2017 TAT planning

I would like to ride the TAT in 2017.
Any inmates planning to go? I would like to find riders to maybe ride together.
I live in Florida, and dont really know which is the best time to ride the TAT.

Good luck to you on prepping for this adventure!

The TAT is in my future as well -- I just need to decide if I give my XT250 to RaceTech, Cogent Dynamics, or other competent bike-smith to enhance the suspension. That, or splurge on a new motorcycle (that will be dropped, dunked, and dragged across the continent...).

Also, there appears to be a "game on" trail navigation approach once riders get on the trail and start making daily/hourly decisions -- so I'll attempt to educate myself on the route and its various options/alternatives.

What will you use for navigation? The $300 map set, Roll Charts, and/or GPS?

Trip planning myself. Hoping for a father son trip 2017. Have you seen the gps kevin site. His offering was for TAT on micro sd card. I like that option as I am not real base camp savy.

I still need to finish the section Moab to Port Orford. I have done the rest (skipping OK).
I made it to Moab Labor Day this year. My tentative plan is to ship the 690 to Moab and pick it up from there. Probably around Labor day again. The weather is perfect that time of year.
I will be following this to see when folks are going.

The weather conditions are a serious consideration when riding the TAT. Some things to consider:
- When we rode the TAT in 2015, it was snowing and very cold and foggy in the Oregon Mountains in the second week of September.
- The passes on the TAT in the Rockies where open near the end of June but some of the other passes on the Alpine Loop aren't open until early July.
- The heat coming in to Utah in July and August is pretty brutal.
- If it rains much, some parts of the TAT are just going to be impassable due to mud so be prepared to go around those.

We left on the trip in mid-June and had no trouble making it to Moab other than the flooding in Mississippi from a named storm. We left the bikes in Utah at the end of June and came back and finished the trip from Moab to Port Orford in September. If I did it again, I'd still break the trip at Moab but I would have started earlier - say, last week of August - to start the second half.

Planning & getting ready is almost 1/3rd of the adventure. Which route? GPS, roll chart? bike prep? what to bring? when to go? how long to take? There are hundreds of Ride Reports of people doing the TAT on everything from Harley Davidsons with sidecars, to Honda Trail 90's, and everything in between. Read as many of these Ride Reports as you can stand and gleam from them what you feel is important to you.

When you go and weather are the biggest variables. Once you start there isn't much you can do about the weather except for being prepared to alter your route if needed. Too early in the spring and you could have issues with upper elevation passes still being snowed in. Go too late in the Summer and you get into what they call "Monsoon" season with thunder storms every day turning the route into an impassible muddy quagmire. The problem is that no one can predict the weather more than a month in advance at best.

This brings to mind that you should determine your actual goals for doing the TAT. Are you bound determined to follow the exact route, or are you cool with following the basic route while enjoying the different terrain the country has to offer?

glean.

Regards.

I stand corrected!

Yes, and I have been to two websites (Sam and Kevin's trail contributions) -- and as of now I'm planning to begin at the gpsKevin Hatteras starting point and use the microSD cards to give my planning structure as I head West to Oregon (NOT Los Angeles).

The red, blue, and green trails make sense for adaptive planning; and if truth be told, I don't want to waste a lot of time and resources trailblazing across the continent on dirt paths to nowhere...

I'm still trying to decide on a start window -- it tentatively looks like late July to early August.

I look forward to seeing others riding the TAT as my journey unfolds!

Considering the same ride for this coming summer. Flexible schedule. I'm located down in Fort Myers. I usually right solo. I am however, a complete Greenhorn at off-road and having somebody along to bail my sorry ass out of trouble might be a good idea. PM me if you want to discuss.

I (too) am considering a TAT Adventure in 2017. Departure time is flexible although Summer months seem the most plausible. I live in the Atlanta area. If you are interested, PM me and we can discuss.

Regards,

R..

Do you have a whole month, bc I only have like 12 days the most..

I am looking to do it also this summer,I live in Huntsville,al can pickup the trail somewhere around Pulaski,Tn. are around Corrinth ,Ms.I also am on about a 10 to 12 day window.

what bikes are you guys planning to ride? i may be giving it a shot on my 14 1200gsa and would not fit in with a group of 250ish fast and light rockets. I'm looking for more of a slow and steady paced ride around that same time frame.

I am going to be on my KLR650, no rocket to start with and definitely not with me on it

2003 DRZ400S, but what months should be good; also how we come back home riding interstates??

I plan on riding from NY to Utah late July, then shipping the bike back home. Was planning on doing the white rim trail , but if its too hot then I'll check out some of the Utah BDR. Planning to end in SLC , since that seems like an easy place to ship the bike and catch a flight.

I live in Charlotte, NC and planning to do partial TAT this Summer. I can probably take week and a half (10 days total) at best. Let me know if anyone nearby is interested. I have the KevinGPS tracks and maps but probably will buy Sam's since I read that many of the KevinGPS is not as accurate. Not sure. Planning to ride my Husky 650 DS.

Jon

Jon, I live just south of Sanford, NC so we are not neighbors but not all that far. I am considering giving the TAT a go next summer on my 14 1200GSA. Its still a ways off but I plan to stay in this conversation and look forward to sharing questions. concerns and ideas with you and all of the other potential Summer 2017 TAT riders.

Cheers,
Bert

Bert: I like your pace. I to am considering to do the TAT Summer of 2017 on a 2013 Super Tenere ... slow and steady. Where would you be starting and ending?