Hello friends. In this first edition of Field Notes, I’m pleased to announce that in May, my boyfriend, George, and I will be embarking on a bicycle trip across the USA!
Following various bicycle routes mapped out by the Adventure Cycling Association, we will be leaving from Seattle and pedaling eastward through 14 states, with the ultimate destination being Bar Harbor, Maine. We will pass through parts of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and finally, Maine. The total distance will be at least 4,500 miles and we estimate that the journey will take about four months.
While we’d like to think everything is going to be wonderful, I admittedly have a few fears about the journey. There is, of course, an ever present fear of getting flattened by an automobile. I’m also particularly concerned about getting mauled by a bear. Then there are weather concerns, like getting snowed on in the Cascades, being swept up by a tornado while crossing the plains, getting struck by lightning, or taking way too long and getting snowed on again in Maine in the fall.
Rather than dwelling on these concerns, we are spending time packing our panniers with the right gear for the journey; everything being as tiny and light-weight as physically possible. For me, that means transitioning from maximalist camera equipment—a couple of dSLRs with gigantic lenses—to minimal. I’ll be bringing a compact digital camera, a point-and-shoot 35mm camera, and my iPhone. In my next report, I’ll elaborate more on my cameras and the other items we are packing for the adventure.
In the meantime, you can subscribe to read Field Notes if you are interested in following along on our trans-continental bicycle journey and my adventures in photography.
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