Northern Tier Cross Country - Seattle to Boston

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

SUMMARY: Our version of the classic Northern Tier Cross Country is a 62 day, 3,300-mile journey starting in Seattle and ending in Boston – with a little taste of Canada thrown in. It is very hard to compress a tour of this length into a couple of paragraphs, so those interested have to contact the Ride Director to get more details. We will pedal through the states of Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, the province of Ontario, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. We cycle through mountains (Cascades, Rockies, Appalachians), ride along big and small rivers (really too many to even try to list), hundreds of lakes (two of them Great). We pass through National Parks, along dams, through forests, cities that are big, medium and small and even smaller towns (some of which are on the National Historic Register), historic sites and landmarks. We will see some incredible and remarkable views and sights – and all the while we will have an amazing support team. Anyone interested will have to have a conversation with the Ride Leader before being accepted onto the tour.

While the scenery is beautiful the length of the tour is challenging, Therefore, this epic ride is for experienced cyclists with a sense of adventure and the mental toughness to be on the road for two months. You will be on every type of road (all paved) from long meandering bicycle paths & rail trails and occasional short sections on an interstate and you should know how to ride on each. Some of the route is in the high plains of Montana and services are in short supply. We stay in some amazing places, but mostly Best Western / Holiday Inn type hotels – with a fair amount of small family run lodges. Some places are right in the center of town while others are on the outskirts of town. They will vary from very nice to rather basic. It is highly recommended that you have the capability to carry supplies (backpack, rear trunk or front handlebar bag). We encourage single riders who are willing to share a room to sign up. We will assist with finding a roommate. Single supplement is available – however due to the length of this tour, and thus its cost, we are also willing to arrange “on and off” solos as long as other same sex participants are willing to be part of that rotation.

RIDE RATING: The quick look rating for this ride is 2C, however the difficulty lies in the length of the tour and there is no rating for that. Over two months of being on the road can turn your vacation into a job (and some folks hated their jobs). The cumulative difficulty of week after weeks after weeks can push a persons’ envelope while the actual physical aspect of any one (or 2-3) days is usually not an issue. BIG DAYS: There are two days rated 4 (over 3,500 feet of climbing) and on both of these days the mileage is about 39 miles. There are 24 days where the mileage rating is a D (over 65 miles) but 19 of these days the terrain rating is a 1 (under 1,500 feet & actually 9 of these days the elevation gain is under 500). An additional 4 of these 24 days are rated 2, and a single day, near the end of the tour, comes in as a 3. There are three other days where the climbing level is rated 3 (a total of four days at this level). The day going from Wallace, ID to Thompson Falls, MT includes climbs that for short distances are over 8% - and the same can be said for some climbs in the State of Washington as well as in both Vermont and New Hampshire. In cities’ there can be brief bursts of heavy traffic although most have bicycle paths.

WEATHER: During the mornings of mid-June you will probably need arm warmers, wind vest and some other items for warmth but for the afternoons of August you will want different apparel including sun protective arm screens. Therefore, we have arranged mail drops in Dickerson, ND and in Minneapolis, MN. When we get there your box will be delivered to our hotel. Again, anyone interested will get a better understanding once contact is made with the ride director.

LOGISTICS: We start in Seattle (airport code SEA) on Saturday June 9th with an afternoon social hour followed by a group dinner. On Sunday, we will take a loop ride in and around Seattle. On Monday, we take a bike path out of the city on our way east! Our last day of pedaling is on August 8th and will take us right into Boston. We have our last social that night, followed by a celebratory and farewell group dinner (Boston's Airport code: BOS). The tour ends the morning of August 9. Other group dinners are scheduled for the Fourth of July and the night of our ferry ride (cost included) crossing Lake Michigan.

COST & ADMINISTRATION: The ride cost is estimated to be $6,590 per person, not including the $50 BAC registration. This estimate includes lodging for June 9 to August 9 (based on double occupancy), leader / driver / van costs, four group dinners, lunch supplies (includes various & numerous energy snacks), nightly social hours (beverages and food), maps, cue sheets, gps files, ferry ride and the $197 credit card processing fee. A deposit of $1,750 is due when you sign up, with another $1,750 due Sept 30, 2017. Final payment will be due Feb 9, 2018.

SINGLES: Singles are welcome – and we will assist in matching – BAC recommends that singles seeking a roommate also try to find their own. After receipt of the initial deposit, a single will be placed on the ride. If they are unable to find a roommate they will have the options of getting a full refund (minus the BAC fee), pay the single supplement or join the rotation of those wanting to go solo on a part time basis. If a single does pay the supplement (estimated at $3,600) they may continue to seek a roommate, but must plan to participate without a roommate if necessary.

CANCELLATION POLICY: The BAC ride registration fee is not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled. Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up and on costs that can be recouped. The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional costs as a result of cancellations. If the canceling participant is replaced, a refund may be made at that time. If the cancelling participant cannot be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report is completed. If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recoupled the canceling roommate may also be liable for the single supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tours. BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

RIDE PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITES: Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that even though we will have an amazing support team, with a wide array of bicycle tools, supplies and spare parts in our trailer, successful tours depend on participants providing support of their own.  Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles. With a tour of this length participants will have to be prepared for mental as well as physical challenges. And, again due to the length of this tour, we will accommodate folks who occasionally need a lift in the support vehicle. All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour.  We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and be prepared to discuss it with the Ride Leader before your acceptance onto the tour. Also, you should respond to requests from Ride Leader.  While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean-up.  Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour.  Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you may have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

SIGN-UP: To submit a request to join this ride use the "links" displayed above this Ride Description.  We will correspond to arrange a time we can speak to each other. After this you will be moved from the Waitlist to the Pending List.  At this time, you will receive an auto-generated email notification from BAC to login to their website to sign the release of liability form and pay the non-refundable $50 ride registration fee online.  Once those steps have been completed, the initial deposit of $1,750 will be due using the online credit card process. When your deposit is received, your status will be changed from wait list to participant. A second payment will be due iSept 30, 2017 – you will receive a reminder by the ride leader. The final payment will be due Feb 9, 2018. To contact the Ride Leader, "click" the name at the top of this Ride Description.