Originally Posted by pdlamb

Weatherwise, I'd expect starting the EE in June might be roughly comparable to starting the TransAm a couple weeks earlier, since you'll be about one state further north crossing the plains.

I'm not sure you're going to miss the steepness of the southern Appalachians by crossing the ridges of New York or Pennsylvania. I suspect that will be a wash, as well. You may miss the Ozark climbing experience, so that may be a plus for your proposed route over the TA.

After riding across Kansas and the eastern half of Colorado on the TA, the Rockies were something for me to look forward to. And they didn't disappoint. Despite the total feet and altitude of climbing to Hoosier Pass, it wasn't bad climbing, max'ing out at only 6% or so. I was ready to climb by the time we got there. And the scenery from South Park up to Walden was really tremendous. Looking back, I'd hate to have missed it.

After riding across the endless soybean and corn fields of the midwest, and the wheat, corn, and sunflower fields of the Nebraska plains, are you sure you want to miss seeing some mountains? You'll still have half the width of Wyoming to see flattish high plains before you make it to the Absorkas and Tetons.

Some people are entranced by the prairies. I'll admit to being interested by them for a few hours, but not a few weeks. Given my preference, I'd be split between following the L&C up to the new Peaks, Parks, and Prairies route (let's see what the Bighorn Mountains look like from the ground!) and taking the connector to the TransAm at Eureka.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you keep a good journal or travel diary. "Good" in this context means writing a few paragraphs or more almost every day, and if you post pretty pictures to a blog, give every picture a caption to explain why you posted it. It helps the folks back home understand a bit of what you're experiencing, and it's a record for years later when you look at a naked picture and ask, "Why did I take that shot?"