Just the FACTS...

Start date: July 1, 2017
End date: July 28, 2017
Total Miles: 5,776
Total Days: 28
Days on bike: 24
Most consecutive days on the bike: 18
Rest days: 3 home/1 Bend, OR
Number of States: 13
Flat tires: 3- all rear; 2 Georgia, 1 Oklahoma
Tire changes: 2 rear; 1 front
Tubes: 6
Oil changes: 2
Fuel consumed: 116 gallons
Brake pads: 1 set front, 1 set rear
Zip ties used: 30
Crashes: 3
Most miles in a day: 370
Shortest day: day 6, 120 miles
Nights in tent: 9
TV interviews: 3
Radio station interviews: 6

The End! Day 28!!!

On the 28th day I reach the Pacific Ocean.  It is hard to believe that the CAOD ride is complete.  What an adventure!  The people I have met along the way will be with me forever.  This adventure had a purpose, and that is to help our Wounded Heroes.  It has been an honor to help those who have served our country.

Although the ride is over, helping our Wounded Heroes continues.  www.crossingamericaondirt.com remains active, please make a donation today.  The goal is $50,000 and we are sooooo close!

Thank you for riding along on this once in a life time adventure!

A special thank you goes out to Susan Richards, Sue Pyles and Amanda Reese.  You helped me make this adventure possible and I am forever in your debt.  You all ROCK!

Oregon Mountains..day 27. Dead end and low fuel.

The end of the ride is getting close!  After a wonderful rest day in Bend, OR, it is time to press on.  The OR high country offers spectacular mountain top views and challenging rides.  My bride met up with me in Canyonville after a road closure and I ran out of fuel....my auxiliary tank did not feed into the main tank.  I had to siphon fuel from the aux tank to the main tank.  After a good dinner at the Casino, my bride scored big at the slot machine!!!

Getting high (in elevation) in Oregon....Day 25.

Great day of riding, cool temps in the mountains, brutal heat in the valleys.   Made it to Bend where I met up with my Bride.  First stop in Bend is Giant Loop HQ.  Met Mr. and Mrs Giant Loop and the GL Team.  Giant Loop has been a great sponsor of the CAOD trip.  The GL Team consulted with me to determine the best gear and it worked perfect!  My gear was dry and safe through torrential rain, mud, 3 crashes and a lot of rough riding.  If your riding for the day, week, month or RTW, Giant Loop is the gear for you?  #giantloopmoto

24th Day...Day at the Spa for the Steed and 200 miles.

What a productive spa day for the Steed; new tubes, tires, new brake pads, fresh oil, clean air filter, chain and replacing a few missing nuts and bolts.  After the spa treatment, I rode 200 miles to John Day post rain shower.

Day 23, Camping, Sawtooth Mountains....and a long re-route.

Day 23 ended up being a long day due to a 121 mile re-route caused by a landslide.  Great camping and a lot of dust.

Wounded Warrior Project Spotlight - Thanks for your Generosity

Thanks to the generosity of the American public, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) provides free programs and services to address the needs of wounded warriors and fill gaps in government care. The demand for WWP programs and services has grown from serving a handful of injured veterans to now serving tens of thousands, and they continue to receive hundreds of new registrations from injured veterans, their families, and caregivers each month.

The purpose of Crossing America On Dirt is to raise awareness and donations to help support America's wounded military men and women through WWP. My motorcycle trek will be ending soon, but the plight and the needs of our wounded warriors will continue. Please find it in your heart to help them all you can - through your DONATIONS or by volunteering your time to those in need.

These Wounded Warrior Members found support and recovery programs through WWP.

You can read more about their stories by clicking HERE.

Hello Idaho...from the plains to the mountains in one day.

Departing from my home visit, back on the trail to conquer ID and OR.  It was a long day, riding nearly 370 miles to camp 20 miles outside of Sun Valley, ID.  Great day!

Please click the donate now button to help me help our wounded heroes!  Thank you for the support!

R&R = rest and repair. Day 19-21

After 18 consecutive days on the motorcycle and 20 days away from my family I finally made it home.  It was great to spend time with my loved ones.  I also gave the Steed some love as well.  It needed a thorough cleaning after Colorado and Utah BDR trails.

Please follow me on Facebook and Instagram as well as refer me to your friends.  Donations are going well, I am 74% of the goal ($37,077) as of today.  Thank you for the support.

Total Amount Raised

Thank you one and all for your generous donations. No amount is too large or too small. 

>>>PLEASE DONATE<<<

18 days and 4,200 miles behind me.

What a ride it has been....it is surreal that I have 1,400 miles in front of me.  Please take the time to click on the 'Donate Now' button to help me help our wounded heroes.  The ride has a purpose, it is to serve those who have served our great Nation.

Saturday morning the ride continues.

18.2 is all riding.

This is all riding, no narration.  Central UT mountains rising up from the desert floor.  Great riding and I end at my house.  It is great to see the family after 20 days!

Back in Utah day 18.1

Leaving Moab, riding the Utah Backroads Discovery Route (UTBDR) to my home in Salt Lake City.  Its been 20 days since the last time I saw my family.  Anxious to get home.  I will stay home to rehabilitate my knees and fix the motorcycle before departing Saturday morning to conquer ID and OR.  18.1 is riding the desert floor to Wellington, then start the ascend into the mountains.  18.2 will be the mountain portion.

Day 17.2 to Moab....

This is the 120 mile stretch, entering Utah and landing in Moab.  We crossed the LaSal mountains in the rain and mud.  

Riding Ophir Pass on Day 17.1

Day 17 was a treacherous descend from Ophir Pass.  The most dangerous of the entire ride.  There will be a 17.2 for the ride to Moab, UT.

Day 16.3...final descend into Ouray, CO. Last vlog for day 16.

Final descend into Ouray, CO.  It's dry but dangerous drop offs....

Day16.2; Engineer Pass.

Ascending Engineer Pass and peak descend in the rain!  GREAT views!

Wounded Warrior Project Spotlight - It Takes a Nation

“It takes a nation to build an army. It also takes a nation to welcome that army home and provide care and support when they return,” said Jack Hammond, executive director at Home Base, a Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Program. Home Base is part of Warrior Care Network®, an innovative partnership between Wounded Warrior Project, four top academic medical centers, and VA. Warrior Care Network offers intense outpatient programs that provide more than 70 hours of clinical therapy in two to three weeks.
You can help be part of the nation that helps get our wounded heroes back on their feet. Donate Now.

Day 16,1. Fun in the Rockies.

Day 16-18 are long days with great scenery and riding.  It may take 2-3 vlogs per day, at 10 mins each.  There is a lot to see and worth every minute.

Day 15, Hello Colorado

Day 15 was a long day.  Decided to ride asphalt through NM to give my knee time to recover after a long night of rain in OK and NM.  Colorado was awesome!  Great views, rain, mud, dust...CO had it all on the first day.

Day 14, Flat Tire, Rain, Mud, Good Bye Oklahoma.

Day 14 was a good day, and a full day of adventure.  After a long day I reached the board and spent the night at the Great Plains Bunkhouse.  Great place for TAT riders to stop over or spend the night.

Day 13, crash #2

Sorry I'm running behind on the updates.  Day 13 was a hot day with a great stop in Shidler, OK.

Have a GREAT Monday!

Day 12, rode extra 135 miles due to route error! Hello OK!

Enjoy the long vlog!  It was a looooong day and night.

Sorry I'm running a few days behind posting.  Spotty internet service in the middle of nowhere.

Total Raised for Wounded Warrior Project!

To DONATE NOW CLICK HERE!

Remember to buy your RAFFLE TICKET HERE for a chance to win this Patriotic KLIM Helmet. Proceeds go to Wounded Warrior Project.

KNWA Television Interview

If you haven't see the KNWA NBC Interview, here it is.

Day 11, AWESOME riding in the Ozark National Forest, plus a bear, bobcat and turkey sighting.

Day 11 was packed with great riding.  Then I went off trail to Fayetteville, AR to see good friends and drop off the Steed at the KTM dealer for fresh oil and a new rear tire.

Wounded Warrior Project - Why Your Donation Matters

As of July 1, 2017 Wounded Warrior Project serves 103,942 Alumni and 24,190 family members. For WWP there is a difference between members and alumni; the term alumni indicates a mutual shared experience and denotes your place in an organization was earned. There are no dues since they were already paid by wearing the uniform on the battlefield.

Due to advancement in battlefield medicine and body armor, the number of soldiers that survive horrific injuries and endure unspeakable situations have increased dramatically. Our nations' military heroes are coming home without arms and leg, with debilitating brain injuries, and the majority with such sever post traumatic stress that they cannot return to their old life. They suffer - their families suffer!

One of the hardest tasks is to know where to get the help they need for the myriad of physical and emotional issues they struggle with. And help is needed! Loneliness is real. Fear of crowds and loud noises is real. Financial burdens are real. Divorce is real. Suicide is real....

Wounded Warrior Project is the hand extended to encourage our warriors to keep striving for the new normal. Every Dollar You DONATE through this website will go directly to help our wounded military men and women have the support they need to achieve new triumphs. Please GIVE!

Taking a break in Fayetteville Arkansas

It was nice to take a break in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Steed spent come quality time at the Freedom Power Sports shop while I enjoyed the hospitality of Bill Locke and the Admiral Moving Team. Thank you one and all!

Hello Arkansas, and mud! Day 10

Day 10 had a lot of mud in the beginning, then turned into long, straight country roads.  I passed out a lot of CAOD stickers at my fuel stops.  The bike attracts attentions.  I stayed in Clinton, AR for the night.

Day 9, Good bye Mississippi in 1 Day....

- Rode 330 miles.
- 10 hrs in the saddle
- 3 bridge closures

Day 8, Flats and Blessings

Day 8 was the toughest so far...kickstand up at 6:30 AM, 100 miles behind me before 11 AM, then 2 rear flats on top of riding over 240 miles,  The good news, it was a dry day and the Steed was blessed!

 

Total Raised for WWP

To DONATE NOW CLICK HERE!

Remember to buy your RAFFLE TICKET HERE for a chance to win this Patriotic KLIM Helmet. Proceeds go to Wounded Warrior Project.

American Pride...Day 7

Day 7 stats:
- Rode 268 miles
- Red clay mud
- Rode Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee
- Met awesome people!


After helping our wounded warriors, the next best part of this trip is the people I meet along the way. Today was no different, meeting Penny, Kent and Rachell at the Cornerstone Restaurant.   American pride in our Soldiers and Veterans is alive and well.  

Enjoy today's vlog.

Monsoon Rain!- Day 6

After a short day due to monsoon rains, and another night in a hotel,  I don't  know if I should review my routes or start pairing up animals for an ARK.

Day 5 Wrap up...wet day 6 ahead

First day on the official Trans America Trail-wild day!

Stats:
- rode 162 miles, most of it dirts
- completed 5.5 sections of Tennessee's 21sections (770 miles total in TN)
- 1 crash
- 4 creek crossings
- 1 torrential thunderstorm
- 1 very long vlog...10 mins!

There is a lot in this vlog, I will leave a narrative tomorrow.

You will see pics of Tammy in the vlog.  This was a great meeting.  When I pulled up to this tiny road side motel in the middle of the forest to grab an ice tea, this lady sitting on the bench goes, are you the guy riding across America for the soldiers?  When I reply yes, her face lit up.  She has been following my journey with her friend Hines, who suffers from PTSD.  Tammy shared that she lost a daughter in the military as well, so she has a lot of interest in people helping our Veterans.  The World can be a small place, what a coincidence that Tammy would be sitting outside when I rode in.  

Also want to thank Sam Correro again for his support and for mapping out this awesome Trans America Trail!

Wounded Warrior Project Spotlight - Get Moving Again

One of the major challenges wounded veterans face when returning to civilian life is maintaining a

healthy and active lifestyle. That is why Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) hosts physical health and wellness expos and opportunities around the nation, not just to get warriors moving again but to connect with other local warriors who share their life experiences.

"Crossing America On Dirt" is at the heart of moving - riding a motorcycle coast to coast to raise awareness and donations to support WWP and the many programs available to our nation's wounded heroes. To show your support DONATE by CLICKING HERE.

I am a Dragon Slayer...Day 4

Great day of riding, of course with a few hours of rain.  My day started with a visit from a friend and fellow UGI Board Member, Barry Vaughn.  Barry and his wife have a summer home 20 minutes from my route.  It was great to chat and see a familiar face.

Day 4 had a lot of curves...Rattler and Tail of the Dragon.  Bucket List check offs!

Wrap up day 3-NC is in the rear-view mirror

Happy Independence Day everyone!  

Riding in North Carolina

Enjoy!  Tennessee is next!

Day 2 is behind me...

After my first WWP Veteran interview with John, who was inspirational to say the least, and a quick pic in front of Fort Bragg, I rode 200 miles.  Long day but one of the best!  Please watch the attached vlog and visit soon to see the full interview with John.

John, his wife Vicky and his life coach James were kind enough to spend time with me at the WWP Fayetteville, NC office.  After 23 years of service, John suffered a brain injury which started severe PTSD.  After the first 1 1/2 years of staying in his house, John saw an ad for WWP and ask Vicky to call.  That was a life altering encounter.  WWP was able to help John change his life.  It was a honor to meet John and his wife Vicky.  I will remember our visit for the rest of my life.  John has come a long way to get where he is today, but he is a great example of courage and persistence.  John was kind enough to make me a few gifts and one of them is a wooden coin.  The coin is made from a baseball bat from OR (my destination) and the star from a retired American flag.  You will hear more about my interview with John later.

I also want to thank James, at such a young age his is making a difference in John's life.  And also thank him for his hospitality as he rode beside me until my departure from Fayetteville.  A motorcyclist's hospitality.

That all for now, I've got to ride!  If all goes well I will ride through the Smoky Mountains today....

CAOD Day 1 is History!

200 Miles later and about 150 left and right turns, with 500% humidity.  Wishing for more dirt!  After the WWP interview tomorrow I will climb in elevation and enjoy some dirt and hopefully camp in the mountains. #TAT #KTM #WoundedWarriorProject

Total Raised for Wounded Warrior

Air

Everyone has to inflate their tires, right?  I've been inflating my tires the same way for decades....obviously like a neanderthal.  The Best Rest Products CyclePump is the bomb!  Why am I so excited about a tire pump...?  It's easy, plugs into the 12V outlet on the bike, inflates fast, it has an inline gauge.  No more removing the pump, checking the PSI then repeat, several times.  You watch the gauge and remove when you reach the desired PSI.  This is the pump of all pumps.  You can tell this pump was designed by a rider.

If you ride, you need this pump.  No matter if your ride dirt or pavement, you need air for those tires!