Planning and Strategizing

During training we also had a lot of planning to do.  I used numerous resources to work on planning our trip:

• Figuring out detailed descriptions of the trail sections - I've included this document as well in our helpful links.  This will help you know approximate trail section distances, resources available along the way, resources in towns and also has lots of other references to check out.
• History - the John Wayne Pioneer Trail has a rich history that I have absolutely loved discovering and learning about.  I feel this is a very important part of riding the trail.  Learning about the history of this trail made the ride so much more memorable.  Please read the Friends of the John Wayne Pioneer trail website to learn about the trail.
• Trail etiquette - it is extremely important to follow trail etiquette.  There is much work being done to create a partnership between those who live alongside the trail, the towns the trail passes through, trail organizations/partners, and private land owners whose land the trail crosses.  In the process of these partnerships, sadly, some contention has arisen; especially related to gates and land crossings.  If a detour is required, especially if the detour is due to the trail crossing private land, you need to follow these detours.  Some detours you can change and ride on back farm roads; again, make sure these are not farm roads on private land.  If you camp along the trail, at campsites or in towns be sure you keep spaces clean; ask before using parks (all the cities/towns I emailed and reached out to were delighted to have us stay!); please be very respectful and friendly with the people you interact with.  I have not revealed names of some of our trail angels to respect their privacy, but at no point was anyone unkind or unfriendly when we asked for help, water or shelter.  People are very proud of this trail, its history, and the work being done to keep the trail alive and open.  Please help keep it this way!
• Maps - we used a satellite tracker from DeLorme (now run by Garmin) that allowed us to upload our intended route for each day so people could follow our journey and we would have a resource if any emergency arose.  I used Google maps to look very closely at detours, plan our route and then my dad would upload this information to mapshare.
• Gear, food, supplies, bikes, etc. - I could go on and on about these things, but this is all in our Resources Galore! page.  Please check it out!
• Reading other blogs and the history of the trail to gather intel and ideas.  We learned that the Snoqualmie Valley Trail is 31.5 miles long with ~948 feet of elevation gain.  We discovered that the JWPT is ~253 miles long from Rattlesnake Lake in Issaquah to the Washington-Idaho border north of Tekoa and that it is the longest rail-trail conversion in the United States.
• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy - this website is fabulous!  I used it to find maps, trail descriptions and as much information as possible about the trails we would be riding on.
• Permits - you will need two different ones.  A permit for the section of trail from Beverly to Lind that you acquire from the Department of Natural Resources.  The second permit is for the section of trail from Lind to Tekoa and you acquire this one from Washington State Parks.  You do not need a permit for the western section of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail; however, you should have a Discover Pass with you if you camp along this section (which you will!).  You need the permits for several reasons: they are required, rules of the trail are included (observing private property, closing and locking gates behind you, etc.), for the codes that will help you get through gates, and the permits include maps.
• Itinerary - this was a detailed document we gave to our support team with details of our route, mileage and where we intended to spend each night.  When we were out on the trail this became quite fluid based on what happened each day and how many miles we were actually able to ride.  Itinerary for Nick & Rachel's September 2016 ride and Itinerary for 2017 Ride

Planning & Strategizing