Bikepacking Phoenixes

Posted from: Darby, MT

Jack and I started out on this journey about 3 weeks ago, with basically no training and without even touching our bikes for the 2 weeks immediately prior to departure. You could say we started this thing “off the couch.” In the time since, we’ve joked a lot about the concept of “phoenixing” — of becoming so completely broken and haggard and burning ourselves down to ashes, but then eventually rising up from our destruction as new, strong, energetic bikers. It’s funny to think about as we push our bikes uphill, sweating profusely, wondering if or how this could ever, EVER feel a tiny bit easier.

In the past week since leaving our first rest day at Easley Hotsprings, we’ve climbed 22,000ft. In our guidebook, there is a small note that a particular climb in this section, for northbound riders (AKA us), happens to be the hardest climb on the entire route. The climb entails 5,300ft in only 11 miles, which averages about 9% grade and exceeds grades of 12% in some parts. For southbound riders, they get to plunge down this hill and go up the other side of the valley, which averages 2-4% grade over 50 miles. Sorry northbound riders, sucks to suck! Needless to say, Jack and I had been thinking about, wringing our hands about, sweating about, maybe even secretly crying about the prospects of having to go up this monster hill.

Four days ago, we left Challis, ID (cute, tiny, very westerny town) with four days of food and the monster climb looming near. It was the last big hurdle before the end of the section in Darby, MT. Little did I know, we actually had a horrendously steep, hot, and long climb right out of town that very day! We huffed and puffed up a treeless, incredibly sunny mountain with loose, steep gravel for hours in the afternoon blaze, alternately pushing our bikes and grinding in our very lowest gear. Oh noooooooooo, this isn’t even the monster climb yet, and it’s THIS hard already????? Who even decides to make these stupid gravel roads so steep?? It is pure evil! These gravel road makers are EVIL!! How will I EVER make it up the monster climb if I can barely make it up this one?? I was spiraling.

At the top, I flopped down in utter despair and frustration while Jack calmly stretched. I expressed my doubts and fear to Jack. He gently reminded me that, even if the monster hill is “the hardest climb,” other climbs will still feel very hard and that’s okay. And gravel road makers are not bad people. They just didn’t design this one specifically for my biking enjoyment. He always knows just what to say. But still, after that experience, I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe we actually will never get stronger. Maybe we’ll just keep pushing our bodies so hard that we will break down to dust and there will be no rebirth. And maybe, if the monster hill is so hard, maybe I won’t be able to even do it. Can I physically push 80lbs up 5,300ft?

Two days after my meltdown, we were at the bottom of the monster hill. We had pedaled 64 miles the day before in order to position ourselves as close as possible to the bottom of the climb so we could get an early start and hopefully have cool climbing weather. We both were wrecked already from the effort of just getting to the bottom of the damned thing, but we were prepared for battle. It was going to be a long, brutal day. We started pedaling, and quickly got into the meat of the thing as we inched along in our lowest gears. An hour passed, and then another. We pushed our bikes a little bit here and there, but amazingly we were able to pedal most of the time despite the steep grades. Eventually, a huge old truck full of firewood and a family of about 6 all crammed into the small cab came ambling down the road towards us. The man driving told us we only had about 2 or 3 miles to go. Wait, 2 or 3 miles? But I haven’t even had to push my bike that far yet! Or curse the poor souls that made this road yet! Or lay down and cry yet! Or throw a fit and tell Jack to leave me for dead yet! How could that be right? But sure enough, the wood getter was right, and in only 5 hours (including breaks!!!) we were standing atop 5,300ft of steep ass road marveling at the view of the Bitterroots. And it wasn’t even that hard. In fact, we opted to do a side trip up to an old fire lookout tower that added an additional 400ft of climbing, totaling our day at 5,700ft of pedaling uphill. The view from up there was the best we’ve had all trip and one I’ll be remembering for a long time.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what this means, how that stupid hill outside of Challis brought me to my knees and made me so angry, while the monster hill that I had been fearing for days ended up flying by and was actually one of my favorite days. Perhaps it all comes down to perception and expectation. When I expected that hill outside of Challis to be easier and shorter than it really was, I felt so crushed when I struggled. I thought for sure that I had gotten stronger up until that point, when I felt so weak and frustrated. But the monster hill, after all the fear and anxiety that I had built in my head, was just another long and steep hill, and I just kept pedaling without expecting it to be easy or relenting. Maybe we are bikepacking phoenixes after all. Maybe we actually have gotten stronger. But maybe it’s also an ebb and flow of phoenixing. After all, phoenixes go through their death and rebirth cycle over and over and over again, and I think we probably will too. More importantly than the physical strengths, perhaps, are the mental ones. Learning to expect that many hills will feel hard, many flats will feel far too relentless, many downhills will feel so slow, despite getting stronger and more seasoned. It’s all a matter of letting go of expectations and noticing what’s happening in the moment, appreciating our bodies and minds for getting us even one more mile down the road.

Now with all that serious talk, we need some lightness. Thus, a photo series of us going up the monster hill:

Folks of Interest

In this section from Hailey to Darby, we’ve once again met a variety of interesting and incredibly kind people. We haven’t gotten all their names or photos, but here’s a few we’d like to mention:

• The volunteers at the historic Custer gold dredge on the Custer Motorway between Stanley and Challis. These folks were so incredibly knowledgeable about the history of the area and the inner workings of a real crazy machine. One of the volunteers gave us well wishes after asking how long Jack and I had been together (3 years, can you believe it?): “You’re going to have an amazing time, and you’re really going to learn how to love and accept each other exactly as you are. You only have each other out there.” It’s true, and one of the more perceptive comments we’ve gotten so far.
• The team at PedalCell who sent us a replacement generator to Challis general delivery! These weren’t people that we met on the trail, but when our generator stopped producing a charge on our PedalCell, they were so kind and supportive and sent us a new one for free to Challis! Now we can make electricity while riding again, amen. Also, you should check out PedalCell, they are a really cool startup and make an innovative bicycle charging device.
• The Wood Getter. I mentioned him above, but he deserves a highlight here. It was unclear who exactly was crammed into the cab of his 1960s farm truck (and sitting on top!) but it was some mix of kids, grandkids, and family members all out for a day of sawing wood. “Wood getter” was a name that some UTV folks later used to describe him, which we thought was pertinent since his truck was full to the brim of firewood rounds. Anyway, the wood getter was incredibly friendly and told us many stories about him and his family members romping around the hills above the Salmon River: snowmobiling, bicycling, skiing, you name it. He had an intimate knowledge of all the forest roads and nooks and crannies of the place; it was inspiring listening to him and hearing the ways that he knows that land. He also expressed such warmth and excitement about having bikepackers coming through the area and exploring that part of the country, which was such a refreshing take compared to a lot of the NIMBYism and “keep the west wild” gatekeeping we hear around Salt Lake City. I’ve reflected on this interaction with the wood getter and the many other incredibly warm and kind people we’ve met. We may not always share the same views or opinions, but we’re not all that different either. I’ve been experiencing an overwhelming feeling of compassion for fellow humans as we weave our way through life the best we know how.
• The group of Adventure Cycling Association riders at the RV park in Darby. We rolled into Darby yesterday, exhausted from this section and ready for a freakin shower! To our surprise, a group of 15 or so ACA riders were there also, on their 50th day riding all the way from DC to Oregon. While they are part of an organized group and have vehicular support, it is so nice to meet and talk to folks that are having a somewhat shared experience with us. We’re all spending day after day in the saddle and using our legs to pedal across the country. Most of them were over 70 years old and still going about 60 miles per day! Incredible. When I told one of them, Paul, about our monster climb, he was so incredibly shooketh that he just stood and stared, open-mouthed in astonishment. He congratulated us on such an effort. I felt a little proud of us in that moment, which was really nice. Thanks Paul for your sincerity and validation! (:

Gear Spotlight!

For our gear spotlight this week let’s talk cooking! We LOVE a hot meal at the end of the day and can really put away some food. To do so, we have two stoves. Jack has an MSR pocket rocket that uses isobutane canisters. I have an MSR dragonfly that uses white gas. We have a 1.5L pot and an 8” Fry-Bake pan which is truly the greatest investment you can make in your dank backcountry cooking setup! Here’s a picture of Jack cheffing on the Custer Motorway with most of the setup:

Our cooking setup is definitely more of an “expedition” style rather than ultralight. I truly think when you are out for this long, having the tools to make some quality food is really important. Our Fry-Bake in particular is wonderful because you can sauté veggies, make pancakes, fry foraged mushrooms, and even bake a pizza or a cake! Also, they are made by a very quaint company in New York. Check out their website: https://frybake.com. Also, we got our adorable spatula from a crafter on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/QiWiz.

We had a request for some backcountry recipes from a fan, which I’ll try to include. However, backcountry cooking really depends on what tools you have and what you’re willing to carry or prep, so maybe this will only serve as loose inspiration rather than a true recipe.

Hearty Ramen for 2!

• 3 packets ramen (flavor of choice)
• 1 block silken tofu (shelf stable)
• 1 veggie of choice – zucchini, carrot, peas….
• Foraged mushrooms if you are lucky!
• Optional seasonings: additional soy sauce, hot sauce packets, curry powder, red pepper flakes, coconut oil, peanut butter, garlic powder

If you can, sauté the veggies in oil with salt, pepper, maybe some garlic powder or a dash of soy sauce. Sauté any foraged mushrooms in a separate batch. Boil water and cook the ramen with their flavor packets included. Add in chunks of the silken tofu when the ramen is close to being done, but not quite. Add any additional seasonings you desire, or a scoop or two of peanut butter for an extra filling soup. Add the veggies/mushies last and eat up!!