It's summer and I don't like to ride until it's so hot I can swim inside my Aerostitch Roadcrafter, so here I go.

This year I felt like I could only comfortably manage a week away so I signed up for my first-ever rally. It's basically a scavenger hunt on two wheels.

About a month ago, organizers sent out a list of 110 federal recreation sites -- national parks, scenic trails, scenic rivers, national monuments, and so forth. Those locations are scattered from Alaska to California to Florida to Maine. Each of these locations issues a "cancellation stamp" that looks just those cancellation stamps in the upper right-hand corner of your mail. Each stamp bears identifying information -- the name of the park or such.

We will meet in Kansas City for BBQ at 4 p.m. Saturday, July 31.At about 5:30 we will be given four score sheets. On those sheets will be the names of the 110 locations with a blank space beside each.
Each of the 110 locations will be worth points, the number of points will vary from location to location, depending on what we'll call degree of difficulty. An Alaska cancellation stamp will be worth more points than one beside an interstate highway 50 miles from Kansas City.

Rules say qualifying finishers will collect points (cancellation stamps) from locations in at least nine states before we meet again to add up points -- this time we'll meet in Colorado Springs on August 6. Riders who fail to show by 6 p.m. that date or who fail to collect points in at least nine states will be disqualified. Important to note the visitor center at these parks don't stay open around the clock. Some open as early as 7:30, some not until 9. And they all close by 6. So points are available only during those business hours.

Because of the hours the parks are open we'll generally ride from our last point of the day to, or close to, the location of the next day's first stop. Headlights and auxiliary lights will be useful.

I'm in. I'll be accompanied by Vernon Thornton, a Tyler rider who is not actually registered for the rally -- he just wants to ride motorbikes and sleep in a tent.

Our route will take us about 4500 miles around the west and Pacific Northwest. Throw in the miles from home to KC and the miles from Colorado Springs back to East Texas and we'll be riding about 6,000 miles in 8 days. Ok, 8 and a piece of the ninth -- we're leaving Friday after work to get part way to KC.

The blog post below includes a link to my SpotWalla map.If I remember to turn it on each day, you should be able to follow our progress.

More later.