LET’S GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD!

Let’s get this show on the road!

This will be my last FB post until the other side of Iceland, I guess literally. 601 miles.

During the trip (and prior too) you can follow us per my SPOT Tracker and through the website: stevemcguire.squarespace.com

Andy will be posting images on stevemcguire.squarespace.com

Today marks a turning point in the adventure. I’m done thinking about how to cross the Blanda River and all the 70 rivers and rivulets, from 5cm deep to 1.3 meters deep. I know from experience that today is a day I really look forward to. Every event I work toward this day as much as the start. This trip and all the work around it from exhibitions to workshops and lectures is my job. It’s my research. And like any job, I insert process pieces.

At this point pouring over a map and reading posts is not productive. At all.

Time to relax. No more gear searches or social media. July 10 depart for Iceland. July 15 start riding.

Crossing the Northside of Hofsjokull glacier will be the crux of the adventure. An east/west crossing of Iceland through the Highlands, between Glaciers and Volcanoes, is rare. For a reason.

The morning of the crossing we’ll decide whether to go for it, and cross the potentially uncrossable river Blanda, and ride the route planned.  If everything is on schedule it would be 6am on the 20th that we cross, or not (early in the morning when the river is lowest). Up to that point, we will have crossed 70 rivers and streams, doing so like a game of chess. It’s the game we played last year going north to south through the highlands, as we approached Nylibur. Sections were impassable forcing us to ride and hike up and down the rivers’ edge to find a navigable section.  Waist deep water in a very fast-moving stream/river will sweep you away. As things go this won't be a big deal, to hike-a-bike. We would hike up the east side of the river and cross at the first bride on F35. It's a 10-mile hike up and then a 6-mile ride back to the route.

And yes, indeed this section will require gps, and binoculars.
My gear is 99% packed. I need to change out brake pads. I rebuilt the bottom bracket (Phil Wood square taper, sealed bearings). Maps marked. I need to swap out tires.