Heather Heynen's Spearfish 280

Bikepacking is not for everyone. More than anything, it requires gumption and grit. Gumption to get out there. Grit to see it through. 

For a continuing story of gumption and grit, here's an update on the burgeoning bikepacking journey of local fitness and wellness expert Heather Heynen. 

Spearfish 280 map (from bhexpedition.com website)

Two years ago, Heather dreamt up and then completed a three day solo, self-navigated bikepacking trip on a self-created route from home that covered 193 miles and 16,000 feet of elevation gain on every kind of surface. That's a lot to unpack in one sentence, and it's worth doing. Thankfully, Heather eloquently expressed her experience in a heartfelt article How Going Solo Will Change Your Life. Read it.

Last month, Heather's journey led her to tackle Jason Thorman's new Spearfish 280, a challenging single track and mixed surface bikepacking route through the Black Hills of South Dakota. Once again, Heather went right at that challenge and gracefully shared her unvarnished account. Bikepacking The Spearfish 280.

Whether you bikepack or not, her story is compelling and inspiring.

Black Hills Bike Hub Overnighter Series

Last month, Black Hills Bike Hub hosted "Bikepacking 101," a gathering of local cyclists looking to learn more about bikepacking, remove barriers for newcomers to start, and build our bikepacking community. See, Bikepacking 101 - A Brief Report. A panel of five bikepackers bought loaded bikes for a show-and-tell and answered questions from the crowd and from moderators Weston Neiffer and Evan Walterman. It was an evening celebrating bikepacking.

Fueled by the crowd's enthusiastic response, Black Hills Bike Hub offered a group overnight bike ride:  Bikepacking Overnighter Series - Stop #1. In general, the concept was to gather for a group start from Sturgis, ride to a group camp site at USFS Alkali Springs Campground, and then ride back to Sturgis the following morning. It was not a race or timed event. Not everyone even had to ride the same route. To broaden appeal, riders could choose from distinct Single Track, Mixed Terrain, and Gravel routes on both days.

With Bear Butte looming in the background, a posse of happy campers
on the inaugural (BH)2 Group Bikepacking Overnighter cruise over 
the Centennial Trail (Trail #89) en route to Alkali Springs Campground.
(image by Eric Clayborn)

Nine enthusiastic riders joyfully pedaled on that initial group bikepacking ride, four of whom had never before strapped camping gear on their bike for an overnighter. Several noted how their loaded bike handled differently than expected, sometimes positively and sometimes negatively. All rolled into camp smiling, with bikes and bodies intact.

Over a robust campfire that evening, riders cooked dinner, talked bikes and gear, shared stories, and bantered ideas for future rides. After a restful night and casual breakfast, the group eventually meandered back to Sturgis. All told, a success on its own and a template for the future.

The Centennial Trail (Trail #89) at Bear Butte Lake looking south toward the Black Hills.

Buoyed by the group experience and determined to build this community, Weston and Evan immediately sketched out plans for the next group bikepacking ride. And it's here already.

This weekend (Saturday, July 27 - Sunday July 28), Black Hills Bike Hub will host a group bikepacking ride out of Spearfish up to USFS Timon Campground, with Singletrack and Gravel routes. Given the start in Spearfish and the camp site at Timon, the routes necessarily will entail some elevation gain on Saturday and some hoop-and-holler descending on Sunday. Check out the RideWithGPS files that are linked in the Black Hills Bike Hub Event posting Bikepacking Overnighter Series - Stop #2. 

Hope to see you out there.

BackBone Grande - More Grassland!

Hey, Jude, don't make it bad

Take a sad song and make it better

Remember to let her into your heart

Then you can start to make it better.

Hey Jude, John Lennon and Paul McCartney (1968)

BLM Road 7043 meandering across another piece of Buffalo Gap National Grassland.

When creating the BackBone Grande, I ventured east from Ardmore through private ranch land solely to access primitive public roads within a sufficiently large tract of public land called Buffalo Gap National Grassland. Over an all too short 12 miles, those challenging near-roads vary from decent dirt to barely more than compressed tire tracks surfing a seemingly endless sea of grass extending as far as the eye can see. In Spring, after rains but before grazing, the tall grass renders much of that path practically indiscernible. It's a Day 1 message that this route is outside ordinary. BackBone Grande (Miles 0-46) - Buffalo Gap National Grassland; BackBone Grande (Day 1) - Right Vibe Right Away.

Emerging from that stretch of Grassland, I took the route westward toward the village of Oelrichs for possible re-supply and camping. Although just 46 miles into the route, it seemed like a good idea to swing by there, as re-supply is limited until the route enters Custer about 80 miles later.

Then I rode the entire BackBone Grande route last year and stayed in Oelrichs. Uffda. The commercial campground was little more than a mowed field with an outhouse, the convenience store offered very limited supplies and indifferent service, the bar had limited hours, and the cafe was permanently closed. I concluded that next time I would not stop at Oelrichs at all, but simply disperse camp at the Limestone Butte Reservoir back in the Grassland at about mile 44.

Rough dirt Road 1F crosses private ranch land before turning into BLM Road 7043.

That experience changed how I looked at that part of the route. I realized that I did not need to turn west toward Oelrichs out of the Grassland. With that freedom to wander a bit, I looked closer to see what's straight north, or even a bit to the east.

Shazam! Instead of riding 2 miles west on U.S. Highway 18 toward Oelrichs to reach county gravel north to Smithwick, I can ride 2 miles east on U.S. Highway 18 to access another sizable tract of Buffalo Gap National Grassland. If I can find a way to generally move north through that tract, the route could later turn west to connect with the existing BackBone Grande route near Smithwick.

The Bureau of Land Management hard copy map of the area showed three possible ways through, but satellite images looked marginal, at best. Primitive roads skirted, and occasionally crossed, private land. Time to scout it.

BLM Road 7043.

So, I grabbed a big mug of coffee, a bag of trail mix, and my paper maps and hopped in my Jeep to find out. Several hours later, I worked my way through. Score!

Here's the primo way, as shown by the screen shot below of the RideWithGPS map. From Limestone Butte Reservoir, BLM Road 7026 rolls north about 2 miles to T-bone into U.S. Highway 18. Turn right (east) on that paved highway for 2 miles and then left (north) on graveled BlackTail Road (1F). After 2 miles of good gravel, BlackTail Road abruptly turns 90 degrees due east on an increasingly rougher surface for about 5 miles before entering Buffalo Gap National Grassland on primitive road 7043. Shortly thereafter, Road 7043 turns left (north), away from a better defined, but unmarked road. Then it's another 5 miles of meandering barely-track, running generally north-by-northwest, to finally emerge on graveled Smithwick Road (1E). From there, it's about 8 miles of good, winding county gravel into Smithwick.

All told, the 12 miles from U.S. Highway 18 to Smithwick Road covers about 5 miles of rough road and about 7 miles of near-road 7043. By traveling a few miles east from the original BackBone Grande route and by meandering a bit through the Grassland, it adds about 12 miles overall compared to the original route on county gravel straight north to Smithwick.

But what a great add. This section sings in sweet harmony with the rest of the BackBone Grande. It's in.

Combined with the earlier stretch through Buffalo Gap National Grassland, the BackBone Grande now explores about 30 miles of remote prairie on rough roads and near-roads through the Grassland, with 360 degree views of little but endless waves of grass on rolling hills. This could very well be the same views that people saw hundreds of years ago. It certainly causes pause to contemplate.

Almost 30 miles of rough roads and near-roads traveling through Buffalo Gap National Grassland.
All part of the BackBone Grande bikepacking route.

I love finding little known gems like this and then finding a way to incorporate them into a bikepacking route to ride myself and to share with others. This piece now replaces the county gravel road from Oelrichs to Smithwick in the original BackBone Grande. 

And now that I'm out there, I may look for even more of that sweet Grassland to explore.

Here's a link to the revised RideWithGPS map. BackBone Grande - RideWithGPS Map

Here's a link to the page collecting all my posts about the BackBone Grande. BackBone Grande Page.

Hey Jude, The Beatles (1968).

Better Coffee for Bikepacking Update - The FinalPress

Something not right,

Something not right,

Something not right and I don't know what it is.

Something Not Right, Glen Alfred (2019). 

In April, I posted Better Coffee for Bikepacking, a summary of some of my experiments making coffee when out in the backcountry on a bike. Many folks responded with favorite methods and suggestions, which I appreciate. Bikepacking buddy Paul Brasby of North Platte, Nebraska even forwarded to me a link to a device that I had never seen. The FinalPress. I had to try it.

FinalPress awaiting hot water to brew some coffee.

The FinalPress is a stainless steel cylinder with mesh filter sides and a threaded top, which secures to a top cap with a spring loaded plunger. The cylinder is light and relatively small, measuring about 1.5" in diameter and about 2" high, while the plunger extends another 4" off the top. 

The instructions say to add 14-16 grams of coffee into the cylinder, place the cylinder into an 8-10 ounce mug of hot water, swirl for 10-30 seconds, steep for 2-4 minutes, lift the cylinder out of the coffee, and press the plunger. 

So, the FinalPress essentially works like a steeped coffee bag with rigid sides and a mechanical, French Press squeeze at the end.

My several attempts yielded inconsistent results, much like my experiments with steeped coffee bags. I wonder if the coffee grounds confined by the rigid walls of the cylinder are inherently, significantly exposed to the hot water unequally. That is, the coffee grounds exposed to hot water form a cake, where the grounds around the exterior of the cake would seem to be exposed to more hot water longer than the grounds packed into the interior, creating variable extraction. I don't know. Stirring probably helps initially, but the cylinder then just sits in hot water for a few minutes. I don't know. It may simply be operator error. Something makes it less than ideal.

My best, most consistent results with the FinalPress were with moderately coarse ground coffee filling about one third of the cylinder, with regular stirring for about 2 minutes and then squeezing the plunger several times while still immersed. That worked better, but still less than great. This will not replace the CoffeeBrewer or the Pourigami, and certainly not the AeroPress.

The FinalPress is marketed as a coffee and tea brewer. In operation, I'd call it a tea brewer that can make coffee.

FinalPress on the road.

Addendum. Join me at #CoffeeOutside-Rapid City sometime and you're welcome to try it. Last week at the park, I brewed a cup of coffee with the FinalPress, with OK results. Immediately afterward, I brewed another cup with the same grounds but using the Pourigami pour-over. Very, very good. What a difference.

Something Not Right, Glen Alfred (2019)

Black Hills BIkepacking 101 - A Brief Report

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone.

I can see all obstacles in my way.

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind.

It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)

Sun-shiny day.

I Can See Clearly Now, Johnny Nash (1972). 

Earlier this week, the Black Hills Bike Hub hosted "Bikepacking 101," a gathering of local cyclists looking to learn more about bikepacking, remove barriers for newcomers to start, and build our bikepacking community. Lost Cabin Beer Company graciously provided space, Black Hills Bicycles and Acme Bicycles kicked in, and Hermit Crafts Bag Company (successor to Dirt Bags) added to the festive atmosphere. A moderated panel of kindred spirits shared thoughts and experiences, along with visions of future rides, with an enthusiastic, engaged audience. A palpable buzz filled the air.

Not my bikepacking setup. Nor that of anyone else.
Just a fun picture. (unknown origin)

Black Hills Bike Hub Directors Weston Neiffer and Evan Walterman hosted the event, moderating a lively discussion amongst the panel comprised of seasoned bikepackers Heather Heynen, Perry Jewett, Michelle Stampe, Jason Thorman, and me. The energetic crowd then peppered the panel with questions and media wizard Eric Clayborn recorded the event for an anticipated future video presentation. 

After an hour or so, the panel dispersed into the audience and bikepacking discussions continued well into the evening. Not surprisingly, the loaded bikes brought for a "Show & Tell" generated much interest and many additional questions. A few people even pedaled around the parking lot on my 65 pound Jones 29+, fully loaded for a multi-week ride. 

The crowd filters into Black Hills Bike Hub's "Bikepacking 101" gathering.

The true measure of the value of "Bikepacking 101" will emerge over the next few months, as the Black Hills Bike Hub will be hosting a series of group bikepacking rides. The first is Saturday June 29 - Sunday June 30, with three different routes all starting from Sturgis Brewing Company, ending at a group camp site at Alkali Creek Campground, and returning to Sturgis. Something for everyone. BHBH Bikepacking Overnighter Series - Round 1. 

If you're anywhere near the Black Hills on that last weekend of June and would like to join, go to the Black Hills Bike Hub website or FaceBook page for more information. 

Kudos to the Black Hills Bike Hub for their efforts to break down barriers to entry, mentor newcomers, and build our bikepacking community. Hope to see you out there.

Perry Jewett, Heather Heynen, Craig Groseth, Michelle Stampe, Jason Thorman.
2024 BHBH Bikepacking 101 panelists.
(image by Weston Neiffer)

Here is some of Eric Clayborn's work to help make Bikepacking 101 happen.

And finally, a little Johnny Nash to brighten the day.

I Can See Clearly Now, Johnny Nash (1972).

Disappointment Turns to Gratitude

All my words fall short

I got nothing new

How could I express

All my gratitude?

Gratitude, Brandon Lake (2021)

 

Kicking around ideas for the emerging BackBone Double Grande route and possible future Black Hills Bounty rides, I mentally wandered out to northeastern Wyoming to seek an interesting route to Devil's Tower National Monument from the north, west, or even south. 

Maps and satellite imagery looked promising, with a handful of county gravel roads connected by dirt and two track roads of all kinds. Over the winter I sketched out a few routes to investigate and ventured out for a long day of scouting. After more time and study, I recently returned for another look.

Promising public road west of Devil's Tower.
Unfortunately, it dead ends at private property about 1.5 miles later.

What a disappointment. I spent two days searching in vain for USFS Low Standard, or even Secondary, Roads. They do not exist out there. Some good county gravel roads wind through the hills and valleys, but I found no rough little connectors. That is, all those promising dirt and two track roads were ranch roads on private land.

Although Devil's Tower itself is a public National Monument, the land beyond for many miles is practically all private. Pockets of public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management pop up like dandelions all over on the right maps, but they are small and mostly unmarked on site. There simply is no contiguous tract of public land out there large enough to connect one county road to another. 

(For a stark contrast, see the large section of Buffalo Gap National Grassland where the BackBone Grande route travels on rough two track for about 12 miles. BackBone Grande - Right Vibe Right Away).

My sorry map after two days of scouting

Ultimately, I stopped at Devil's Tower to assess all the new data over lunch. OK, "lunch" was a double dip huckleberry ice cream waffle cone. It was a frustrating day.

I first ruled out a route circling Devil's Tower to enter from the south due to 11 miles of relatively busy traffic on pavement at the end. Also, much of that route skirted the forested hills on the adjoining prairie. I prefer to be up in it. 

That left three unpaved alternatives to climb into the hills. Each worked on paper, but when viewed from the ground, they clearly divided into good, better, and best. Following that "best" road, I then stumbled onto a 5 mile connecting public road marked "Impassable When Wet." How did that happen? This route was now making itself.

At the end of the day, I put together a fun county gravel road route, with a smattering of dirt, from Alzada, Montana to Devil's Tower. This will become an appropriate section of the BackBone Double Grande.

On the drive home, my initial disappointment with this area turned to gratitude for what I have in the Black Hills. From Devil's Tower, I'll be routing through the Bear Lodge Mountains to Sundance, Wyoming and then southeast to enter 12 million acres of Black Hills National Forest. With all that National Forest land ahead of me, I have access to practically unlimited miles of public back roads and near-roads of all kinds. 

All that in my back yard. Sweet.

Gratitude, Brandon Lake (2022)

Black Hills Bikepacking 101 Social

Bikepacking can be a daunting prospect, even to an experienced cyclist. The list of unknowns quickly piles up:  what bike, what gear, how to carry all that gear, food, water, shelter, where to go, etc. It is very easy to simply let all that prevent one from starting.

In short, just pack up a bike and go. Ride a bike you have, use camping stuff you have, pick a fun spot to camp, and ride. The distance can be very short. First trips are about learning from the experience.

For inspiration, here's a post I wrote in 2021 about a mom, her young daughter, and her daughter's friend on a three day, self-supported bikepacking ride of the Mickelson Trail. Talk about just packing up and going for it. Gumption and Grit.

To help the curious and to build our local bikepacking community, Black Hills Bike Hub (formerly known as the Black Hills Mountain Bike Association) is hosting "Bike Packing 101," a social gathering for everyone interested in bike packing. They assembled a panel of local bikepackers, who will bring their loaded bikes for a "Show & Tell" and answer questions from moderators and the audience. Feedback will chart the course for potential group bikepacking overnighters this summer and fall.

This panel brings a deep and wide variety of bikepacking experience to the table. Pavement, gravel, dirt, snow, single track, no track. Overnighters, week long, months long. Racing, touring, scouting, wandering. Events, large groups, small groups, solo. Something for everyone.

June 18, 2024. 6p-8p. Lost Cabin Beer Company. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Here's the Bikepacking 101 Social announcement from Black Hills Bike Hub:

"Join us at Lost Cabin to learn about bikepacking from some of the local legends of the sport! Bikepacking is both an extremely rewarding and humbling way to adventure by bike. You can expect to hear some great insights on what draws people to this type of riding, how to approach packing, what to bring with you, and many other tools to break down the barrier to entry into the world of adventure riding!  Even if you are an experienced rider who has many trips under your belt, join us! This will be a great opportunity to build a community amongst your bikepacking peers!

Schedule of Events

6:00 PM - 6:30:  Show & Tell - Loaded bikes set up around the patio so people can chat with panelists and get ideas for questions.

6:30 - 7:30:  Panel Discussion - Informal moderated panel discussion and open Q&A.

7:30 - 8:00:  Social/Continued Show & Tell - Give the audience a chance to catch up with panelists they want to hear more from on their own.

After the event  BHBH will send a survey out to the event sign-in list and through social media.

Moderators/Hosts

Evan Waterman

Weston Neiffer

Panelists

Craig Groseth

Perry Jewett

Jason Thorman

Heather Heynen

Emily Brown

We will also have a handful of local riders bring their loaded bikes to give attendees the opportunity to see different setups. Feel free to bring your own loaded bike to show off! If you are new to bikepacking, feel free to bring your bike and get gear/load out recommendations!