a new blog to chronicle my adventures on the Scooter Cannonball Run 2008, which starts two days from now, as well my ongoing scooter pursuits in general. The Cannonball is a cross-country endurance ride undertaken by twenty three of us, riding scooters from coast to coast, from the Pacific at Ocean Beach in San Francisco, CA to the Atlantic at Ocean City, MD. Our journey will take 10 days, riding roughly 300 to 400 miles per day in some of the most remote areas of the heartland of America. We'll climb from sea level to more than 11,000 feet, through scorching desert valleys and over frigid mountaintops. The 2006 Cannonball was an epic journey and this ride certainly will be no less.

Hopefully the weather will be as good as one could hope for, but I won't be a bit surprised to see some inclement conditions along the way. I am very glad to hear that tropical depression Hannah has dissipated over the Atlantic and now poses no threat. At the moment, Ike is throwing a weak punch at western Cuba, and then will meander across the Gulf, reaching the coast of Texas by Saturday. Hopefully we'll be far enough north of that storm going through Colorado, Kansas and Mississippi, that we'll miss it when it reaches the US. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed, but I have my rainsuit and wet bag ready to go in the event they're needed.

I still have a good bit of organizing and packing to do, Wednesday will be very busy for me. Tuesday evening I'll be taking care of the last few things I need to do on my bike, then making a quick stop at the pub for a bite and a pint, then head home to prepare to leave for San Francisco the next day. Wish me luck and safe travels, without any deer, turkeys (either aviary or human), jackrabbits, jackasses (either equine or human), wash outs, wipeouts, road closures, snowstorms, low sides, high sides, or any other adverse encounters during my journey. As always, I plan to ride safely out there and be as prepared as possible for whatever may come throughout the journey.

I'm fully confident in my bike and I am really looking forward to this ride. Some roads will be very challenging and demanding, but others will be absolutely stunningly beautiful and breathtaking. That's what makes the Cannonball both a grueling and amazing ride that forces you out of your comfort zone and rewards you with the thrill of the experiences and adventures you have along the way.

The thing that I enjoyed the most about the last Cannonball was the sense of freedom I felt while riding through the wide open spaces of this magnificent land. To some people, the song "America the Beautiful" may just be a bunch of words, but I've seen it with my own eyes, I've been surrounded by it, in all its glory. There is so much awe-inspiring scenery throughout this country, most people have no idea - and what I've seen of it has barely even scratched the surface! I love to see how different the geology is in different parts of the country. So far, my favorite has been western Wyoming, although Utah was pretty amazing too. This time we'll be going through Utah and Colorado, so there will undoubtedly be some incredible sights along our route on days 3 and 4.

I'll post more updates as I have the opportunity, at least once per day. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, here are a few shots of my bike, all ready for the ride: