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--> --> J. Allen Prowse and his dog, Annabelle, plan to depart next week on a cross-country trip - on a three and a half foot scooter. Ashland Daily Tidings/DENISE BARATTA Across America - at 25 mph By Troy Heie Ashland Daily Tidings You've got to hand it to J. Allen Prowse. He's got guts. The 52-year-old Ashland man, a trucker bothered by a bad back, is about to embark on the seemingly impossible task of traveling across the United States on a three and a half foot motorized scooter - with his dog, a refrigerator and five days worth of clothes strapped to a trailer. He thinks a generator or even some solar panels are possible, too. Prowse is hoping to raise money for surgery to correct two slipped discs, and he's been promised by the Go-Ped scooter maker, Patmont Motor Werks of Livermore, Calif., that the ride from California to Cushing, Maine will actually be therapeutic. It's a vision quest of sorts for Prowse, who's seen some hard times in his life - living in his van when he has too and trying to make ends meet in a world full of obstacles. If Prowse has one thing going for him as he readies for this mind-bending adventure, it's his will. "If I run out of gas, all is need is a $1.45. That can get me 200 more miles," he said. "I'm gonna do it." _ _ _ _ The idea for the cross-country trip was hatched only within the past month. Prowse, seen scooting alongside Harley-Davidson's in this year's Ashland Fourth of July parade, said his back woes finally got to him, and he tried to think of a remedy. He looked down at his street-stained Sport Go-Ped and the wheels started spinning. He contacted Tim Patmont, owner of the Motor Werks firm, and convinced him to provide a Geo-Bigfoot Go-Ped for the trip, plus the Tow-Ped trailer. A Sat-Squatch seat also is in the package, which Prowse believes will make the trip a breeze for his back. The Geo-Bigfoot is tiny compared to your average mountain bike, but with a two-stroke engine that gets 200 miles to the gallon, 10-inch offroad tires and disc breaks, it's going to be a monster on the interstate, Prowse said. "If a cop says, `Hey you can't ride this on the freeway,' I guess I'll either find a side road or maybe I'll wait until he disappears and then get going again. I'm not going to let anybody stop me," he said, showing his rebellious streak. Patmont, interviewed by the Tidings this week, confirmed the trip plans, and Prowse said Patmont told him that any breakdowns along the way will be handled by the company. Legend has it that three men have tried the coast-to-coast trip, Patmont said. Two made it less than two weeks before quitting, while one scooted from New York to his family's Colorado home before passing on the final leg to the West Coast. Prowse isn't interested in such failures. "Not making it is not in my vocabulary. I'll probably be stopped and get tickets along the way, but so what. I'm on an adventure. I've been a rolling stone all my life and even if I didn't get this sponsorship from Patmont I'd probably try to do this anyway. "I've lived on less than $50 a month. I've slept on the ground. I'm not worried about this." _ _ _ _ At a top speed of 25 mph, Prowse will have plenty of time to see America along the way. He'll share the experience with his dog, Annabelle, who he said is fit and ready for the trip. In case of major problems, he'll have a cell phone handy, Prowse said. He's also going to stock a 10-pound road atlas on the trailer. If all goes as planned, he'll leave from the Bay Area sometime early this week, possibly Tuesday. He hopes to gain media attention See TRIP, Page 3 along the way. If Prowse can complete what he starts, that likely won't be a problem. He's taking a majority of the money he has to get the trip going, but he'll rely heavily on the kindness of the American people to see him through, Prowse said. The full trip, from start to finish, is roughly 3,300 miles. His itinerary takes him mainly through the Midwest and the Great Lakes region. Then he'll make a small jaunt up to Canada before heading through New York and finally on to Cushing, Maine. "I picked Cushing because I have a friend there," he said with a straight face. He'll get a glimpse of Lake Tahoe as he departs California and then it's into the wilds of Nevada before rolling through Utah along Interstate 80, his primary route for the trip. Heat doesn't faze him, he said, and he won't wear sunscreen, despite prevailing health warnings. "I can't. I'm allergic to perfumes." Among the hundreds of towns Prowse will motor through, he plans to see the sights in Cheyenne, North Platte, Neb., Des Moines, and Detroit. Prowse isn't sure how long it will take to make the journey, but each day he and Annabelle move ahead will be a victory, he said. "I'm expecting success. I'm doing this to find myself and hopefully fix my back. I'm trying to accomplish something in my life to make it better." When he returns - Prowse refuses to say "if" - he would like to open a Go-Ped distributorship in Ashland. He'll get out of trucking, he says, and start a new chapter in his life. "I've gone a million miles in my truck in the last 12 years," Prowse noted. "Hell, what is this going to be - only about 3,000?" ------ Editor's note: J. Allen Prowse was attempting Saturday to set up an account for his trip at a local bank branch. The Tidings is hoping to keep track of the Ashlander as he attempts his cross-country journey. Email your... 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