Touring 2014

With the highs approaching the 50 degree F (10 degree C) mark it is time to start getting serious about the 2014 bicycle touring calender. I am about to be reunited with a great riding companion, my son Tanner who has been on a 2 year mission in Pennsylvania. No time will be wasted, we head for California the day after he arrives home for a bicycle tour of Catalina Island. This April trip promises the sightings of the great American buffalo (Bison) and whale spouts from beautiful vistas and also enjoying some long time coming conversation wile gazing upon the other island scenery. I could taste the Island as I viewed it from afar during and tour not long ago. I have been itching to go ever sense then. You can see it here behind this rock:

Winter tours have been few and short, however the wild life has been abundant with the exception of homosapiens.  Mule deer and wild turkeys seem to be a little less spooky in the winter months.  

I will have a  few local short tours before the Catalina Island trip with a new and youthful group of aspiring bicycle tourists. This is a chance for me to try out some new panniers and a new tent. I put some extra hours of work in this winter and went out and spent a little bit of my spoils. I can be quite frugal. I only spent $50 on some new panniers, $30 on a new tent, and $13 on some new lighting with a bracket ( I am very exited about this. 1600 lumen). I am anxious to see how it all performs and at sometime I may write a review of it all. My old equipment from the 1980s has a lot of memories tied to it and I will probably revert back to it on occasion and even loan it to an interested party. It is still in good shape and the tent is bigger and folds up smaller than the new one. As you can see I am already evaluating and comparing it all.

Happy trails in 2014:

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign!

Watch out for goat heads!

Some of my new touring friends. We made atlatls over the camp fire and we will be touring in a few weeks.