I really don't know why you are arguing? - it seems you're the one trying to perpetuate the 'Sam vs. Kevin' thing...

Sam's map you posted clearly shows the Atlantic Spur (in Yellow) and the Pacific Spur (in green) - and the information is all there on Sam's website... you include those two GPS track packets if you want to ride his current route coast to coast.

As I explained above - Sam continues to evolve his version of the Trans-America Trail - something he's been doing for over twenty years now - and currently is working on a loop back across the country (the main red track on the map) for those who have the time to continue their 'Trans-America' journey in either direction, back to the point where they started - utilising a different route so they can see more of the country.

This second cross-country route which forms the northern part of the loop offers an alternative to the original and/or an addition - typically depending on the time of year for example - in an effort to expand on what was already on offer... note that it also connects to his shadow of the Rockies trail (blue) for those who want to ride a shorter loop around those particular states.

I really don't get your animosity against all this? - you chose to follows Kevin's route (with Sam's as 'backup') - great... other people may want a different experience and be traveling under different circumstances.

There is no one definitive answer, just like there is no one definitive route. These are all public roads/trails across the country to begin with, someone has just done a lot of the hard work of route planning for you - but it's still up to you to put the final details together if there is specifically something you want out of your TAT trip - which is what I have been saying all along.


As for any respective cost for this information - that is your choice... Sam put a lot of work into plotting the 'original' TAT route (including riding every inch of what he defines, on both a bike and latterly on an ATV) and continues to do so well into his 80s now. If you don't want to pay what he is asking for his particular route, don't. But if you want his route, that's the deal.

Conversely with the increased usage of GPS tracking/mapping and online file-sharing etc. Kevin took Sam's original route, and modified it with a few of his own suggestions/preferences and initially started to share it for free (which is why there is still a degree of animosity between Sam and Kevin I suspect) together with crowd-sourcing some others using local knowledge (ie. similar to the TET model you propose). However, the issue with this model is that different 'scouts' have different abilities, which is why Kevin ultimately had to incorporate easy and hard options so that people didn't get in over their heads on certain sections, potentially ruining the rest of their cross-country trip.

There is also the issue (much as there is with the TET in Europe) that keeping on top of private land and other road closures and restrictions can be harder to keep up to date - and I suspect the reason Kevin now charges for his TAT routes too is in an effort to try and maintain the integrity of his route more than he might have done in the past?

Like I said, if you want to do this for free - the roads and trails are all there on the ground, and open to the public... get the maps of the states you want to visit and spend as much time as you like plotting your own cross country route.

However, if you want a head-start (or don't have the time or inclination) you can also purchase a defined route [from either Sam or Kevin] where a lot of that hard work already done for you - and pick and choose those elements which most appeal to you - and certainly for anyone living outside of the USA (such as the OP of this thread) it would make sense to at least start with those pre-determined routes to give you an indication of where the stuff worth seeing is.

Jx