I've got a summer trip coming up, and I need some "un-biased" input! I'm trying to put together a trip in June from SW Missouri to Yellowstone and back thru Colorado. What first started as a trip consisting of 3-4 very experienced riders has ballooned into a group of possibly 7-8 riders with experience varying from close to novice to very experienced. We're looking at roughly 3000 miles in approx. 7 days. I know that on past trips with fewer riders, we barely glanced at a map, much less planned an itenarary! I'm trying very hard not to do just that, but with so many riders, it feels like I almost have to---I hate the whole idea of "we gotta be here by this day, " etc, but we've got a few whose vacation time is pretty limited.
I know talk is cheap when the trip is still 88 days away, and there are 2, possibly as many as 4 that are questionable for going (either scared of the miles, don't have the funds, don't have the time, or a combination), but I don't want to kill the thrill of the trip with a bunch of planning. I'm more of a "head north, then at some point turn left" kinda bike tripper. Your thoughts?

 

Your problem with winging it will be camping (I assume you're camping, didn't say) around Yellowstone and places in Colorado. Lots of vacationers that will have already started booking campsites & hotels.

As long as your noobies are content with just hanging with the experienced folks it can work. If you have that many that want to be in charge...

From experience I can tell you I prefer a small group.

TH

 

You might consider a loose-knit itinerary that specifies where you will meet at the end of the day so that if members of the group want to linger at a particular area or take a little different route you can be assured that you should see each other at the end of the day. That way, you can provide maximum freedom but also the safety of knowing where everyone should be by days end. Then swap cellphone numbers so that everyone stands a good chance of making contact if anything unexpected happens. I agree with TH about camping around Yellowstone: the campgrounds in the Park fill up quickly during the vacation season (although there are plenty of nearby Forest Service and commercial campgrounds that should have room).

 

Agreed. Given the choice, 2 is not enough, and 7 is too many--5 or 6 seems to be just about right. We'll probably be camping the majority of the time, but hoteling it occasionally (or when we don't have a choice).

Thanks for the advice!

 

I've done trips planned out, trips with a "as long as we are here by tomorrow, and trips that were a last minute "**** it lets go this way." I can tell you, if you are planning to camp and not making plans, start looking for campsites around 3 or 4 in the afternoon because things will be filling up quick.

Of course if you stop riding around 4 you have plenty of time to drink by the fire and still get to bed early enough to pack up and leave around 7. I prefer no planning and picking a general destination or plan, like "let's ride around Superior sometime in the next week." or "ever been to the Canadian Rockies? Me either lets try it." or the classic, "let's go west."

 

Plan it. If you do not establish minimum daily mileage markers the trip may end up more stressful. People need structure - someone needs to be the leader.
3000 miles in 7 days will NEED planning.

 

Never planned beyond the destination. I find if I just go in a general direction, not caring if I get lost or not that the trip is a hell of alot more enjoyable, and if I/We don't make that destination there's always next time. It's all about the ride not the Destination.

 

Exactly. I've set out on a trip with going to Yellowstone and Glacier as our plans for destinations. We had so much fun we never went farther west than the Black Hills. At $45/night for a camping cabin in Deadwood it was a hell of a trip. Of course we also had a trip where we had planned to go about 500 miles, we ended up going around 2200 in the same amount of days.

 

If you have a local KOA campgrounds near by stop in and get a KOA book. Then stop and get a book from Super 8 or similar chain. You can have the KOA option or motel option and call ahead with the numbers in the books.

The maps in those books can act as a rough guide to reach certain bench marks. At noon time you should have an idea as to how far you want to keep going.

The more you have the harder it will be. Strong leadership will be needed even making it up as you go. If not, there will be lots off P*ssing and Moaning!

3000 miles will be a lot for only 7 days. You are looking at 428 average miles per day. You will have to do a couple high mileage days just to have some down time at a couple locations.

Good Luck!

 

The larger the group the longer it will take to get somewhere. Having done a trip where I couldn't find a place to stay because everything was booked I don't leave the house any more without reservations and a planned stop every night. If you give everyone the itinerary they can make up their minds ahead of time and they have no reason to bitch if it's a little tougher then they expected. 3000 miles in seven days is no day trip and if you have a date you have to be back by you don't want to get to the farthest away point and then have to ride like he!! to get home on time.