Doug Artman, up for adventure! August 9, 2023 Doug Artman invited me to go bikerafting on Stampede Reservoir. As bikepacking loves compound words, bikerafting is the blend of bikepacking = off road touring and packrafting = travel by lightweight inflatable rafts. This route was splendidly that blend of activities, we rode the Truckee Emigrant Trail …
Continue reading Bikerafting Overnight; Emigrant Trail and Stampede Reservoir
Riding out of Lone Juniper Canyon on Day 2, there is no escaping the sun While early summer was cool and stormy, the switch was flipped to peak summer temperatures just weeks before this trip. In anticipation of this, the climb to the summit of Fox Mountain at 8,196’ with a descent into camp by …
Continue reading Rides with Friends #4 Fox Mountain Loop Overnight
June 15-18, 2023 My earliest exploration of the Granite Range had me riding along Cottonwood Creek. It gets contributions from Wagon Tire Creek and a few springs between 6000’ and 7000’. At some point I dropped a fly line in lower Cottonwood Creek and pulled out a Brook Trout! I couldn’t figure out how they …
Continue reading Rides with Friends #3 Bikefishing the Granite Range
I ride and write frequently about Dog Valley, second only to the Black Rock Desert. Dog Valley/Henness Pass road turns to dirt on the edge of Verdi and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. This winter we did a snow camping overnight in the area, and it is a popular area for all outdoor activities in all …
Continue reading Dog Valley with Wildwood Open Lands Foundation; Howl micro-Rally
A great introduction to the canyonlands of Black Rock Country April 26-27, 2023 I first rode into the Granite Range in December of 2018. I usually round up and say the Granite Range shoots up from 4000’ to 9000’ but for those who appreciate accuracy Granite Peak is 8980’. I admire the Granites more than …
As it was originally planned this route was 45.5 miles with 3000’ of climbing around the perimeter of Little High Rock Canyon Wilderness. I originally rode the course as a day ride with Pete Rissler in 2017. We were both on gravel bikes but a mountain bike would be my tool of choice. I planned …
Continue reading Rides with Friends #1 Little High Rock Canyon and Denio Camp
Late February 2022 Mark led us through the snow between Spooner and Marlette Lakes Last year Mark Yakushev wanted to plan a snowpacking trip for our bikepacking club, BurritoPackingNV. Great idea! Mark has experience riding the trails out of Lake Tahoe State Park, and proposed a loop around Spooner Lake then climb to Marlette. It …
Continue reading Slushpacking, a Snow Camping S240 Above Dog Valley, Henness Pass Rd
Starting out on Soldier Meadows Rd, Hualapai Flat, the Calico Hills, and Black Rock Desert on the right off picture. Photo Sasha Magee How do you know you are saving the best for last? When Rides with Friends started in October of 2020 we picked a showcase ride, High Rock Canyon. Then in 2021 I …
Continue reading Rides with Friends #6; Soldier Meadows-Fly Canyon Loop
Dooby Vision, can you dig it? Guru Rd will definitely be included in future rides Sometimes it is best no one else shows up for a ride. Unfortunately this ride got rescheduled at the last minute. But rather than cancelling I just pushed it forward. Of course the weather pushed forward to. It pushed hard …
Continue reading Rides with Friends #5; Around Little High Rock Canyon Wilderness
Arriving at Mt Shasta from the north on I-5 For those of us regularly in northern California, Mt Shasta is iconic. I first visited in the 90's on a ski weekend, climbed it in 2001 and raced mountain bikes there in early 2000's. I have been keeping bikepacking around Shasta as an option as long …
Continue reading Mt Shasta Loop, Overnight, technically S24O