Biking Brian’s Blog
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Bike Across USA Trip 2001
In the summer of 2001 I completed a 4000 mile bicycle tour across the United States. This was a solo tour without a support vehicle, carrying all of my gear on the bicycle. (Nowadays, this is typically called “bikepacking”, but it used to be called “touring”. I prefer this change, as the word “touring” was…
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Bikepacking Reports
Welcome to my post with all of the self-contained, multi-day bikepacking rides I’ve done. Year Trip Days Miles 2014 USA – Washington – Port Angeles, WA to Astoria, OR 8 459 2013 USA – Oregon – Astoria, OR to Crescent City, CA 6 410 2011 USA – California (North Coast) – Crescent City to San…
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Un-retiring from Chess, Twenty Years Later!
(April 2022 – My thinking on this has evolved quite a bit since I first wrote this in June 2015 – someday I will update, but right now it reads as I originally wrote it.) I haven’t spoken much here about my past life as a tournament chess player. To sum up my prior post…
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The Rise and Retirement of a Chess Master
(April 2022 – My thinking on this has evolved quite a bit since I first wrote this in August 2011- someday I will update, but right now it reads as I originally wrote it.) I don’t recall exactly how I learned to move the chess pieces. Given that I lived in a small suburb on…
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Bikepacking Gear List
Here’s my updated bikepacking gear list. Items in italics are deleted for a light trip. Camping items are deleted for hotel/motel bikepacking, and even when camping I’ve given up on cooking at camp (though I’ve reconsidered the latter in some circumstances). Bike and stuff attached to it Handlebar bag (stuff I like to get to…
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Photos from Tahkenitch Dunes Trail in Oregon
On another forum, Raina mentioned her run on the Tahkenitch Lakes Trail in Oregon earlier today. What a coincidence, this was an area where Clint and I made a pit stop and did a hike during my Oregon Coast bicycle tour! I shared a few photos on my Day 4 writeup, but there’s no better time than the…
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Post Washington Coast Bike Tour Wrap-Up
One final recap post from my bike trip two weeks a month ago: Video from Hurricane Ridge Travel Home Result of Amtrak Bike Shipping Routing Options Through Washington 24 Hours in Canada – Cross Border Logistics Pacific Coast Bike Touring Recommendations Future Bike Touring Plans
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Day 8: Astoria OR, 53 miles
Today’s route Once again, I got an early start. Since this was my last day, it was best to cook the last cup of noodles for breakfast and use up all my remaining stove fuel in the process. I had already used up my Bic lighter, but luckily the folks in the adjacent campsite had…
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Day 7: Bay Center, 53 miles
Today’s route Just after I sent out yesterday’s update, Martin returned to camp. He started in Vancouver and is headed to San Francisco. He got some advice from his Vancouver friend to take the train out as far as he could and then start riding from there. (Why didn’t my Vancouver friends tell me that?…
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Day 6: Westport, 63 miles
Today’s route I started off the day with a short morning run along the lakeside trail. One of my friends asked me how I can still run even on a bike trip like this. I said it’s easy – the birds wake me up at 5, I finally roll out of my sleeping bag at…
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Day 5: Quinault Lake, 62 miles
Today’s route Once again I woke up early at first light. I packed up and went to the registration/gift shop/restaurant/etc. shack. There’s a long winded sign on the front door which basically says “we’ll open whenever the heck we feel like it.”
Got any book recommendations?
BikingBrian 