In the Beginning

I decided to create this blog as a means to keep my preparations for my two-week road trip in order.  Why?  Because, believe it or not, if I don't start planning, and actually take the time to plan carefully, September will be here before I can blink and I have to have as much squared away as possible.

What is this all about?  Well, in my other blog, I've touched upon this a little.  Basically, about 6 months ago, I was looking around Wikipedia when I came across the article on National Scenic Byways.  One of the top roads listed there was the Beartooth Highway in Montana and Wyoming.  After I saw it, I conceived the idea for a road trip to see several of these byways on one long motorcycle trip.  As time passed, however, I realized that spreading myself too thin would be a mistake, and I began having a dream about the Beartooth.  Eventually, all other considerations fell by the wayside and I began to focus my sights solely on Montana.

I realized, of course, that such an undertaking would require a vast amount of planning and consideration, so I started to try to organize myself.  I didn't stick to it, very much, as I was still focusing on becoming a much more proficient rider.  Once winter rolled around, and I suddenly find myself with a plethora of time while I'm not actually riding (Curses!), I decided to try and get the ball rolling on getting things in order.

There is a lot to be taken care of.  Very few of these things can be accomplished without other pieces of the puzzle, but I can, at least, start to get a list together.

Necessities:
1. The Motorcycle:  Without this, there is no trip.  I toyed with the idea of having this be a given, but with various other aspects of the trip reliant upon the bike being prepared properly, I decided to include in on the list.
2. The Route:  Currently, the route is fairly straightforward.  I played with a few other configurations (one of which was over 6,700 miles long).  In the end, I decided that I should truly concentrate on one particular region of the country.  If, in the future, I have further opportunities to travel, then I can think about the other locations I have in mind, but, currently, the only destination I have in mind is the Beartooth Highway in Montana.
3. Consumables:  This is primarily food, water, and fuel.  I've made decent headway with planning for food and water, but I have to make a few assumptions about the fuel requirements for the trip.  I know the size of the gas tank, and I now the full length of the trip, but, what I have to make assumptions on are the price of gasoline 9 months hence, as well as what the fuel consumption of the new bike will be, particularly with all the extra weight in gear I'll be carrying.
4. Sleeping Arrangements:  This, more than food, fuel, or the route, gives me cause for concern.  Depending on what the laws are, I need to be able to find places to sleep while on the road.  As I want to keep my costs down, I need to look into camping.  I've had suggestions for places to stay, but when I'm told it's free to camp in a National Forest (hopefully grasslands as well), it makes things interesting.  Still, this is another long-range planning aspect that I need to consider well in advance.

Eventually I plan to break these down into their separate components, but I want to make sure I at least have this part down so that I can keep the high-level ideas clear.