T-minus 13 Days and Counting….

Departure date is set for April 10th. The bike is fixed and I’ve cut 4-5 lbs. of gear from my packs. Jax’s and my gear, food, water, trailer and Jax are now ~170 lbs. Add me and the bike and we’re pushing 400. I could maybe shave off a few more pounds. But the most important thing Jax and I have worked on is training him to heel on the right, so he can run on the safe side of the bike when the going is tough, traffic permitting. That will give him some exercise and reduce my load by 75 lbs. for short periods.

Trotting alongside the bike for a short distance every day shouldn’t be a strain for the Mighty Jax. On a normal day on the farm he runs 3-4 miles at speeds faster than I ride and during hunting season he covers 20-25 miles a day over rough ground, for 3 to 5 days at a stretch. I’ve been asked why I don’t have him pull me (a.k.a. “bikejoring.” See another GSP bikejoring here). He’s well-trained, but not for that and it’s a 3,500+ mile trip, so I plan on doing the pulling. Jax has a veterinary appointment next week to get checked out and to get any advice our vet has to give about making sure the Mighty Jax stays mighty all the way to Florida. 😉