Thanks for the correction John. You raise a good point about the Eastern Express vs. traditional TransAm route. I’d considered it back in 2021 but settled on the traditional due to, well, tradition. I’m not wild about the Appalachians and eastern KY, but I did enjoy central and western KY, and the Ozarks. But maybe once is enough for these old bones and I should rethink the Eastern Express.

In 2023 I did the C&O and GAP as part of an aborted Norther Tier attempt (threw in the towel near Minneapolis due to mosquitoes, of all things). I’m glad I did the C&O, but wouldn’t care to do it again on a loaded touring bike and I kind of soured on trail riding. In retrospect, the GAP was OK, as I’m sure the Katy Trail is.

The Parks, Peaks, and Prairies is another consideration. I’ve never been in that part of the country, but it seems pretty sparse for things to see and visit.

Regards,
Ken

You are correct. I changed the text to Irish Creek Road. Since you've already done the TransAm why not try a different route? There is a new-ish route called the TransAm Express that starts in DC. It bypasses all the nasty stuff in Kentucky. It includes the Katy Trail and Nebraska instead of Kansas. It hooks up with the TransAm in Walden CO. Adventure Cycling now has this as a van-supported tour.
When I did my TransAm in 2018 (the Any Road Tour on this site), I stitched together several ACA routes from DC to Portland OR.
One other consideration about the TransAm is that the roads in Kentucky are in very bad shape. It's scary to come bombing down a mountain and see the edge of the road washed out.

I’m enjoying your TransAm journal, thanks.

I rode E-W in 2021, and hope to do it again soon. The descent into Vesuvius was very memorable, as was for you in this journal entry. I was very thankful I didn’t have to climb UP that sucker … I’d still be pushing the beast.

I may well need reverse the TransAm for the next go around and travel W-E for logistical reasons. I was very intrigued by your comments about there being a gentler but longer alternative by using Indian Creek Road to get up to the Parkway. Did you perhaps mean Irish Creek Road? I can’t find an Indian Creek Road anywhere near the Parkway.

Kindest Regards,
Ken Gross

I agree that the problem is the owners of the dogs not the dogs themselves.
I was surprised at the advice to use wasp spray. It's probably cheaper than bear spray. It also shoots a long way.
The big drawback to either spray is the chance of getting it on yourself. Ugh!
In the last couple of days I checked online journals of people passing through eastern Kentucky. One rider was lucky and had to deal with only a dog or two. Others not so much. One rider was attacked by a pack of dogs. One rider had his front pannier torn off his bike. Another rider had his read pannier pulled off. A third rider was bit (looks more like a skin scrape than a full on bite) in the calf. She didn't seem to be interested in a rabies shot.
It's amazing to me how many people ride through that area with every intention of doing battle.
I'm sorry to hear about your experience near Tulsa. I once had a neighbor who had two out of control dogs. It was a nightmare. Both my wife and I were attacked in our front yard. All day and all night barking were the norm. (I finally started calling the police. Not long after that, they moved. Halleluyah!) Thankfully, my county, which was quite rural 60 years ago, passed laws that put much of this nonsense to an end.
As for bike tours, I think I'll get back to it once the memory of this year's fiasco fades.

"My advice to anyone who is planning to do the TransAm is: don’t." I'm saddened to see this advice. I rode the Transam in 2015 (https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/buddy/); I was lucky and only had a few dog chases in eastern KY, but I know of others that year who had much worse problems with dogs. I did have a very serious dog problem riding near my home in Tulsa, OK and am every concerned with dogs now (https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/warriordeath1/i-never-saw-that-coming/). Although I haven't tried it, I have been told that bear spray is the way to go to protect yourself from charging dogs - I know from many experiences that the "Halt" type of pepper spray is difficult to use because you can't hardly hit a dog with it until he is right on you. Of course, it's not the dogs that are the problem; it's the owners who let them roam free to chase cyclists - perhaps a blast of bear spray would train the animals.