Bisque had the great idea to go to the Canadian gulf islands for a bike trip over the July 4th weekend and I was so in. I had two other friends that had gone the last year and had all come back sunkissed and blissed out from hanging out on beaches and eating pastries. I was so excited! The Canadian gulf islands are a series of islands off the north coast of Vancouver Island which are connected by a network of ferries.
Read MoreMy partner and I have a bad track record of trying to hike or ride in the mountains too early. We’re both from warmer places (California & Georgia) so, even after 8 years of living here we both get a little confused. Last year we tried to backpack around Mount Baker in early July and were thwarted by thick snow cover, this time we tried to bike around the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in late May and also ran into a lot of snow. I was trying to come up with a fun and simple backcountry route for an upcoming Friends on Bikes campout and this was not the one.
Read MoreI LOVE hot springs. So much. I used to live in Colorado and would be out finding hot springs several weekends a month. Since I moved to the Pacific Northwest I have been in search of nice natural hot springs, but it has been tough. Most of the nice springs in the Pacific Northwest are concentrated in Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia which is more convenient than going all the way to the Southwest, but still not as nice as having it close to home.
Read MoreSomething really incredible happens when you find people that know how to listen, feel, and work as a team with an attitude of abundance. Every time I am able to get even a few of my wonderful shrimpies together it is usually nourishing and uplifting physically, spiritually, and emotionally. This trip to Whidbey, Fidalgo and Lopez Islands was no different!
Read MoreWhen you feel like you are in a sea of gear and trail mix…. Fear not! This handy dandy packing guide is here to help take the stress out of your bike camping adventure.
Read MoreI am really big fan of wool for travel and outdoor stuff, and especially cashmere. I am also a REALLY big fan of not spending a lot of money. I am here to prosthelytize about the merits of secondhand cashmere and why you should wear it on your next trip or ride.
Read MoreI like to think of myself as more of a punk than a gearhead type of cyclist. I am never interested in the newest, shiniest thing. I prefer waiting for the real gearheads to get tired of their stuff so I can get it secondhand and haggle them down to below half-price — that or do without all together. So by this same token, I have always been skeptical of sports-specific foods, supplements, lotions or potions.
Read MoreI felt to nourished by the rhythm of our days. It felt so natural to be moving on a bike all day with some of my best friends, helping one another make food, work through feelings, and tackle mechanical issues. It felt good to sleep under trees, pack up my bike bags every morning, and bathe in lakes and rivers. Eight days was all it took to adapt enough to a different type of life that I didn’t want it to change. Maybe I would get tired of this pace of life? If the weather was bad? If I couldn’t find good food? If it wasn’t as scenic? Whatever the case, I felt inspired to tour for longer, to keep going, to develop a new frame for cycling in the future.
Read MoreFour goofy friends decided in early July 2020 that they would circumnavigate the Olympic Peninsula at the end of July. We planned to go counter-clockwise and take the Olympic Discovery Trail for as long as we could. It was personal for two of the group since they had attempted the route a few years ago but mechanical issues and a serious rainstorm in South Beach made them call a ride.
Read MoreI knew about Corn Nuts, but I never knew Corn Nuts. My friend Danielle was snacking on Corn Nuts during our tour around the Olympic Peninsula, and I must thank her deeply for awakening me to this incredible snack.
Read MoreEvery body can cycle. Whether you ride with a conventional bike, a bike with training wheels, a recumbent, or a bike that allows a partner to pedal alongside or with you, there are a number of ways to ride a bike.
Read MoreIf you are starting out, or attempting first trip, it might be a good idea to either start small (under 30 miles/50 km each way), or connect with other cyclists that can show you the ropes. There is no award for cyclists who subject themselves to the most pain and hardship. Bike touring should be fun!
Read MoreSometimes you just wanna take a trip with a small group of folks that you can be your dumbest/best self with. I spent a lot of my summer up until this trip meeting new bike folk and cobbling together groups of new friends to ride into the woods. This time it was just the shrimpy gals — minus a few key players of course.
Read MoreI wanted to make the most of this time of year by planning to explore the Olympic Discovery Trail, yet another one of Washington State’s amazing rail to trail conversions. The rail lines were removed from the Olympic Peninsula in the 1980s and advocacy to create a multi-use trail began shortly after.
Read MoreIn 2019 I got more confident about planning bike trips, and started planning some trips on my own. I planned out a few overnight bike trips throughout the summer. I had wanted to ride to Fort Flagler the previous summer, but had not been able to convince any of my friends to go with me. I chose a weekend at the end of June and hoped we would get good weather.
Read MoreThe Bikery has become well known for its accessible bike camping throughout the beautiful Seattle summers. This was my first time going on one of the trips and it did not disappoint. Registration for the campout took place online in the weeks before the ride, which was the weekend of the summer solstice. Registration was $5/person to cover the cost of the campsite reservations, but nobody is ever turned away from Bikery events for their ability to pay.
Read MoreHiker-biker sites in Washington State Parks make it so much easier to coordinate trips because as long as you are riding a bike, you can assume you will have a place to stay. I found Scenic Beach State Park and thought that it looked like a pretty phenomenal spot to hang out for a weekend.
Read MoreI have been lucky to have been a cyclist for most of my life. After a few years living in Seattle without a car, and riding these hills with panniers full of all manner of household items and groceries, I figured that hauling camping gear would not be that much of a stretch. Since I love the outdoors but did not have a car, if I was carrying all of my camping gear I would not need a car to get out of town in the first place!
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