First time bikepacking

[jasonification]

Text taken from my instagram account but I wanted to share with y'all. In parts!

Swift Campout 2020part 1: this was @kayem.li and my first experience bike packing. We thought why not make it epic and do it on our tandem? Loading the bike up for the first time a few days prior, a tingle of excitement spread between us as we planned our meals. We wondered: would it be too cold? Would we be attacked by ravenous squirrels? It was comforting that the venerable @donlubach would be at the helm, having significantly more experience than us in bikepacking.

Fast forward to Friday 9/25, work ended late and I flurried to take the bike out of storage and load it up with our pre-packed panniers, lashing our sleeping bags on with my curated pink @voilestraps. Don was patient and jovial as he saw us frantically strapping on our supplies, apologetically late.

Setting off, we mosied on Hollister, riding our fully packed monstrosity for the first time on the busy road. We definitely moved slower, and starting up from a standstill was a little more harrowing than usual.

Our first stop was at Cal Taco where we grabbed some carnitas burritos to take to the campsite. A little hole in the wall, Don sprinkled on some Goletian trivia, noting that it was like a relative to the Habit when it first started, and had the most amazing Seattle beer on tap. My beer-allergic self did not doubt it but refused to try it. We then hopped on the 101, another first, and made our way to Refugio.

The views were stunning. Open fields on our right and the big blue sea on our left. Kun Man, my cautious stoker, frequently reminded me to focus on the road, worried about the multi-ton vehicles hurtling past us at highway speeds. I obliged, mostly. #swiftcampout2020

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[rjletchford]

I'm about to take my first bikepacking trip in moab. Excited to see how it goes.

[firingsquad]

How many miles did you do, and how was riding long distance tandem with all the gear?

[Dude]

Nice, I just did my first bikepacking trip too! I was in burlington, vt with some friends. Modified "Gravel Growler" route. I have experience/gear from backpacking but it was really tricky trying to fit it all on a bike. I was able to borrow some bags from a buddy.

Tandem is something special, glad you had fun!

[jasonification]

Originally Posted by firingsquad

How many miles did you do, and how was riding long distance tandem with all the gear?

it was about 15 miles one way. Given that my wife is a more nervous rider, it gave both of us a peace of mind to be riding tandem, particularly because we had to ride on the 101 for a good few miles. Overall a pleasant experience and I had someone to talk to the whole ride!

I would say starting fully loaded was probably the biggest challenge. the extra weight on the back caught me off guard the first time we took off and I needed a few goes to be comfortable.

[jasonification]

✨Swift Campout 2020✨ part 2: The phenomenal scenery could only distract one for so long. At some point, I became aware of the frequency of my thoughts centering around the burrito in our pannier. My grumbling stomach concurred that sustenance would soon be required.
It was a sigh of relief to see the sign pointing us to our home for the night. We wheeled our way in and paid the dues for our little plot of land. Arriving, our first task was to open up the tents in anticipation of nightfall. Easy enough! My stomach rumbled again.
With our abodes staked, we put out our camp chairs next to a picnic table and opened our gloriously inauthentic burritos. There's something about cycling on the freeway and being by the ocean that made these the best burritos I have ever eaten. Just as magically as the burritos appeared, they soon disappeared to the unnerving darkness that is my facial orifice.
Satiated, it felt like the rest of my senses could open up and take in my surroundings. The crisp, salty ocean air, the sound of waves 🌊, and the briskness of sunset 🌇 made me so grateful to be here.
As night enveloped us, @donlubach beckoned us to join him for a evening jaunt around the campground on our 2 wheeled vehicles. It was fun to see everyone enjoying each other's company, a faint reminder of what gatherings look like pre-pandemic.
Returning to our site, we pondered whether or not to start a campfire. Given the recent wildfires, we decided that it would be ill-advised to do so. Instead, Don pulled up his camping chair, turned on his headlights and said "alright, I'm going to read you a story from Willy Weir's book". @kayem.li and I sat close, amused and tickled by readings of bikepacking in a faraway land. We thought, perhaps we ourselves could do that one day (I admit, it was probably just me thinking that).
The 🌕 above had come in full force, like a 1000 lumen led bulb in the sky, leaving only the brightest of stars in it's wake. Conversations continued about life, death and love, too many to recount but all heartfelt.
At some point, we realized that the words had naturally stopped and it was time to sleep. And so we did. #swiftcampout

[hairylegs]

This is so cool!!!


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[weisan]

ok fess' up...which extra kitchen sink/ultraHD TV items that you brought on this trip could be shed in the next?

[Keith A]

So cool...thanks for sharing.

[jasonification]

Originally Posted by weisan

ok fess' up...which extra kitchen sink/ultraHD TV items that you brought on this trip could be shed in the next?

To be honest, the only thing we brought back unused was a set of clothes and some food (because the other camper we rode with had his wife drive down with copious amounts of things to share!)

Maybe next time I should bring that 50" HD TV..

[jasonification]

✨Swift Campout 2020✨ part 3: I woke up from the rumblings of a passing Amtrak🚅 at 4am. It surprised me that the distract train would arouse me from slumber, rather than the loudness of the crashing waves . I had vivid dreams of seaside living, catching lobsters🦞, and being chastised by park rangers. Surely the venue had nothing to do with that.
I stumbled out of the tent towards my pannier looking for some black gold ☕ to clear my mind. @kayem.li roused soon after and took a flattering photo of me grinding my beans in my @hariousa Skerton, while the @jetboil boiled away. To say drinking coffee while watching the sunrise is a delight is a severe understatement. To do so with loved ones (@kayem.li) is a blessing.
@donlubach emerged from his tent soon after and joined us sitting around the picnic bench. Making his own cup of joe, he presented us with a lovely apple cake made by @loricooper! No photos unfortunately because, well, hunger.
Lori arrived mid-morning bearing breakfast burritos from @elsitio_sb, cheese, meats, and homemade bread! Kun Man also brandished our goods, some bread, avocado, fruits, and mooncake! This hoard was to tide us over the rest of the day.
The rest of the morning/afternoon was spent exploring the coastline. So quiet, so beautiful! The water and sand ran between our toes. I was glad to have taken time away from the confines of our apartment to be here.
Before we knew it 3pm had crept up on us, and it was time to head home. A sense of bittersweetness stirred inside me as my first bikepacking trip was in its twilight.