Tdean

So.... would like to do this in 2018. Due to my work schedule, I would have from end of November to mid March. I can't imagine not being home for xmas(6 grandkids), so I am thinking of starting on January 1st. I would really like to go west to east, though not sure why, maybe winds, and it's just the direction I've always pictured. I guess my main concern is getting through/over the mountains, and maybe the cold in the desert. Wouldn't have a firm date I need to be home by, so I could lay low a few days if needed. I would really appreciate hearing from anyone that has done this in roughly that timeline. Or anyone with some helpful input. Thanks.

fietsbob

Stay at low altitude, since it still Snows when you get higher up. so no Grand Canyon, esp North Rim.

indyfabz

Have you read this?:


https://www.adventurecycling.org/res...southern-tier/

Tdean

Indyfabz- good article, if I read it right, the only reason not to start from San Diego on January 1, would be the possibility of snow in the mountains, which would be cleared in a day or two. Or as fietsbob says stay away from higher elevations(not sure how easy that is). Would still love to hear from anyone who has done it starting around Jan 1

mev

My Southern Tier ride was in March (it also snowed but no big deal).

However, there is an annual "San Diego Christmas Ride" that goes up over the coastal mountains, drops down to Salton Sea and then circles back via Hemet and Oceanside. The first days ride up to Pine Valley (up to ~4000ft and then down to 3500ft) and then up over Laguna Mountain (~6000ft) before dropping down into the desert. It leaves December 26th each year. Pine Valley happens to be on Southern Tier (ST). It stays around that altitude before dropping down into the Imperial Valley.

I've done the Christmas ride five times. Typically it would be right around freezing in Pine Valley and 2 of 5 years we had some snow/ice on the Laguna Mountain parts higher up. Based on my experience, I would leave a contingency day or two to wait out weather but otherwise still seems reasonable to cross mountains near San Diego in January. I would anticipate temperatures below freezing some nights and pack appropriately.

Next spot of elevation is New Mexico where the elevation goes over 6000ft near Silver City and then over 8000ft on Emory Pass. Emory Pass can be bypassed if necessary (e.g. via Deming to Las Cruces) but you pretty much need to get to the 6,000ft level to cross continental divide. Here are the climate averages for Silver City: https://weatherspark.com/averages/31...-United-States
Low temperatures typically a little below freezing and ~3% probability of snowfall on a given day in January/February.

So my overall guess is:
- Pack appropriately so you can comfortably deal with ~20F overnight, perhaps 10-20F in a more extreme night (almost all nights will be warmer than this)
- Add a little contingency time for inclement weather. From personal experience that could even be as far as Texas Hill Country that occasionally gets a thin glaze of ice from wet weather that just dips below freezing (I had that January 1st 2015 when I was returning to Austin from a week long tour starting in Brownsville; waited a day and still cold but much better).

staehpj1

A guy we made friends with on the Trans America had done all three major AC coast to coast routes. He suggested that the ST was best done in a February March time frame. So I looked into the factors a bit before doing my ST (San Diego to Pensacola in my case) and decided he was right about starting in February.

I hate hot weather so a mid February thru early March ride allowed me to ride in cool weather. It was pretty nice as long as you don't mid some fairly cold overnight lows with nice cool daytime highs. The very last day of my trip was the only day that I thought got unpleasantly warm. There was frost quite a few nights and once it was 18 F in the morning, but I think it probably hit at least 50 F every day.

There was a little snow (very little) on top of a couple passes, but it wasn't a problem. There could be more, but I was told that the roads generally clear quickly so after a short break you would probably be good to go again if it did snow.

Length of days are short in early winter but by mid February they have lengthened a lot making that a good time to go.

If I were to do the ST again I'd go in February and ride W-E again if starting with a good fitness level. Given that it is pretty hard going early on in the west, if I was to start in poorer shape I'd start in the east and ride myself into shape as the tour progresses.

For what it is worth... I found the ST to be the least desirable route across the US scenery wise. The dry brown landscape barely changes for what seems like forever. There were some pretty places, but they were fewer and further between than on other routes. On the other hand the variety of foods (tex-mex, cajun, barbecue, gulf seafood, and so on) and the preponderance of interesting people to talk to (the route seemed to have a lot of interesting misfits from other places including a lot of Mexicans and quite a few Alaskans). The food and people made up for the scenery to some extent. Also it is the coast to coast route with the least climbing and the only one I'd do in winter.

indyfabz

And the corresponding cold temperatures. If you go for it, definitely pay close attention to the weather. You don't want to be caught at 8,000' when a storm rolls through. Been there, done that a few years ago on a paved portion of the GDMBR in MT. No fun descending for 25+ miles in a combo of rain, snow and sleet, and it wasn't even below 40.


Several years ago, while researching part of a route in MT, I came across the journal of a guy who was heading west on the MT portion of the TransAm in April. Climbing the "hill" between Ennis and Virginia City, which gets up to 7,000+', he got caught in a massive snow storm and was in a bad spot. Fortunately, he was rescued by someone in a pickup truck who drove him down from the mountain and to a campground at lower elevation. Alls I am saying is be prepared.

john_mct

Recently finished my San Diego to Jacksonville ride, started January 16th from SD finished March 11 at the atlantic. Did not follow the Southern Tier route through CA-AZ-NM but instead stayed further south (basically following the last east-west roads north of the Mexico Border to stay at a lower elevation but did ride up to Bisbee in AZ (just above 5k feet). It will mostly depend on weather systems as we caught a cold front through the desert (lows in the low twenties overnight for about a week). Certainly possible just be prepared for cooler nights if you're planning on camping. Also distance between towns can be longer than following the official ST route.

Tdean

A hearty thank you to all who replied. A lot of great points to consider. Think I'm gonna back it up one week, just because. So plan to leave San Diego Jan 7-10. I do need to make a few purchases between now and January, and would be very interested in anybody's gear list as far as clothes are concerned. What would be your go to jacket for that ride/time of year? Layers? Base layer? Thanks again for all replies....

staehpj1

You asked about clothing, but below is my whole list from my 2012 tour. I would carry different stuff today since I have upgraded some items and tweaked my list a bit in recent years, but that list worked out pretty well for me. Individual items that I carry have changed a lot since that trip, but the ones listed are somewhat representative of what I'd carry today.

I don't recommend my list as being a list that others will necessarily find works for them, but I was comfortable with it. I think most folks get cold easier than i do so most might need a bit more warm stuff for the same conditions (frost a lot of nights and a trip low of 18 F).

Still, in general the following worked well for me for a Feb. 12 - Mar. 13 San Diego to Pensacola ST ride.

Toiletries Category total 5.9 oz.
Toothbrush - small travel model
Toothpaste - 2 oz. Sample size tube
Microfiber towel - 1 oz. 12" x 16" Replaces full sized towel
Toilet paper - 0.2 oz. A few sheets
Liquid soap - 2 oz. Baby shampoo, also used for washing dishes and laundry

Shelter and Sleep Category total 3 lb. 8.7 oz.
Bivy - 15 oz. REI Minimalist 1
Mini Tarp - 8 oz. Mountain Laurel Designs Dog Tarp including pole and MSR Needle Stakes
Sleeping bag - 1 lb. 1 oz. Mountain Hardwear Phantom +45
Sleeping bag liner - 4.7 oz. Cocoon silk mummy
Sleeping pad - 12 oz. Thermarest NeoAir (regular)

Cooking & Eating Category total 9.4 oz.
Stove - 2 oz. Pop can stove (with windscreen and pot stand)
Pot - 6 oz. REI Ti Pot 1.7 liter
Utensils - 0.8 oz. Guyot Designs MicroBites
Lighter - 0.4 oz. Bic
Can opener - 0.2 oz. P38

Clothes Category total 4 lb. 4.20 oz.
Bike shorts - 0.0 oz. Weight not counted on the base clothing worn for all riding
Bike socks - 2.0 oz.
Tights - 5.5 oz.
Jersey - 0.0 oz Short sleeved. Weight not counted on the base clothing worn for all riding
Warm shirt - 9.2 oz. Immersion Research Worn on or off the bike
Tee shirt - 4.7 oz. UA Heat Gear Worn off bike
Down vest - 12 oz. Cabelas Used as pillow
Bike hat - 2.5 oz.
Cap - 2 oz. Warm
Rain jacket - 7.5 oz. Sierra Designs Worn on and off bike
Rain pants - 7.5 oz. Sierra Designs Worn on and off bike
Running shorts - 3.9 oz.
Bike shoes 1 pr. Weight not counted on the base clothing worn for all riding
Crocs - 1 pr. 9.4 oz. Crocs knock offs with straps removed Worn off bike

Miscellaneous Category total 3 lb. 13.70 oz.
Lock - 5 oz
Flashlight - 0.25 oz, Pico LED Zipper Light
Knife - 1.9 oz. Leatherman Squirt S4
Sunglasses - 1 oz.
Maps - 4 oz.
Wallet stuff - 0.75 oz.
Sunscreen - 2.oz.
Lip stuff - 0.5 oz.
Insect repellent 1 1 oz.
Camera - 2 lb. 7 oz. Olympus with spare lens, charger, extra memory, case etc.
Water bladder - 1.3 oz. Platypus 2 liter +
Carabiner - 0.6 oz.
Cord - 45' 170# 0.8 oz.

First aid and gear repair Category total 3 oz.
Ibuprofen 6
Benedryl 6
Bandaids a few assorted
Alcohol pads 4
Gauze pads 4
Bactericide 1 Small packet
Steri-strips 1 sheet
Needle and thread 1
Duct tape a few feet

Bags and packing stuff Category total 1 lb. 1.1 oz.
Ultralight backpack - 10 oz. REI Flash 18 Used as main bag on rear rack
Handlebar bag - 4 oz. Home made bracket to hold camera bag and stuffsack Might replace with camera bag and stuff sack (diy bracket)
Stuff sacks - 3.1 oz. various

Gear Total 14 lb. 0 oz.

Bike - 24 lb. Including blinkie light, tool kit, pump, rack, handlebar bag bracket, and bottles and cages 24 lb.

Grand total 38 lb. 0 oz.

The biggest complaint I had was when I got to Louisiana the REI bivy was too hot and sweaty to be in and the mosquitoes were too bad to be out of it.

I take a bigger tarp and a bug bivy for those conditions now. The bigger tarp can still be pretty light and the bug bivy is lighter than the REI bivy. Since then I have used an Integral Designs Siltarp 1 (7 oz) and a Ti Goat Ptarmigan Bug Bivy (5.3) for more comfort and little less weight.

I recently got a Sea2Summit Escapist M 6'6" x 8'6" tarp (12 oz). It is a little heavier, but it is nice to have a bit more coverage when it rains. That means that I can pitch the tarp a lot higher and still have decent protection. With the Siltarp 1 I often had to pitch it very low to keep the rain out.

I now also have a Borah Side zipper ultralight bivy (7 oz) that works out well if I need a bit more wind protection than the bug bivy, so I no longer use the REI bivy. The Borah seems more tolerable in hot weather than the REI, but obviously not as cool as the mesh bug bivy.

So these days I choose between the the two newer tarps and bivies for most trips. If I expect a lot of rain or something I might take a tent, but have not done so in quite a while.

Brian25

It is really going to depend on if you plan on full loaded touring and camping out v.s. credit card touring. (staying at night in warm hotels) Personally, considering your time frame, would find it miserably cold to camp out in January, but that's me. Some people set their tent up on top of snow banks and find it acceptable. I too did the S.D. Christmas trip five times (stayed indoors at night) One time I made the mistake of setting up a tent outside to have a quieter nights sleep. I think I lasted 15/20 minutes, and said "this sucks" (too cold). rolled up the tent and went back inside.

Tourist in MSN

I usually bring a down vest on almost every trip. Packs down to almost nothing and weighs very little, but it is really nice to have if you get a cold snap.

Most people do not carry rain covers for their helmet, but I would not go on a trip without one. I even wear it when it is dry but cold out just to cut the wind off of my head.

BigAura

+1. Mine's 7 ounces and packs to a softball-size. Even in mid-summer, morning temps get cold at altitude, very comfy to have.

gpsblake

Nights can be extremely cold in New Mexico and Texas during the winter. Just look at the RECORD LOWS, not the average lows. It's the record lows you have to be prepared for.

Van Horn, Texas is an example. Average winter low is 28. The Record low is -7F. Then throw in the wind. And if it is raining or snowing, that makes it much harder.

Having access to a hotel room nightly will greatly increase your pleasure doing the Southern Tier in winter.

john_mct

Things that I found indispensable in terms of enjoying the winter temps:

-Waterproof neoprene socks, used instead of shoe covers for cold morning starts and to keep my feet warm in the evenings setting up camp etc.
-An insulated air pad...I didn't have one and froze my back on a few occasions until I figured out how to put my whole sleeping kit into my space blanket bivy...but just get an insulated pad, they work wonders.
-Cheap chemical hand warmers...can be bought just about everywhere, throw one in your bag an two hours before you plan to turn in and then activate another when you crawl in, one at the feet and one near your core should keep rolling all night. be aware some are duds.
-Fingerless gloves, preferably wool. Makes doing things around camp easy but your hands stay warm.
-Esbit fuel tabs...I had an esbit stove so had these on hand for cooking, also makes fire starting much much easier.
-Full zip down jacket with sleeves...forget the vest, the sleeves don't add that much weight or bulk but will keep you way warmer. When folded up and stuffed into a buff it makes a passable pillow.
-Merino Long underwear..basically lived in these when off the bike, light enough to sleep in and provide just enough extra warmth under light softshell pants to wear around camp at night and in the morning.
-TWO hats, one to wear while riding and one to pull on in the evening, the one you ride in will inevitably be damp from sweat and not be very warm that night. once again, merino wool is good.

Some other observations. Daylight hours are SHORT with a winter start, expect sunrise after 8 and setting behind nearby mountains around 5. This is the main drawback I saw, because in the desert southwest, when the sun goes bye bye the temps plummet immediately...also finding an appropriate camp spot and setting up in the dark when it's already cold and you're sweaty really kind of sucks. Also, crawling out of the tent at the coldest part of the night (pre-dawn) and breaking down a frozen tent in the dark to get an early start also sucks...unless you're a hard core pre-dawn person (we were decidedly not). This leaves not a lot of time for taking breaks during the day time if you are in a hurry to cover ground (many times you have to be if you want to get to the next town before everything closes as the towns out west are far apart).

mev

If I'm in a area at record lows for the entire month over the past 100+ years of record keeping, I'll find a spot to wait it out until it passes.

Rather than either averages or records - I tend to look at the 90th percentile shown on a web site like weatherspark.com. It shows an average just below 30F and a 90th percentile just above 20F. So I carry enough to be comfortable to 20F or just slightly less. If it gets to point of breaking that -7F record, I'll wait it out instead.

john_mct

Purely anecdotal, but I think the day we rolled into Van Horn was the first day on the trip we went shirtless for a few hours mid-day in late January

staehpj1

Prepared for in the sense of not dying or losing limbs. I definitely would't worry about taking gear and clothing for being comfortable at -7F.

Tdean

Trip is about 6 months out, so I thought it might be a good time to revisit this post. I got a lot of really good input so far, but always looking for more. I am gonna back it up til about January 15-17. Can't go any later, but concerned more about length of days more than cold temps. Thanks for any advise.

Kwmets78

TDean - you on the road? If so, I hope it's been nice. I'm planning on launching from St Augustine 2/26/18. Perhaps we'll pass wheels....

Tdean

Hey Mets, thanks for asking, started 1/5 in San Diego, am in Austin today, feel good about my progress. I am a newbie, so nothing to compare it to, but for as nervous as I was, every thing seems to work out. Hopefully you have the same winds I’ve had. About ten days now of steady 4-12 mph out of the east. But then again, met a guy(Joey Hannah) going the other way in Az. And he was grousing about the wind.... so(haha) who knows? Soooo glad I pulled the trigger on this, missing my family big time, but a few more weeks....best of luck, stay in touch...

mrveloman

Sounds like you're enjoying your trip. Don't know your plans but Mardi Gras in New Orleans (and Mobile) is February 13th. Celebrations already underway so you might want to consider a side trip to check it out since you should be in the area soon.

As the Cajuns say "Laissez le bon temps rouler"

Kwmets78

Awesome, awesome to hear. I remember those nerves very well on my first two (much shorter) solo tours, and will no doubt start them building here shortly. Unfortunately I'll have to push back my start by a week or so due to a family medical event .
Glad that's it's working as well (or better, perhaps?) as you'd hoped! Question for you: what was the"thorn" situation out west like? I'm an East coaster and have never had the misfortune of meeting a goathead thorn, but the thought of them littering the roadside has got me shook! Not sure if I should put in tire liners and/or thick tubes or not. Wondering how your tires fared out there.
Thanks for any input and HAPPY PEDALING!!!
-Kevin

PS: are you posting a blog/journal anywhere?

Cheers!

Tdean

Hey Kevin- knock on wood, but no flats yet, and as I write this I’m a day and a half from Louisiana. I’ve stayed in quite a few pretty seedy motels along the way, and there for a while I was seeing them in the carpet most nights, but not on the roads. And no, sorry, no blog. My son created an Instagram account for me, and is posting “select” photos as I send them home