Not wanting to do one of the marathon point-to-point rides as in the past, I decided I would do some sort of a meandering ride lasting anywhere from two to three months ... two to three months that would offer not only beauty but also an escape from Tucson summer weather.
Okay (I decided), I will head to the Northwest and meander around Oregon, Washington, Idaho, maybe British Columbia ... and then, depending on various conditions, maybe down the Coast to ... well, not sure about that either. A wonderful summer's adventure loomed.
My pre-tour plans included extensive training rides (actually half-assed rides on the flat, paved Loop multi-use path), and preparing all of the bike and camping equipment. The schedule was to ship my bike via Amtrak Express Shipping so that the bike would be in Portland, OR on Monday, June 4. Southwest Airline tickets were purchased well in advance so that I would arrive in Portland on Tuesday, June 5.
Other than my abysmal attempt at getting into shape, all went well. Took my bike down to the Tucson Amtrak Station, boxed it up and paid the required shipping fees. On Tuesday, June 5th, I boarded Southwest Airlines and, again, all went well. Arrived in Portland mid-afternoon, successfully checked into my hotel and (without getting lost) mastered the Portland transit system in getting down to the train station.
But ... no bike!
Seems there is extensive work being performed on the tracks between Klamath Falls and Eugene. The Amtrak passengers, and passengers' luggage, are loaded on to buses between the two stations, but not so with large Express Shipping items.
So I said, "Okay, here is the tracking/shipping number ... where's my bike and when will it arrive in Portland?"
Answer was "Don't know" to both questions.
Seems Amtrak does not have any kind of individual package tracking system. They can tell you where every rail car in the United States is located due to their GPS system ... but shipped items, not so much.
So I have spent the "waiting game" time visiting Nancy O'Brien in Eugene and Bill Burk south of Bend ... awaking every morning at 4:00 A.M. worrying about things that can not be solved at 4:00 A.M. ... wondering if I will ever see my Surly Long Haul Trucker touring bike again ... trying to figure out on a daily basis what is the best plan should the bike miraculously reappear that day.
I have been telling myself that in the overall, this is little more than an inconvenience; that I live a charmed life as compared with many in our world. I tell myself this all the while thinking some very vile thoughts regarding Amtrak.
In fairness, the Amtrak shipping managers at the Portland Station (Mark) and Eugene Station (Nancy) have been wonderful ... they have been very patient with my daily requests should the bike appear that day; can't blame them for Amtrak's lack of a tracking system. I thank them for seeming to care about my situation.
So, unless the bike shows up today (Tuesday, June 12 ... and I fear this will happen), I will be flying back to Tucson this coming Thursday.
Ah, hell!!
Oh, well.
What a pleasant surprise to get a "Ride the White Line" post entry from you! Sorry to hear about the bike shipment snafu.... hopefully Amtrak got that cleared up to your satisfaction. I am anxious to try out the newish Amtrak roll-on bike service.... have you looked into using that service out of Tucson? I'm assuming you didn't use that approach on this tour because the Southwest Airlines fares are just too good to pass up :-)
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