Share our past journey of Phase 1 
After about 3500 km on the road and 27'500 m in elevation change we reached Beulah, CO on July 22nd 2023. 
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Phase 2 - Check out our itinerary! 
We unfortunately had to postpone this phase - Start TBD!

Intro:
Wir haben alle Texte nur auf Englisch verfasst. Wenn du diese Seiten lieber auf Deutsch oder gar Französisch lesen möchtest, ist es recht einfach, die gesamten Seiten mittels Eingabe der URL in Google Translator zu übersetzen.
​We are doing this Website in English only, sorry. If you would like to read everything in German or even French, it is easy to translate the whole site with Google Translator.

​WHO ?

We are a couple, Cornelia (61) and Rolf (62), from Vordemwald, Switzerland.  Our first major bikepacking trip was almost 40 years ago, when we were students. We had no money, but a couple of old bikes and a summer break.
Between raising kids and work, there was little time to do much bikepacking since. When the kids grew up and started to move out, and we realized that we had to be active to remain in shape, we rediscovered our love for cycling, particularly mountain biking.
We have been doing around 2000 miles/3200 km and 265,000'/80'000 meter elevation a year for the past years. Prior to Phase 1we trained a bit more intensively with our gravel bikes. After finishing Phase 1 and having time to recover and do other projects, we think with a refresher training we should have a shot at also finishing Phase 2 and  making it all the way across...

WHY?

We have had a special connection to the U.S. for the past 40 years, and we even lived in California for a while. We have also crossed the U.S. by plane and by car. We have had great times, have met many extraordinary people, and have made special friends all over the U.S. This tour feels just like a natural next step to meet America, its scenery and its people, just in a different way: on a bicycle at12 mph or less... 

You will not find us in a gym. We love being in motion, on a bike and exercising outside. It just feels great to 'roll', move and experience the wind, the smells and the sounds. At our own pace, with our own muscles and based on our own schedule.  

We have seen many major cities in the U.S. We enjoy the rhythm of L.A., New York, Chicago or D.C. , but we love the natural wonders of the U.S. even more. The majestic Grand Canyon, the wildlife of the Rockies, the fall colors of Vermont, Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Black Hills or the Great Lakes. The small selection of pictures you see on the right were taken in different U.S. regions and shows just a glimpse of nature's wonders in the U.S.

The TransAmerica Trail is perfect to see beautiful and spectacular coast lines, rivers, forests, fields, hills and mountains along the route.

​Last but not least, thanks to our recent early retirement, we now have the physical fitness (hopefully) AND the time to tackle the roughly 4500 miles from coast to coast. 
So, overall ... Why shouldn't we do this?!

HOW?

​After some research we decided to cross the U.S. in Phase 1 on the traditional TransAmerica Trail that was established for the Bicentennial celebration in 1976,  and use a more nothern route on Phase 2, using other Adventure Cycling Association trails and 'Rails to Trails' sections like the KATY Trail. All sections are well established with accomodations, you can find bike repair shops on the way, there are great maps from the Adventure Cycling Association (paper and gps).
We have a maximum 90 days with our tourist visa (ESTA), and because we do not want to just hurry across, we set up a unique itinerary with 2 phases going from West to East. 
Phase 1- Summer 2023 - from Astoria, OR to Beulah, CO. 
Phase 2 - Late Summer/Fall 2025 from Beulah, CO to Yorktown, VA.
Beulah is a small town in Colorado where we have had great friends for years and have 'always' had a place to stay. It is also pretty much halfway through the trail, just a few miles from the official route that runs through Pueblo CO. So what better idea, than to travel eastward from Astoria to Beulah in Phase 1, and start in Beulah for the second half to Yorktown, to make a complete crossing.
​You find more information on the HOW with regards to equipment (bikes, tent, trailer, etc.) in our 'Ressources' section. 

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WHEN?

Due to the elevation and the winters in the Rockies, the likely summer heat of the plains, other local weather conditions, the operating hours of parks and campsites, and our visa restriction (ESTA) we decided to target June, July 2023 for Phase 1 and September, October 2025 for Phase 2 (we had other projects for 2024...) .
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We planned daily trips between 80 and 125km, depending on accommodation options, passes and road conditions, and we inserted 'Break Days' as needed and possible. 

After the completion of Phase 1 our planning was pretty good and reliable. Our daily trips worked out perfectly, there was no stress and time to recuperate, and we ended up only a couple of days behind our original planning. Let's see how Phase 2 works out!