Ride Reports
Like Alex, I finally did a few rides worth blogging about. So let's get started shall we?
So it's no big secret that I'm shooting for a completion of the Grand Loop route, but again- no go. You can read my report over on bikepacking.net, so I'll pop up a few pics and add some additional notes.
The Bad
Not taking a sleeping bag but more importantly, not taking my rain pants. Seeing those storms and knowing that w/o those pants, my legs would shrivel off w/o the vapor barrier to keep them warm and me moving. Still learning the weather patterns and such for this area. Not my experience for storms to 'hang out and brew' as such seems to happen in the higher altitudes.
Taking too many of those Bloks. The final weight to calorie ratio was not in my favor. After collecting all my food and stuff and finally weighing it (by putting the pack on), ugh. But from experience, it wasn't worth getting all hopped up about to scramble and make last minute changes.
Taking too much simple sugar carbs (read: Bloks. Heh.) that turned my stomach into a little ball that felt like it was swinging around on the end of my intestines like a flail.
The Good
Body (other than stomach) felt great. I wasn't moving fast, but I was able to maintain a steady pace. I cramped a bit from the pushing/walking, but upping the eating/drinking and taking short 'take your pack off for 5 mins and sit every 1 -> 1-1/2 hours' breaks alleviated that.
Seems like all my gear is set, still learning on when to take what and what to take when.
All my junk.
Checking out the clouds from Little Park Road.
Prologue miles from the Lunch Loops to Kokopelli's. L -> R: Jefe, Matt and Cat. Jefe's rocking the 29'er SS with platforms!
Firsts for the year: Blood and a trail night ride. Best to pay attention to the trail and not be looking around at all the cool shadows the moon makes in the desert.
Another rider! ScottM out on the course between Westwater and Dewey. Actually, Chad was there too, but he took off too quick after chatting to get his pic. Funny when Chad said 'You look like you're traveling light'.
Like a good cup of coffee- storms brewing over the La Sals.
Slickrock in the Yellowjacket section.
Weird tree remnant in one of the Cottonwood Canyons.
So with rain and cold pretty much the forecast for the period after returning to Scotty's pad in Denver, I hightailed it home to blue skies, nice temps and a ride on the North Country Trail. This was something I'd wanted to do before the GL attempt, but the incessant rain on the weekends killed it.
Even being prepacked, It was still a rush to resort my junk and make a few diet/kit changes. With the plan of getting out early Thursday a.m. blown, I finally started out at Noon from the M-20 trailhead in White Cloud.
Running the same basic kit: Jandd seatpack - windshield pad - sleep kit in dry bag
Not much to say other than miles and miles of sweet tree covered rippin' singletrack from M-20 -> Nichols Lake North.
Small stream crossing.
Magical forests...
Ribbons of singletrack...
Until...
Which necessitates...
So from North Nichols to the Bowman Lake Trailhead, is quite a few miles of dirt and paved roads to skirt a 'hiker only' section. After which you return to more miles of sweet sweet singletrack.
Sun setting on the trail.
As the sun started going down, I realized I'd not make the next water stop off before the sun was too low to see the trail. Not being reflectively blazed, I rode up to 8th Street in 'Segment C' and turned around to start looking for a 'wet' place to camp. After checking out Timber Creek Campground and the Upper Branch Access point, I decided to ride for a bit more knowing I'd make the Bowman Bridge Campground before dark.
Taking bivy at the Bowman Bridge Campground. That little blue bottle on the right of the picnic table was probably the most important addition to the kit: bug spray.
Last pic before passing out.
Friday morning was more road to hook back up to the trail at Nichols Lake and then a ribbon all the way back to the car.
Quite a few marshy sections.
Fin.
So what changes will we see for this next round? Definitely looking at getting some of the weight off my back and on the bike. Dietary too, but I won't give up the beer. And that 29'er thing? Interesting for sure.
So no HIP100 for me this year, but I'm ready to start thinking about (what I figure to be the out and back distance) NCT160: M-20 <-> Marilla or M-20 -> Mackinaw one way (320 miles?).
Anybody ready for some bikepacking? Summer is here!
So it's no big secret that I'm shooting for a completion of the Grand Loop route, but again- no go. You can read my report over on bikepacking.net, so I'll pop up a few pics and add some additional notes.
The Bad
Not taking a sleeping bag but more importantly, not taking my rain pants. Seeing those storms and knowing that w/o those pants, my legs would shrivel off w/o the vapor barrier to keep them warm and me moving. Still learning the weather patterns and such for this area. Not my experience for storms to 'hang out and brew' as such seems to happen in the higher altitudes.
Taking too many of those Bloks. The final weight to calorie ratio was not in my favor. After collecting all my food and stuff and finally weighing it (by putting the pack on), ugh. But from experience, it wasn't worth getting all hopped up about to scramble and make last minute changes.
Taking too much simple sugar carbs (read: Bloks. Heh.) that turned my stomach into a little ball that felt like it was swinging around on the end of my intestines like a flail.
The Good
Body (other than stomach) felt great. I wasn't moving fast, but I was able to maintain a steady pace. I cramped a bit from the pushing/walking, but upping the eating/drinking and taking short 'take your pack off for 5 mins and sit every 1 -> 1-1/2 hours' breaks alleviated that.
Seems like all my gear is set, still learning on when to take what and what to take when.
All my junk.
Checking out the clouds from Little Park Road.
Prologue miles from the Lunch Loops to Kokopelli's. L -> R: Jefe, Matt and Cat. Jefe's rocking the 29'er SS with platforms!
Firsts for the year: Blood and a trail night ride. Best to pay attention to the trail and not be looking around at all the cool shadows the moon makes in the desert.
Another rider! ScottM out on the course between Westwater and Dewey. Actually, Chad was there too, but he took off too quick after chatting to get his pic. Funny when Chad said 'You look like you're traveling light'.
Like a good cup of coffee- storms brewing over the La Sals.
Slickrock in the Yellowjacket section.
Weird tree remnant in one of the Cottonwood Canyons.
So with rain and cold pretty much the forecast for the period after returning to Scotty's pad in Denver, I hightailed it home to blue skies, nice temps and a ride on the North Country Trail. This was something I'd wanted to do before the GL attempt, but the incessant rain on the weekends killed it.
Even being prepacked, It was still a rush to resort my junk and make a few diet/kit changes. With the plan of getting out early Thursday a.m. blown, I finally started out at Noon from the M-20 trailhead in White Cloud.
Running the same basic kit: Jandd seatpack - windshield pad - sleep kit in dry bag
Not much to say other than miles and miles of sweet tree covered rippin' singletrack from M-20 -> Nichols Lake North.
Small stream crossing.
Magical forests...
Ribbons of singletrack...
Until...
Which necessitates...
So from North Nichols to the Bowman Lake Trailhead, is quite a few miles of dirt and paved roads to skirt a 'hiker only' section. After which you return to more miles of sweet sweet singletrack.
Sun setting on the trail.
As the sun started going down, I realized I'd not make the next water stop off before the sun was too low to see the trail. Not being reflectively blazed, I rode up to 8th Street in 'Segment C' and turned around to start looking for a 'wet' place to camp. After checking out Timber Creek Campground and the Upper Branch Access point, I decided to ride for a bit more knowing I'd make the Bowman Bridge Campground before dark.
Taking bivy at the Bowman Bridge Campground. That little blue bottle on the right of the picnic table was probably the most important addition to the kit: bug spray.
Last pic before passing out.
Friday morning was more road to hook back up to the trail at Nichols Lake and then a ribbon all the way back to the car.
Quite a few marshy sections.
Fin.
So what changes will we see for this next round? Definitely looking at getting some of the weight off my back and on the bike. Dietary too, but I won't give up the beer. And that 29'er thing? Interesting for sure.
So no HIP100 for me this year, but I'm ready to start thinking about (what I figure to be the out and back distance) NCT160: M-20 <-> Marilla or M-20 -> Mackinaw one way (320 miles?).
Anybody ready for some bikepacking? Summer is here!
posted by JimL at 8:02 AM
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