Who What When Where Why

Well thank you for joining me on my journey. I hope that you readers can share in this sense of discovery that I hope to be feeling soon. While there is some background info that I feel the need to share, I cannot exactly describe my motivation for this trip. It has just been something that I have wanted to do for several years now. I think that many things have lead up to this moment, like my random desire to ride my bike 3 miles to school in lower school (although I was thoughtfully discouraged by my mom). And there have been influential birding trips along the way, like trips to Colorado in 2014, Arizona in 2017, and Perú in 2018. The sense of adventure has just been compounded, and now is the time to unleash. I picked up the two niche hobbies of unicycling and birding from my "cool uncle," Dr. Chris Skelton. Oddly enough these two interests have become intertwined and have culminated in this formidable adventure that lies before me.

Who?

My name is John Patten Moss. I am a 22-year old dude from Georgia's rich coastal plain. I recently graduated from a very prestigious circus school where I majored in Unicycle Systems. Just kidding. In May 2019, I graduated from the small liberal arts college known as Berry College. While there, I developed my environmental science and Spanish skills in a nice, Ridge and Valley setting. Berry was the perfect place to cultivate my sense of adventure, and I spent many hours biking, unicycling, and birding all over the campus' 27,000 acres.

Me at Berry (photo cred Jared Crain)

What?

What I am getting myself into here is what they call a Big Year: a quest to see as many bird species as possible within a declared geographic area over the course of a year. But I want to do it on a unicycle- a 36in touring unicycle. And I want to embark on a year's worth of self-propelled travel, free from the constraints of fossil fuels. Who needs rotten plants and animals from the past when you are an individual of the most powerful and influential species in the history of this wonderful planet? Some of you readers may remember Dorian Anderson's biking Big Year. This man definitely inspired me in my 2020 Big Year, although it must be known that I am in no way after his ridiculous record of 618 species (see his blog here: http://bikingforbirds.blogspot.com). Nor will I travel 18,000 miles! With half a wheel, I'd be lucky to travel half of that distance.

When?

When? That's easy. 2020. It had to be a year with some sort of meaning. And it just worked out that way. January to December, baby.

Where?

Well, we're going to see where exactly. But I know that I want to see both coasts and maximize my birding potential. What follows here is a map containing what I believe will be my general trajectory.

A Walk in the Park

So there you have it, a rough trajectory totaling about 4,000 miles through 11 states. Although I have planned a general timeframe for the year and have included some key destinations that I believe will make it a success, I am very open to the possibility of change. There are so many variables going into these travels, from birds to weather to unexpected issues. So I think that I'll follow the sage advice of Dorian, perhaps the only person who knows so much about this type of adventure. I must be flexible and yielding to the year. As he put it: "you have to respond to what the road gives you and relinquish control." I'm sure Dorian's words will pass through my conscience more than a few times over the course of 2020.

So now that the disclaimer is out of the way, here are some concrete goals of mine:

1. Have an awesome adventure and see this magnificent country from the ground.

2. Unicycle from coast to coast. I would like to start in Olympia, Washington on January 1 and finish the year around Christmastime at my home in Augusta, GA. Aside from travel to Washington, all movement will be JPM-powered.

3. Break 500 species on the year. I have calculated a total of 523 likely species and would be absolutely thrilled if I were to break 500.

And some more abstract, learning/growing goals:

1. Share the wonder of birds along the way, proclaim their importance, and preach their lessons.

2. Demonstrate a more intimate connection with the land.

3. Make people smile.

4. I'd also like to have some avenues for fundraising to certain conservation organizations. I've realized that it's hard to look at the birds when we forget to protect them.

And finally, as a supplement to my crude map, I'm including a breakdown of where I would like to be over the course of the year. Some of these potential forays could run my milage up, which I wouldn't really be opposed to. 

January-Mid February: 

Coastal Washington and Oregon

Late February-March:

California

Late March-April-Early May

Arizona, mostly Southeast Arizona. Depending upon my progress at this point, I may consider a venture up into northern Arizona or Colorado.

May-June

Texas, with key stops in the Hill Country and the coast. If time allows, I may consider heading down to the Rio Grande Valley.

July-August

Gulf Coast

September-October

Florida Gulf Coast coast and trip to Keys?

November

Northward on Florida's Atlantic coast up to the Georgia coast.

December

Georgia coast and inland towards home. 

Why?

My next post will explore some of my personal motivations. I don't want to subject readers who only want to know the basics to my personal philosophies.

So those are the basics then. Thank you for your support and interest as you  follow along on this "half-baked" adventure, as my buddy Mac McCall put it.

My next few posts will explore the planning process leading up to January 1st.