During my year and a half living in Vancouver, Washington, and through my ongoing membership in the Rose City Motorcycle Club (RCMC), I learned a lot about riding and the roads in the Northwest. The RCMC is fantastic club for all types of bikes with absolutely great leadership and members. You will enjoy this "riding" club.

Oregon and the NW is incredible biking country with lots of curves and lots of variety for riding roads. This is quite a contrast to the Edmonton area, where you can ride for hours and not hit a curve in the road. In any case, during the 1996 RCMC camp out on San Juan Island, just across from Victoria, BC, there was great conversation. This included some lessons on how to pull a trailer and put a bike right should it be down. Of course, the conversation soon got to good touring roads. Somewhere along the way, I think it was John Goff and Char Messinger, started talking about Char's ride to the women's motorcycle open-forum in Ohio and the roads that go across the US and Canada. To my surprise, and interest, I learned that the Trans Canada Highway (Canada #1) and US # 20 are the only two roads that actually touch water on each coast.

Well, I never did forget the conversation. Not that I had the inspiration to do the trip at that very moment but I did find the idea very intriguing, indeed.

I have now been back in Alberta the better part of three years but have been back to the NW numerous times since, three times this year alone, including twice to Portland. I helped out with the RCMC 500, rode the Western States 1000 and just did a tour of Washington State with my brother, cousin and some dear friends. For three years running I have done 100% of the RCMC Grand Tour 19 check points, which included the Utah site (east of Cedar City) this year and the California site (80 miles north of San Franciso) last year - both are some distance from Edmonton.

I went looking for other interesting things to do on my '86 venture. Alaska has been on the radar screen but my brother in Vancouver, BC will not go and my cousin here in Edmonton and I have not been able to make our timetables work. I, however, kept thinking about the coast to coast ride and all the experiences it would bring. Finally last fall after much talk and enthusiasm for this project from my friends, I said "Why not?" and set out to research the project.

With my trusty 1999 Rand McNally Trip Maker (not exactly suited to this type of trip planning) I set out the approximate time required and km's (mileage). Yes it is possible and I have settled on leaving Edmonton on Saturday, May 27, 2000 (Memorial weekend in Canada), and arriving home in Edmonton on Sunday, July 3, 2000. I will be on the road for 38 days. The trip is about 15,000 km's (9,400 miles) with 26 days riding at about 600 km/day (360 miles). It includes four days for ferry rides

1. Victoria, BC over to Washington State
2. Bar Harbour, Maine to Yarmouth Nova Scotia,
3. Sydney River, Nova Scotia to Agentia Placenta Bay, Newfoundland,
4. Port-ux-Basques, Newfoundland to Sydney River, Nova Scotia.

The Edmonton Southside office of the Alberta Motor Association has greatly assisted me by doing a detailed route book. It will be a great tool. I will be taking the GWRRA and the MTA/VTS books with me as well.

I plan to have my picture taken with a my feet in the ocean at the end of each road and in each ocean. This will include one picture at each end of the Canadian road and one on each end of US # 20.

In most areas I plan to travel on CB Channel 19, however I would encourage folks to let me know the channels their groups ride within specific areas along the route. For instance, in Oregon I'll be using channel 30, the RCMC channel of choice.

How could I resist riding the only two roads that go ocean to ocean? So why not ride them in 2000 as my millennium project?

My bike already carries two flag poles barring the Canadian and American flags and it sports a personalized license plate "Y2K C2C".

I plan a web site at www.infoharvest.ca/y2kc2c/. For the web site, I plan to do a profile of myself and my bike, an overview of the trip and the route. I plan to carry a digital camera and a note book computer to update my daily adventures, experiences, and share with everyone the acquaintances I meet. The site will also post updates advising motorcyclists on my location and progress. All of this will encourage folks to contact me, to meet up with me, and to ride with me. The web site is intended to either encourage riders to ride the whole trip with me or any part of it. This certainly would include day rides.

So far I am planning to do the trip solo but have interest to do the whole trip from a lady motorcyclist and friend (and venture owner), a fellow in each of Oregon, Vermont, and Quebec who want to know when I am coming through and they will attempt to meet me and to ride with me.

I am very enthusiastic and excited about this Y2K C2C adventure.

Don't just think about riding with me, let's do it.

Cliff

Char Messinger's trip with Laura Claypoole was to the National Women's Conference hosted at the national headquarters of the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) which was then located (since 1921) in Westerville, Ohio (a suburb of Columbus). AMA has since moved to a new national headquarters in Pickerington, Ohio (also just outside of Columbus). While Char and Laura did attend, and it was an open-forum. Their 11 day trip, 8 and 1/2 riding days covered 6500+, with every imaginable kind of BAD weather.