Bikepacking the Stagecoach 400 PNW Bikepacking 2025-03-26 | In December 2024, I went on a bikepacking trip on the Stagecoach 400 with my two buddies Rob and Paul. We ended up starting from San Diego, CA to make logistics easier (rather than Idyllwild). We rode the route counter clockwise. We did the route in 6 days but had to cut off the Idyllwild loop at t he top of the route.Intro: 00:00Day 1: 01:53Day 2: 07:56Day 3: 13:59Day 4: 21:05Day 5: 27:41Day 6: 32:55Outtakes: 38:50If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.comRoute Information:bikepacking.com/routes/stagecoach-400-bikepacking-routeSpecial thanks to:- Shad from the Iron Door for hooking us up with water and food
Bikepacking the Lodgepole Lollipop PNW Bikepacking 2025-09-16 | Over 4th of July weekend I went on an overnight trip along the Lodgepole trail. The Lodgepole trail is part of the Oregon Timber Trail. I rode the OTT in 2024, but we bypassed this section due to the lack of trail maintenance.I wanted to come back to this area to see this section of trail and fish some of the lakes. There is a discrepancy on the amount of Ascent based on if you're looking at Gaia (7,300) or Ride with GPS (6,000) stats. I think Ride with GPS is probably closer.If you like a backcountry singletrack route with a bit of pushing, some blowdowns, and some rough singletrack, you may enjoy this route!ridewithgps.com/routes/51547478
Bikepacking The Ochoco Outlaw PNW Bikepacking 2025-09-10 | Paul put together this route in the Central Oregon which linked together the singletrack trails in the Ochocos. He called the route the Ochoco Outlaw.We rode this on memorial day weekend, a bit early as indicated by the snow. Turned out to be the worst route we have ever done!Ride with GPS:ridewithgps.com/routes/52600111Spoken Hostel:mitchelloregon.us/visit/page/spoken-hostel
Deschutes Bikefishing Short Edit PNW Bikepacking 2025-06-24 | Testing out a new camera bike fishing along the Deschutes. Rob caught 5 fish (none on film), and I caught a baby fish!
Bikepacking the Siouxon Sampler PNW Bikepacking 2025-06-13 | An overnight bikepacking trip at one of my favorite places in Washington, Siouxon Creek.Hope you enjoy the video!Route details: ridewithgps.com/routes/50579731If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.com
Siouxon Sampler Short PNW Bikepacking 2025-05-12 | Solo bikepacking trip first weekend of May. Full video coming soon.
Bikepacking the Salmon Klick Circuit PNW Bikepacking 2025-05-06 | Went on a short overnight loop with Rob out by White Salmon WA along the Klickitat River on Easter weekend. Great weekend with all the wildflowers on display in the Gorge!If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.com
Bikepacking the Oregon Timber Trail (OTT 700) PNW Bikepacking 2024-09-12 | I've been wanting to do the Oregon Timber Trail for years, but due to trail conditions and wildfires, its remained elusive. In July 2024 I set out with the Grand Depart to tour the Oregon Timber Trail. As usual, things don't go according to plan. Intro: 00:00Act I: Fremont Tier 01:09Act II: Willamette Tier 18:08Act III: Deschutes Tier 29:39Act IV: Hood Tier 40:18In the video, you'll meet Garrett, he has is own channel check it out: youtube.com/c/MoveWithMurphCheck out his video of the OTT: youtube.com/watch?v=vDhA5U0doqYIf you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.comRoute Information:oregontimbertrail.orgSpecial thanks to:- Oregon Timber Trail Alliance- Paul for being an awesome riding partner- Chip Andrus (OTT Race Director) - All the riders at the Grand Depart!- Cedar for the Shuttle Service (Oregon Territory Outfitters)- Karinda Love from the Three Creek Store- Kyle, Max, Justin, Sarah, Garret, and Sebastion for keeping me stoked! - The awesome employees at the Oakridge bikeshop- Rob Parker for giving me a ride to and from the shuttle!
Bikepacking the Cross-Washington Mountain Bike Route (XWA)... Again PNW Bikepacking 2024-08-06 | The XWA is a route that Rob and I did back in 2019. Rob asked me if I wanted to ride the XWA again this year in 2024, but this time with the Grand Depart. This video documents our Journey along the XWA! Big thanks to Troy Hopwood for putting together this route and all the work that goes into facilitating these grand departs!Check Out Troys youtube channel: youtube.com/@UCpCHlbNZJOok-XXBWJwWboA Route Details:bandok.com/livetracker/XWA24Affiliate Links:Following the links to any of my affiliates doesn't cost you anything but I get a small commission if you follow the link and make a purchase. This helps me run my channel!Rockgiest: https://rockgeist.com/?avad=394201_d3...Katabtic Gear: https://katabaticgear.com/?avad=39420...Hyperlite Mountain Gear: hyperlitemountaingear.com/?avad=394201_d3b5605dd&utm_medium=affiliate&@utm_source=www.youtube.com%2F%40pnwbikepackingIf you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.com
Chris Caught a Fish (Swift Campout Bikepacking Video Challenge Entry 2024) PNW Bikepacking 2024-06-26 | Rob and I went on a bikepacking trip along the Mckenzie River to celebrate the Summer Solstice. But really, we were on a fishing mission... and alas, I caught a fish!
Bikepacking the Arizona Trail 800 PNW Bikepacking 2024-02-01 | Affiliate Links:Following the links to any of my affiliates doesn't cost you anything but I get a small commission if you follow the link and make a purchase. This helps me run my channel!Rockgiest: rockgeist.com/?avad=394201_d3b23fa81Katabtic Gear: katabaticgear.com/?avad=394201_a3b28d7e9On October 14th, 2023 I set out to Bikepack the AZT 800. I intended to ride the route alone, but ended up meeting a riding companion, Gordon. We'd ride for 20 days finishing the route on November 2nd, 2023. The Arizona Trail has a reputation for being physically and mentally demanding. It lived up to it's reputation. Overall it was a tremendous experience filled with joy, suffering, scorching heat, freezing cold, companionship, camaraderie, and overwhelming beauty. I had so much support while doing this route from strangers and friends. Thank you to all the people who helped Gordon and I along the way, and thank you Gordon for being a great riding partner!00:00 Intro01:24 Day 1 04:07 Day 2 06:40 Day 308:40 Day 411:22 Day 5 (Molino Basin / Lemmon Pusch)15:50 Day 620:24 Day 722:58 Day 8 25:25 Day 9 27:31 Day 1030:15 Day 1132:30 Day 1233:58 Day 1335:59 Day 1437:10 Day 1538:53 Day 1640:05 Day 1741:09 Day 18 (Grand Canyon)46:33 Day 1950:05 Day 20If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.com
Bikepacking the Olympic Discovery and Cowichan Valley figure 8 PNW Bikepacking 2023-11-28 | Over fourth of July weekend 2024, Rob and I made some last minute adjustments to our plan and rode the Olympic Adventure Route and Cowichan Valley 8 Loop. We met up with Rob (Salty Beard) in Victoria and got a grand tour. Big thanks to Salty for the beer and showing us around! Check out his channel: youtube.com/c/saltybeardbikepackingRoute: bikepacking.com/routes/olympic-adventure-route bikepacking.com/routes/cowichan-valley-8If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.com
Bikepacking the Anaxshat Passage (Summer 2023) PNW Bikepacking 2023-11-13 | After being impassable due to closures from the 2020 Riverside fire, the key roads making this route possible reopened in 2023. Rob, Kwame, and I spent a weekend rediscovering the Anaxshat passage.Thanks to Gabriel Amadeus for putting this route together. Route: bikepacking.com/routes/anaxshat-passageIf you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.com
Butte Camp Bikepacking Bonanza: A Mount St. Helens Bikepacking Adventure PNW Bikepacking 2023-07-18 | Rob and Ember have wanted to climb the Butte Camp route on Mt. St Helens for ages! Rob and I decided to turn this into a bikepacking adventure and invite Paul who we met out a rainy day ride back in February. This would be Pauls first climb and second bikepacking trip with us. We had great weather on the first two days and a wet ride home. Overall the trip was a lot of fun!
Solo Bikepacking on the Pinyons and Pines route (May 7 - 12) PNW Bikepacking 2023-06-06 | 00:00 Intro01:44 Day One08:55 Day Two12:31 Day Three15:39 Day Four21:10 Day Five27:26 Day SixAs the Pacific Northwest was slowly awakening from its winter slumber, I was day dreaming about riding in Arizona. So I decided to book a trip to Arizona and ride the short version of 2023 Pinyons and Pines route. ridewithgps.com/routes/42021852I’m not part of the race, and I won’t be going at racing speed… I did my ride on May 7th - 12th, just a week before the race. And despite doing this in six days, it still totally worked me! I was able to complete the short version as it was mapped out on ridewithgps, though for the race, I think weather and blowdowns caused some last minute rerouting. Overall, I had an amazing time and am proud of myself for completing the route! I experienced hot a and cold, smooth and chunky, hard and easy, a lot of contrast which is something I love on an adventure!Thanks to the route organizers Dana Ernest and Dylan Turner for putting this route together. I wouldn't get to go on amazing adventures like this without people like you! If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.com
Deschutes River Birthday Bikepacking Weekend PNW Bikepacking 2023-04-09 | 00:00 Shenanigans / Intro02:58 Gratitude05:38 Trestles and Resupply12:20 End of the Trestles13:20 Maupin14:33 Day TwoI celebrated my 37th birthday weekend with Rob out on the Deschutes River trail. I've lost count of the number of times that I've been on this trail, but it's been a lot. This weekend, we didn't camp out, and got a room in Maupin instead. You'll notice I am schlepping a bunch of gear in the video though... I am testing out a few new pieces of kit that I got which ill be using in an upcoming trip to AZ in May. This ride was a shakedown for my ultralight(ish) kit... Despite being a bit hungover and I got sick at the end of the trip, we had a great time! Hope you guys enjoy.
The Big Lonely Ochoco Overlander Bikepacking Trip [PNW Bikepacking] PNW Bikepacking 2023-03-03 | 00:00 Day 106:31 Day Two11:15 Day Three13:54 Day Four20:09 Day Five26:29 Day SixThis is a trip from back in May of 2022. There was just so much footage I had a hard time committing to making the video. In this ride, we are attempting to combine the Big Lonely route with the Ochoco Overlander though I made a mistake and downloaded an old version of the Big Lonely which resulted in some detours. Weather also impacted our plans, we got a late start, and we ended up cutting the trip a day short.We ended up meeting a ton of bike packers on this route! More than we ever have on any other route! It was cool to see so many people out on their bikes. There were pretty typical mishaps and antics on this trip. I still can’t believe how many videos Rob breaks a can of wine in one of his bags.Hope you all enjoy the clip!
A visit from Parker PNW Bikepacking 2023-02-26 | @RobParker8 came by today to mooch coffee and lunch off me. Here is a short video of his adventure.
Bikepacking Central Oregon - A Journey Thru Time PNW Bikepacking 2023-02-20 | 00:00 Intro01:49 Start of the ride04:27 Day 1 debrief06:25 Start of Day Two08:50 Day Two Riding09:43 Painted Hills12:48 Back to carCentral Oregon is a pretty reliable place to do some early season bikepacking, you just have to be prepared for some cold! It's generally drier and sunnier! Snow levels were looking pretty low and incoming precipitation further limited our options, so Rob put together this route that starts in Condon OR and makes two loops taking you through Mitchell and the Painted hills! There is a lot of climbing on day 1 but the terrain is so good. The route is all on very smooth gravel and tarmac. Would recommend a gravel bike, or take whatcha got! We had a great weekend, and still made it back to the pub in time for the last quarter of the superbowl! Hope you enjoy watching!Route: ridewithgps.com/routes/42011150
Bikepacking The Queens Ransom PNW Bikepacking 2023-02-05 | Table of contents:00:00 Intro00:52 Day One04:12 Day One Wrap Up06:42 Day Two11:14 Day Two Wrap Up14:05 Day Three19:47 Day Three Wrap Up21:55 Day Four27:47 Day Four Wrap Up28:55 Day Five33:04 Outro - with Special Guest Rob!Overview:Heading to the Southwest is a great escape from the wet and dreary PNW winters. After my adventure with Rob in Utah, I was looking for another challenging desert ride I could do sometime in late January 2023 and landed on the Queen's Ransom. This ride was particularly exciting for me, as I would get a taste of the Arizona Trail, which I have day dreamed about riding since I started bikepacking. My plan tickets gave me 6 days to do the route. I ended up doing it in 5 which even still proved to be a challenging ride for me.I really enjoyed this route! Thank you to John Schilling for developing the route and Bikepacking.com for being a great resource for hosting routes like this.Route: bikepacking.com/routes/queens-ransom
Frozen Bikepacking - Riding the Peaks & Plateaus PNW Bikepacking 2023-01-15 | Intro: 00:00Day 1 Start: 2:11Day 1 Camp: 3:57Day 2 start: 6:03Steelbender: 11:47Day 3 start: 14:49Day 3 Camp: 18:04Day 4 start: 21:30Rob and I are headed back to Utah this Thanksgiving (2022) for a two week excursion. Riding the Peaks and Plateaus route is one of our key objectives. Immediately upon arriving in Utah, we ended up changing our itinerary, it was uncharacteristically cold so we ended up doing a backpacking trip in the Needles first, hoping for some warmer weather later in the week.We had a lot of fun on this route. I really enjoyed the section through Lockhart Basin and I liked Steelbender (even though it was a lot of hike a bike).Bike Set up:Rob and I both rode hard tail mountain bikes with 120mm front suspension and 2.6 tires front and rear. In my opinion, this is the optimal bike for this route. Steelbender and Lockhart Basin have some chunky terrain and the bigger tires and front sus provide a more comfortable ride.Thanks for watching!If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.comRoute: bikepacking.com/routes/peaks-and-plateausThanks to Neil Beltchenko for putting together a great route
A(nother) Bikepacking Journey through the Southwest - [TEASER] PNW Bikepacking 2022-12-13 | Rob and I head off on another bikepacking journey in the southwest. This will be our third time back here in the last year! I've got a a tight agenda planned for this trip, but like usual, we didn't end up following the plan. Check out a short teaser for the upcoming edit!
A Ride to Climb - Bikepacking to Mount Adams then climbing it! ||PNW Bikepacking PNW Bikepacking 2022-12-06 | 0:00 Start Riding4:12 Start Hiking5:12 Basecamp6:15 Day two - Climbing8:26 Summit11:07 Bike ride out14:32 Rob AdventureRob and I have talked about linking a bike ride up to a mountain climb for a long time. This wasn't the trip that we dreamt up 5 years ago... but its a start. In the video Rob calls out riding to Rainier and summiting that... maybe in 2023! For this trip, I started in Trout Lake WA, so it was a short bike ride. Rob started a few days before me and left from Portland!This was done in Late September. Hope you enjoy the videoIf you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.com
A Ride to Climb - Bikepacking to Mount Adams || PNW Bikepacking [Teaser] PNW Bikepacking 2022-11-03 | Rob and I have talked about linking a bikepacking trip to a mountain climb for years. It was the whole reason I bought a mountain bike in the first place. Finally, we embark on a journey to make it happen, even though it wasn't the itinerary we initially had talked about... this was a good shakedown for future endeavors. Full video coming soon.
Mount Hood Dirty Reacharound Bikepacking || PNW Overnighter PNW Bikepacking 2022-10-30 | Rob and I took on the Mount Hood Dirty Reacharound. Between the terrain and the climbing, this route worked us both, but we still had a great time!The route has some of the best descents I've ever ridden with phenomenal views of Mount Hood. I'd definitely do this route again. There are also a lot of water filtering opportunities and plenty of camping!Thanks to the folks who put together this route:Route: ridewithgps.com/routes/27868087If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.com
Klickitat Bikerafting Adventure PNW Bikepacking 2022-10-04 | Since our first bikerafting trip on the Deschutes River, Rob and I have been scheming our next river adventure. We ended up doing a bikerafting loop on the Klickitat River. In total we probably rafted about 17 river miles of Class I and II. Next year we may try to extend the length of rafting section.We did the ride in Mid September where the river was running very low (at the lowest recommended CFS ~980). We didn't have too much trouble, but I had run the river a few months prior (without a bike) and there were noticeably less exposed hazards.Overall this was a super fun trip. Thanks for watching!If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.com
Klickitat Trail Bikepacking Loop | Just an Average Bikepacking Trip PNW Bikepacking 2022-09-12 | In this video, Rob and I do an overnight trip on the Klickitat Trail. This trip wasn't anything spectacular but we had a great time and got to explore some new areas. Best of all, most of day 1 was riding with a tailwind!Hope you enjoy.If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.com
[Recharged] - Bikerafting a high elevation lake in the Washington PNW Bikepacking 2022-08-02 | This will be my second bike rafting trip and my fist time solo… to keep it safe, I am deciding to stay on flatwater. I am heading to a few high elevation lakes to fish, raft and camp. The trip turned out to be beautiful and I had an amazing time despite not catching any fish. Hope you guys enjoy this video.If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.com
Bikerafting the Lower Deschutes River [Our First Time Bikerafting] PNW Bikepacking 2022-07-29 | Rob and I went on our first bikerafting adventure down the Lower Deschutes River. On Day 1 we rode passed the downed trestles and camped at Macks Canyon. On Day 2 we rode to Beavertail campground where we would put in and float approximately 16-18 river miles. (Class I and Class II).On day 3 we would raft 14ish river miles and would encounter a few Class III Rapids. We had SO much fun on this trip! Can't wait to do more bikerafting! Hope you guys enjoy the video!Rob and I were both using Alpacka Caribou packrafts.00:00 intro00:37 Day one bike ride04:39 Day two bikerafting07:59 Day three bikerafting09:15 Flip #1 Colorado Rapids10:23 Flip #2 Rattlesnake RapidsIf you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.com
Bikerafting the Lower Deschutes River (TEASER) PNW Bikepacking 2022-07-22 | Rob and I embarked on our first Bikerafting adventure down the Lower Deschutes River. Watch a short teaser for the full video... coming soon!I am behind a few videos at the moment, but was too excited and wanted to make this!
Siouxon Creek Clean Up Bikepacking Trip PNW Bikepacking 2022-07-13 | With a triple digit forecast forecast projected, I decided to head into the forest and do some trail maintenance at one of my favorite overnight spots, Siouxon Creek! Much of the riding on Day 1 was terrible along a busy highway with no shoulder, but getting to camp at Siouxon and ride through this beautiful area made it all worth it!I brought my new Silky Gomboy saw to do some trail maintenance along the way and it was great!Hope you enjoy the video!
Bikepacking the Metolious River Green Ridge Loop PNW Bikepacking 2022-07-04 | The Metolious River Green Ridge loop is one my favorite overnighters in the PNW. You’ll find beautiful riding along the Metolius river, mountain views, fishing, single track, lots of water, and camp spots. Rob and I have been here 4 times in the last year!This video contains footage from trips in April, May, and June of 2022.
Bikepacking The Happy Monkey Route || I STACKED! PNW Bikepacking 2022-06-07 | Rob and I were on the hunt for a dry spot and a bikepacking route and stumbled on this route last minute. Thanks to Mathew and LeeAnn for creating these routes:ridewithgps.com/trips/20611465ridewithgps.com/routes/37702958Despite a lack of training, back pain, and STACKING, we had a great time!Hope you enjoy!If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.com
Bikepacking the Plateau Passage (Part 2) Moab or Bust PNW Bikepacking 2022-05-20 | After taking a few rest days, we started the second leg of our trip from Escalante. We followed parts of the Plateau Passage route, though we made a lot of adjustments to the route due to conditions. Hope you enjoy. If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.com
Bikepacking the Plateau Passage (Boulder City to St. George) [PART 1] PNW Bikepacking 2022-05-11 | Rob and I took a trip down to Boulder City Nevada where we'd roughly follow the Plateau Passage bikepacking route. We left in the middle of March so we knew that the full route wouldn't go due to snow at higher elevations. For this first leg of our trip we started in Boulder City Nevada, and rode to St. George Utah.Full Route:bikepacking.com/routes/plateau-passage
2022 Spring Utah Bikepacking Adventure Teaser PNW Bikepacking 2022-04-06 | Rob and I headed back to the desert this spring to roughly follow the Plateau Passage Bikepacking route. The thing is, we know the route isn't going to go so we're REALLY roughly following it making adaptations on the fly as we go.Here is a sneak peak at the trip! Hope you enjoy. If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.com
A John Day Winter Bikepacking Adventure || How to Freeze! PNW Bikepacking 2022-03-10 | Rob and I went on a weekend bikepacking adventure starting at Cottonwood Canyon State park and camping along the John Day River. It got COLD on this trip! 19 Degrees! We froze! We still ended up having a great time.GPS TRACKS:ridewithgps.com/routes/38754902ridewithgps.com/routes/38754903'Hope you enjoy. If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.com
A Cold Night on Pine Mountain || Winter Bikepacking Fail PNW Bikepacking 2022-02-22 | With a promising forecast of 60 degree weather in Bend, I planned to ride the Pine Mountain Observatory Bikepacking loop with some extra miles tacked on in the beginning. I quickly encountered snow, and even though the afternoons were warm, the mornings were freezing! The snow kept me from making it to Pine Mountain Observatory, but I still had a great trip. Hope you enjoy. If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at pnwbikepacking@gmail.com
Winter Hood River Bikepacking Adventure PNW Bikepacking 2022-02-15 | Getting the motivation to ride in the Pacific Northwest this time of year can be difficult. It’s dark a lot of the day with less than 9 hours of daylight, it is wet and cold...so when a weather window comes, you take advantage of it!Rob strung together some routes we’ve done as day rides and the deschutres river trail giving us an overnighter only an hour and a half from portland. This would be our second bikepacking trip of 2022 and we knew it would be cold.GPX track: ridewithgps.com/routes/38568936Note: This was the route as we mapped and and we followed it pretty close but there may be a few deviationsHope you enjoy. If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at chriswilsonbikepacking@gmail.com
Bikepacking The Lakeside Shuffle PNW Bikepacking 2022-02-04 | Rob conjured up this weekends bike packing trip. Patching together landmarks from his past life down in Lakeside Oregon. Rather than schlepping around a tent, we’d be living large and staying in a yurt.This ride ended up being more interesting than fun, but we ultimately ended up having a good time and enjoying some sunshine.Hope you enjoy. If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at chriswilsonbikepacking@gmail.com
ACT III - TREMORS - Bikepacking Hey Joe Safari PNW Bikepacking 2022-01-03 | 09:12 Scramble SectionThis is the final Act in my 3 part series of a 10 day road trip to Utah.Our final ride would be Hey Joe Safari. Overall, I really liked the route but it was tough to do in two days. There was more sand than we anticipated, but the scramble section wasn't that bad (despite me having a little slip). Thank you to Colt Fetters for putting the route together and bikepacking.com for publishing the route: bikepacking.com/routes/hey-joe-safariWater:We carried all our water for this route. I think we each had about 8-9 liters.Bike Set Up:I rode a Surly Karate Monkey with a 2.6 inch tire in the front and a 2.5 in the back with front suspension. Rob rode a Surly Krampus with 2.35 inch tires in the front and back fully rigid.Neither of these set ups were great for the sand. We both did the same amount of walking. Videos from this series:Teaser: youtube.com/watch?v=zOM7HzEJSpAAct I: youtube.com/watch?v=HBk7n16rQBA&t=2sAct II: youtube.com/watch?v=yPn9-pfGsVA&t=2sAct III: youtube.com/watch?v=OnTdPKgpSaQHope you enjoy. If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at chriswilsonbikepacking@gmail.com
ACT II - Grandeur - Bikepacking The White Rim PNW Bikepacking 2021-12-24 | This video is a little bit more personal to me. In 2016 I went on my first real solo adventure and the crown jewel was bikepacking the White Rim. I had an incredible time on the trip and it turned out to be quite transformative. I proved to myself I could go on adventures alone.Since then, I have gone on a lot of incredible solo adventures. However, at times it feels like there is a piece missing because it isn't a shared experience. You know that feeling you have when you experience something amazing, but you could never properly share it... people wouldn't get it unless they experienced it too...So on this road trip with my friend Rob, I was most excited to share this unique and impossibly stunning landscape with him! Thanks to Logan Watts at bikepacking.com for posting this route! This route had a big impact on me! bikepacking.com/routes/bikepacking-the-white-rimVideos from this series:Teaser: youtube.com/watch?v=zOM7HzEJSpAAct I: youtube.com/watch?v=HBk7n16rQBA&t=2sAct II: youtube.com/watch?v=yPn9-pfGsVA&t=2sAct III: youtube.com/watch?v=OnTdPKgpSaQHope you enjoy. If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email at chriswilsonbikepacking@gmail.com
ACT I - Frozen Toes - Bikepacking the Grand Staircase Loop PNW Bikepacking 2021-12-23 | Rob and I traveled to Utah in Thanksgiving 2021 with the goal to ride three separate bikepacking routes over 8 days.Act I is the first route of the trip, the Grand Staircase Loop.Thanks to Jamie Mefford for contributing the route and Bikepacking.com for making that information accessible.bikepacking.com/routes/grand-staircase-loopRob and I had a lot of fun doing this route! We chose to do the route in 3 days and i'd say the route difficulty of a 6 (according to bikepacking.com) feels about right. There are a lot of short punchy climbs on this ride. Doing this route at the end of November meant for cold temperatures and short days.Overall, I'd highly recommend this route. If you are a beginner, I'd definitely opt for doing it in 4 days. I also can't imagine doing this route in the heat!Videos from this series:Teaser: youtube.com/watch?v=zOM7HzEJSpAAct I: youtube.com/watch?v=HBk7n16rQBA&t=2sAct II: youtube.com/watch?v=yPn9-pfGsVA&t=2sAct III: youtube.com/watch?v=OnTdPKgpSaQThanks for watching.How to get in touch: chriswilsonbikepacking@gmail.com
2021 Utah Bikepacking Adventure Teaser PNW Bikepacking 2021-12-11 | Wanderlust has led Rob and I to Utah this Thanksgiving. The timing is appropriate for me… After all, my time in nature is among the things I am most thankful for in life. I am captivated every time I am here.Our goal is to ride 3 separate bikepacking routes over the course of 8 days.Follow along our journey in this Three Act Series:Videos from this series:Teaser: youtube.com/watch?v=zOM7HzEJSpAAct I: youtube.com/watch?v=HBk7n16rQBA&t=2sAct II: youtube.com/watch?v=yPn9-pfGsVA&t=2sAct III: youtube.com/watch?v=OnTdPKgpSaQ
Metolious River Weekend Bikepacking Adventure | CATCH AND COOK ATTEMPT PNW Bikepacking 2021-10-26 | On the past few bikepacking trips Rob and I have set out with the goal to catch and cook a trout... While all the trips have been fun, we've been striking out in the Catch and Cook department... This would be yet another attempt.We road along the Metolious River (which is catch and release only) and made our way to Lake Billy Chinook where we could actually eat something if we caught it. I caught a single fish which we ended up letting go because we weren't sure if it was a Bulltrout. Overall this was a chill fun ride!Route details:ridewithgps.com/routes/37784552This is the route we came up with which we didn't end up following. We decided to start at Camp Sherman rather than Sisters, but Sisters would be a great starting point!If you happen to find my sunglasses, hit me up at kinkbmxco@yahoo . comFor some reason Youtube has been deleting comments that are legitimate thinking they are spam.
Catch and Cook Bikepacking Trip Fail PNW Bikepacking 2021-10-14 | I spent a lot of September riding solo. My riding Partner Rob was on a road trip with his wife chasing fish and grizzlies in Yellowstone. A few months ago Rob and I did a catch and cook bikepacking trip, but we only caught 1 fish, and it was a real struggle. We wanted a repeat, but this time instead of rationing 1 fish, we wanted to feast on lake trout next to a campfire... so Rob clued me into a lake where he allegedly hooked a giant trout a years back. So when he got back from his road trip we planned a trip to head to this lake. We started in the Panther Creek area, and things quickly didn't go as planned and we encountered a few debacles... a drone stuck in a tree, a broken chain, and missing some turns.Because we were going to be entering a wilderness area we'd need to stash the bikes and hike into our destination.Ultimately we didn't have any luck catching fish! I didn't even see a sign of fish! We still had a great weekend!
Mount St. Helens Epic Weekender Bikepacking Trip || PNW Overnighter || REPEAT PNW Bikepacking 2021-09-28 | Route Details: bikepacking.com/routes/mount-st-helens-epicComing off a busy and tiring week I didn't make time for planning an unfamiliar route...so I decided to do something ive done before... The Mount St Helens Epic Weekender.I have done this route a few times, once back in 2017 and again in 2019.Both times the route was challenging...this time was no different, though, I think being mentally prepared for what is ahead is sometimes half the battle.I started Swift Creek Reservoir and would move clockwise... Heading up the Ape Canyon trail and across the Plains of Abraham.The route starts with a lot of climbing... and stunning view of Mount St. Helens. The Ape Canyon trail is mostly smooth. There are a few roots every now and then to trip you up, but its all ridable. There is a lot of traffic on this trail both hikers and mountain bikers so be cautious and don't get too rowdy.Once you reach the plains of abraham there are amazing views all around...On a clear day you can see Mount Adams, Mount Rainier, Mount hood, and obviously, Mount St Helens.The landscape is other worldly. You'll ride across barren pumice field eventually leading you to windy ridge.The ridge is wide enough its not scary, but narrow enough that you feel like a badass riding down it. After some tarmack riding, I eventually joined up with the boundary trail where I met three other bikepackers doing the same route. I wouldn't see them again...so I hope they found a decent place to camp with water that night.The boundary trail is tough... It tricks me every time. The beginning starts with fun smooth single track. Enough to make you think this is going to be a cakewalk.That doesn't last long though... you'll eventually find the steep rutted out kitty litter.A strong fit cyclist could probably ride most of it...For a weekend warrior like me, I found myself doing a lot of pushing.I had the lake all to myself... that evening.Day 2 doesn't really Start with downhill.. it starts with more uphill and pushing...More Boundary trail which I think is in worse shape than the first half.You'll eventually hit the Craggy peak trail. I really like this section of the ride. I was nervous about the weather... I wasn't stoked on the idea of riding in a downpourBut the clouds made for some beautiful eerie forest riding... and .. the rain never came.In fact, the weather just got nicer and nicer.The Lewis River trail is outstanding.Smooth single track not highly trafficed in my experience.Easy river access and Great fishing..You'll ride along Forest road 90 back to Swift Creek Reservior..I really like this route, it is phsyically challenging, showcases some of the most beautiful areas in the PNW, and it just feels kind of rugged. This is my third time doing the route... and it certainly won't be my last.
PWN Bikepacking Tranquility - A short overnight trip along Canyon Creek PNW Bikepacking 2021-09-15 | This trip came together last minute. I found a ride on Ride with GPS that I could turn into an overnight bikepacking trip. The goal of this ride wasn't to put in hard days, but rather, find some peace and tranquility in the forest as I rode along Canyon Creek and the Lewis River.I (mostly inadvertently) ended up front loading day 1 with about 50 miles and 5,800 feet of elevation. Day two was probably closer to 20 miles with less than 1,000 feet of elevation.The route was a mixture of pavement and gravel. I'd say about 50/50. There are lots of stops for fishing and swimming along the way in either Canyon Creek or the Lewis River.I stopped at Canyon Creek campground but decided not to stay because it was too short into the trip and there were a few big groups there who looked like they were going to be partying. I ended up finding a great camp spot along the Lewis River.Overall this was a relaxing trip and I found what I was searching for.
TYPE 2 FUN BIKEPACKING - Silver Siouxon Loop || PNW || 75 Miles PNW Bikepacking 2021-09-09 | I rode this route solo on 9/04/2021 – 09/06/2021Route: bikepacking.com/routes/silver-siouxonThe Siouxon Creek area recently reopened after getting damaged from the Big Hollow Fire in 2020. With a Labor day weekend I had three days off and decided to see if the Silver Siouxon Loop would go! I was a bit apprehensive about rough trail conditions and that proved to be justified.The trail was overgrown and full of blowdowns. But IT GOES! This route has some serious challenges, rough chunky terrain, steep hike a bike sections, exposed ridge riding, and overgrown sections. But you are rewarded with incredible views and a majestic forest. I ended up breaking the route up like this:Day 1: ~13 milesDay 2: ~ 36 milesDay 3: ~ 27 miles** Bike/Setup **I wouldn't even consider riding this route on a bike without front suspension or at least 2.5 inch tires. Preferably I would have BOTH. I rode a Surly Karate Monkey with Front Suspension and 2.35 inch tires. I wished I had fatter tires on this one.I would try to aim for going light and compact. With the blowdowns, all the extra stuff on your bike is going to be more weight you have to lift. Also with the blowdowns and overgrowth, if you have crap dangling from your bike it may get caught on branches.** Water **Day 1 is full of water. Absolutely filter water at the spring at the top of Silver Star! After that you won't have water until you hit Siouxon and that area has some exposed sections. On your way to the top of Silverstar there is a sign where Bluff Mountain trial starts. If you keep going straight you will go to the top of Silver Star. Off to the right, there is a trail which leads to the spring. I didn't know this... and took the road up and bushwacked down to the spring. Oops.** Other Route Notes **If you do this when it is dewy or it has rained recently, you're going to get soaked. There is SO much overgrowth. The camping around Mile 15 is good minus the loud trucks that go by on the gravel road near by. It woke me up a few times.There are lots of camping spots along Siouxon Creek. Overall I probably encountered around 50-60 blowdowns on the Siouxon Creek trail. Of those, only like 4-5 of them were a real pain in the ass to get over. One of them I would even call a bit sketchy. The blowdown wiped out the trail and you have to go over a fairly big log. There is a decent amount of exposure if you were to blow it.
LAND OLAKES BIKPEACKING LOOP (Trout Catch and Cook!) PNW Bikepacking 2021-09-01 | For a long time I've wanted to catch and cook a fish in the backcountry. Rob put together this 65 mile bikepacking loop with that goal in mind. This trip was more focused on the fishing and having a chill ride. He is calling this route the Land O'Lakes due to the number of lakes you pass by. You could even tag a few additional lakes if you want like Chain of Lakes. The route starts at Tahklak lake and passes by Horseshoe, Walupt, Blue, and Olallie lakes. You'll also traverse along the North Fork of the Cispus River providing ample fishing opportunities. Make sure you are fishing at the NORTH FORK of the Cispus River, not the lower section... It gets too silty in the lower sections. We saw A LOT of fish jumping at Horseshoe and Walupt but they weren't biting! We only caught 1 fish... and we fished for like 5 hours!There are options on this route. You can opt to take the Valley Trail which sees a fair amount of motor bike traffic. As a result, we stuck to the gravel roads and in some cases some tarmac.I think you could do this route with a gravel bike with pretty narrow tires. Generally the gravel was pretty smooth!Route Details:ridewithgps.com/routes/37356178
