DAMASCUS10 OCT/NOV 2020 - a publication of ADVENTURE CYCLING ASSOCIATION
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a publication of ADVENTURE CYCLING ASSOCIATION
GRAVEL ROAD TO
DAMASCUS 10
$6.95
OCT/NOV 2020
Vol.47 No.8
©2020 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.
EDGE® EXPLORE
THE BIKE COMPUTER THAT
FINDS ROUTES PREFERRED
BY OTHER CYCLISTS.
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02 ADVENTURE CYCLIST october /nov ember 2020
Letter from the Editor
online
DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN
Sometimes a destination is worth
visiting once (or twice) more. So
PLANNING MODE it goes with two stories in this
issue: Elsa Sebastian’s ride on
the Golden Circle Route (page
Trips, stories, and a little luck 18) and Chuck Haney’s tour in
Nebraska (page 26) are both spots
we’ve taken readers in recent
years. We’ll be linking to those
stories in upcoming editions of
➺ I emailed Jess Daddio, the author of this month’s eDigest (adventurecycling.org/
cover story, a year and a half ago after seeing on a
subscribe), but you can revisit
Facebook group that she was writing a story about
any destination from the pages of
the Tour Divide race. I wanted to connect her to more
Adventure Cyclist in our extensive
information about the Great Divide Mountain Bike
archives always available at
Route and its designer, Mac McCoy. A few months later,
adventurecycling.org/archive.
she pitched on me on the story you’ll see on page 10.
Colin Arisman and Elsa Sebastian (page 18) pitched
us a Golden Circle story almost 12 months to the day
from this issue’s press deadline, and I sat drinking coffee and talking about
Nebraska with Chuck Haney (page 26) long enough ago that you could
still sit and drink coffee and talk.
Sure, some stories fall into our laps at the perfect time to slot into an
issue already in the making (see: anything COVID-related over the last
couple of months), but the vast, vast majority of the 30-some features that
appear in a year of Adventure Cyclist magazines are the result of at least 12
months of planning.
With that in mind, 2021 is looking a little … weird. Nearly every
correspondent who was scheduled to report for us this year had to
postpone, cancel, or considerably alter their trip. The 80 submissions we
have as of this writing are mostly based on trips that took place in years
past, and some of the ones that did happen in 2020 probably shouldn’t
have (your clandestine journey might make a good story, but we don’t
condone it!).
So what are we doing? Same as everyone else in this unforgettable BE SMART,
and unwelcome year: we’re in planning mode. Like looking at a map and GET THE SHIRT
laying out the daily itinerary for a big journey, we’re piecing together After dozens of requests, we
what sometimes appear to be completely disparate parts in hopes that, had stickers and T-shirts made
with a little skill and a little luck, they come together in a way that makes featuring the logo above (created
something more. We’ve got some tough climbs identified, more than a by staff Designer Levi Boughn).
couple points of interest marked, and something like a route is starting to Get yours at adventurecycling.
slowly reveal itself. org/store.
Alex Strickland COVID-19 UPDATES
Editor-in-Chief, Adventure Cyclist For the latest impacts of the
astrickland@adventurecycling.org coronavirus pandemic on bike
travel and Adventure Cycling, visit
adventurecycling.org/covid-19.
03
contents
VOLUME 47 ∞ NUMBER 8 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG
CLOSING
THE LOOP
Connecting on the
Golden Circle.
by Elsa Sebastian
18
OUR COVER:
The TransVirginia traverses GRAVEL ROAD
550 miles of gravel roads
TO DAMASCUS 10
DEPARTMENTS LETTERS COLUMNS
from Washington, DC, to
Damascus, Virginia.
Photo by Jess Daddio. Climbing (and climbing)
08 Waypoints 03 LETTER from the 34 Road Test
along the TransVirginia route.
Adventure Cyclist is 38 Geared Up Editor Josh Tack
America’s only magazine by Jess Daddio Bulls Lacuba Evo Lite
42 Life Member Profile 05 LETTERS from our
dedicated to bicycle travel.
It is published nine times
Readers
44 Marketplace/Classifieds
each year by Adventure
Cycling Association, a GOING SOLO IN THE 50 Companions Wanted
06 LETTER from the
Director
nonprofit organization
for recreational cyclists. SANDHILLS 26 51 Open Road Gallery
Individual membership
costs $45 yearly to U.S.
The Great Plains are exactly
addresses and includes a that: great. And Nebraska’s
subscription to Adventure
beautiful Sandhill country is BULLS LACUBA
Cyclist and discounts on EVO LITE
Adventure Cycling maps. no exception. Throw out what you
For more information, visit by Chuck Haney know about eBike
adventurecycling.org or range.
call 800.755.2453. $4799
Adventure Cyclist
accepts stories, articles,
THE TIME IS NOW 34
and photographs for
publication. Learn more
IN TACOMA 40
at adventurecycling.org/ This Pacific Northwest club has
submit.
reinvented itself before, and is
positioned to do so once more.
by Dan D’Ambrosio
04 ADVENTURE CYCLIST october /nov ember 2020
Letters from our Readers
FEEDBACK FESTIVAL
NO ISSUES WITH THESE ISSUES children. Riding our bikes is my favorite and so many other interesting and
As a veteran of four cross-country rides, activity to do as a family. I got into relevant topics. We all take pleasure
I wanted to say thank you for the July cycling six years ago when my in-laws in cycling and bike touring, but much
edition! It brought so many memories bought me a Specialized step-through. of what we do would not be possible
flooding back from my trips: giant After that, I was hooked and have tried without the bicycle industry and its
sequoia trees, wild pigs pacing me to ride my way along as many bike trails related industries. I enjoy the window
along a country road, deer crossing the in Michigan as I can. I have recently into this realm that his articles provide.
road just in front of me, the wolf that purchased a gently used Bianchi Dama Armand Saccomanno | North Windham,
bolted back into the woods when he road bike, and your articles have Connecticut
turned and saw me. And the list goes on inspired me to train for longer, multiday
and on. Only one bad one: the pickup rides. I often receive inquisitive gazes Ed. Note: Some readers will remember that
truck whose rearview mirror hit me in from friends and acquaintances who Dan was the editor of this publication from
my back — I will spend the rest of my catch me riding the 30-mile trail near 1982 to 2003, so he knows us well!
life trying to forget that one. Please my home alone. They always say,
continue to include stories like these in “You’re riding by yourself?!” GOING IT ALONE
future editions. That is why I especially enjoyed Catching up on recent back issues of my
John Duning | Chula Vista, California the “Bird Will Fly” piece by Gage favorite magazine, I found Molly Brewer
Poore (Open Road Gallery, July 2020) Hoeg’s article on adjusting to self-guided
Thanks so much for your wonderful featuring Alivia Michalski’s solo touring (“Self Sufficient-ish,” April 2020).
Final Mile Anthology (Aug./Sept. TransAmerica tour. I do not always feel As a newly retired couple back in 2016,
2020). I am so tired of most magazines confident riding alone as a very petite we made the same transition.
that are focusing on young adults young woman, but a girl’s gotta do The joy of leaving our luggage
who can’t seem to read more than what a girl’s gotta do. I love riding my behind in the morning and it magically
a few lines at a time. These stories bike and often find it hard to ride in a appearing at our next hotel was
were such a joy. “Basketcase” was group as my hectic schedule doesn’t only eclipsed by the quality of the
cute and funny. “Shape Shifter” was always align with group rides. Alivia’s accommodation (far above our usual
fantastical. “Descending Petraficha” was story gives me courage and reminds one- or two-star picks) and the pre-
unbelievable — wow, I’ve been in some me that adventure awaits those who booked dinners — no need to wander
pretty hairy places, but that was really are brave enough to pursue their the streets looking at menus when tired
quite the story. passions. It is a fresh reminder that out from the day’s ride.
I actually shared the funny “A Bike’s there are awesome women out there A couple of tips that served us well:
Tour” with some of my cycling friends. freely riding their bicycles into the do some research on the towns where
Funny things are happening because unknown and I can do it too. you’ll be staying. We avoided the
of COVID, and it’s nice to laugh a bit Monica Rezzo | Traverse City, Michigan disappointment of having to leave a
at the dilemmas. I could identify with beautiful destination the morning after
the “Time Traveler.” You just can’t see DOING A DAN FINE JOB arriving by asking for an extra night in
it all, and sometimes you just have to I enjoy Dan D’Ambrosio’s writing and some places. Also, take a good look at the
move on. My favorite was “Strong as an think he deserves recognition for the bikes that you’ll be riding! Make your
Oaks.” So well written and truly from contributions he makes to every issue. CONTINUED ON PAGE 49
the heart. In every issue of Adventure Cyclist,
This was one of the best issues ever. Dan writes about the most interesting
Mary Naber | Spokane, Washington topics related to cycling and the cycling Your letters are welcome. We may edit letters for
industry. “The Surprise Boom” in the length and clarity. If you do not want your comments
to be printed in Adventure Cyclist, please state so
BIRDS OF A FEATHER Aug./Sept. issue was fascinating. Other
clearly. Include your name and address with your
I wanted to start off by saying that I months he has written about topics correspondence. Email your comments, questions, or
enjoy reading your magazine. I am such as charity rides in the COVID era, letters to editor@adventurecycling.org or mail to Editor,
a mid-30s mother of two very active special bike shops, a pannier company, Adventure Cyclist, P.O. Box 8308, Missoula, MT 59807.
ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG/MEMBERS 05
Letter from the Director
Scott visiting with Scott Edwards, a
Harvard ornithology professor, who stopped EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ALEX STRICKLAND
by the office in August while riding across DEPUTY EDITOR DAN MEYER
the country. He kept an incredible log of his LEAD DESIGNER ALLY MABRY
journey via twitter @scottvedwards1. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS WILLIE WEIR
PATRICK O’GRADY
DAN D’AMBROSIO
JUNE SIPLE
initiatives will strengthen ELLEE THALHEIMER
APRIL CYPHER
and support our community GAGE POORE
during and beyond the time of COPY EDITOR PHYLLIS PICKLESIMER
coronavirus: ART DIRECTOR EMERITUS GREG SIPLE
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR RICK BRUNER
Curation and Deployment of
Short Trips
Weekend trips keep you
sane, connected, and healthy,
and there’s no better way to AREAS OF FOCUS
introduce your kids and friends Provide the premier tools and inspiration
for people to travel by bicycle.
to the transformational power of Expand and integrate bike travel
networks for North America.
bike travel than with a weekend Create the best possible conditions
trip. Most folks aren’t looking to for bicycle travel.
travel far away in airplanes with
MISSION HOW TO REACH US
strangers right now, and even so, Adventure Cycling Association memberships@
LEVELING UP who’s got two months of vacation
for an epic? (I’m so jealous of
inspires, empowers, and connects
people to travel by bicycle.
HEADQUARTERS
adventurecycling.org
406.721.1776
SUBSCRIPTION ADDRESS
all 65 TransAm riders who have Adventure Cycling Association Adventure Cycling Association
Building on the past, been through our office so far
150 E. Pine St.
Missoula, MT 59802
P.O. Box 8308
Missoula, MT 59807
pivoting to the future this year!)
Between our resources and STAFF
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SCOTT PANKRATZ
your knowledge, We (capital CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER SHEILA SNYDER, CPA
We: the Adventure Cycling MEMBERSHIP JOE BAKER
EVA DUNN-FROEBIG
➺ The challenges of 2020 have not community) have plenty of BRIAN BONHAM
KATE WHITTLE
been comfortable, but our unwavering options to ride closer to home — and
VIRGINIA SULLIVAN
DEVELOPMENT JACKIE SLOVAK
APRIL CYPHER
cycling community has moved starting in 2021, we’re going to help HAYDIN GROTZ
forward with courage and clarity. My you access the best options near you MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS TERI MALOUGHNEY
ALEX STRICKLAND
inspiration comes from members for a two- to five-day trip. Got a family? JIM MCTIGHE
DAN MEYER
like Scott Edwards, who stopped by Just you and some buddies? Maybe a LEVI BOUGHN
ALLY MABRY
Adventure Cycling headquarters on his couple of friends new to bike travel? DANIEL MRGAN
JESSICA ZEPHYRS
way from Boston to Oregon. His smile We’ll give you everything you need INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY JOHN SIEBER
and warm affect were magnetic. Scott (sans bike and food) in a ready-to-go RICHARD DARNE
DAVID BARTH
reminded me that joy and empathy are package with on- and off-pavement GAGE POORE
TOURS MIKE LESSARD
the heart and soul of a bike adventure. options. We’ll also have community- EMMA WIMMER
LAURIE CHIPPS
Another visiting cyclist, Ruben, rolled building through our Ambassador REBEKAH ZOOK
up on the way to Maine wearing a program; educational resources ROUTES & ADVOCACY
MELINDA BALCHAN
VIRGINIA SULLIVAN
backpack and a water bottle bungee’d on how to travel and organize a JAMIE ROBERTSON
CARLA MAJERNIK
onto his rear rack. Ruben reminded group; and Bike Travel Weekend NATHAN TAYLOR
MELISSA MOSER
me that adventure is the journey and opportunities to ride with others, log SAARA SNOW
AMY WALLY
attitude is reality. your trip, and participate virtually. CYCLOSOURCE MAX SIEBERT
Through the dips, dives, and MAXTON CAPLANIDES
ADMINISTRATION GEOFF MCMILLION
detours, a lodestar shines bright: Digital Navigation JAKE FLAHERTY
connecting through our cycling If you’re riding one of our routes, OFFICE MANAGER/HR MANAGER BETH PETERSEN
community and creating a strong our Bicycle Route Navigator app is BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT JOYCE CASEY
future for bicycling so that your indispensable. It kept me on track for VICE PRESIDENT RAMI HADDAD
attitude orients toward doing with six days on the Great Divide Mountain SECRETARY JENNY PARK
TREASURER GEORGE MENDES
joy and empathy in every experience. Bike Route this spring. In 2021 we’re BOARD MEMBERS MIKE DILLON
Adventure Cycling will lean into these going to make it the go-to for all bike ANDY HUPPERT
STEVEN SETO
values with three high-level initiatives travelers. Cycling apps and navigation MARIA ELENA PRICE
NOEL KEGEL
that align us to our True North. These CONTINUED ON PAGE 49
06 ADVENTURE CYCLIST october /nov ember 2020
Life imit
ates art.
Edition, In the ca
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it ate natu RX8 Lim
drawn fr re with it ited
om the v s inspira
prickly p ibrant co tion
ear cactu lo rs of the Sa
rugged, s . T he R nta Rita
and desig X8: beau
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e further.
WayPoints
Growing Cycling
Founded by former World Cup downhill racer Eliot
Jackson, Grow Cycling Foundation was established to
create new avenues for inclusive community building
and career development in the cycling industry
as well as to empower existing programs working
to tear down the barriers to entry in cycling for
marginalized communities. With ears on the ground in
these communities, Grow Cycling Foundation serves
to provide the education, access, and opportunities
that directly address the barriers they face.
Investing in areas that create sustainable paths
for cycling as a lifelong passion, Grow Cycling
Foundation leverages four overlapping pillars:
Education, Opportunity, Community, and Access to
create solutions that provide entry points at various
COURTESY GROW CYCLING
steps of a cyclist’s journey.
The organization’s first initiative is to build a
pumptrack in Los Angeles, California, with a goal to
inspire career paths and involve the local community
by using this space for world-class events,
community building, and programs that teach various
cycling industry skills.
To learn more, go to growcyclingfoundation.org.
CYCLING DIRECTIONS? LET ME GOOGLE THAT FOR YOU
GOOGLE MAPS ADDS MORE FEATURES FOR CYCLISTS
If there’s any upside to this global pandemic since February, requests for cycling directions many bikes are available. In some cities across
in which we (still) find ourselves, it’s that in Google Maps had jumped by 69 percent. the U.S. and the world — including New York
so many more people have discovered — or To meet this increase in demand, Google has City, San Francisco, and Chicago — Google has
rediscovered — the bicycle. Whether it’s to get made updates to Maps to create better, safer partnered with the local bike share programs
outside safely and get some exercise, or going routes, avoiding things like stairs and bad to provide users walking directions to
to work and running errands without having road surfaces and including many of the new docking stations, live availability, turn-by-turn
to drive a car or use public transportation, pop-up bike lanes that have, well, popped up directions to the docking station closest to the
the fact is more people are riding bikes. Don’t in cities across the U.S. What’s more, Google user’s destination, and even links to the bike
believe me? Just ask Google. is now including bike share in its cycling share apps to sign up and unlock a bike.
In a blog post from July, Google Maps directions, showing users where docking Here’s hoping that, when this is all over,
Product Manager Vishal Dutta claimed that, stations are located and, in many cases, how people around the world keep rolling along.
08 ADVENTURE CYCLIST october /nov ember 2020
edited by Dan Meyer
Great American Outdoors Act AROUND THE WORLD
Now Law of the Land ON A TANDEM,
AUGUST 4 NAMED ‘GREAT AMERICAN OUTDOORS DAY’ QUICKLY
➺ In the Aug./Sept. issue, we reported moment of bipartisanship in Congress TWO BRITISH WOMEN BREAK THE
that the Senate had passed their version and a great moment for public lands.
of the Great American Outdoors Act, The next day, Secretary of the
OVERALL WORLD RECORD
a bill that would fund the backlog of Interior David Bernhardt designated
maintenance at national parks across August 4 as the “Great American
the country as well as permanently Outdoors Day,” which in the future will
allocate money to the Land and be a free entrance day to U.S. national
Water Conservation Fund. In July, the parks and public lands. You don’t have
House passed their bill, and on August to ride your bike in a national park next
4, President Trump signed the bill August 4, but you could. Just saying.
into law. It was a welcome (and rare)
After 263 days on the road, Cat Dixon,
COURTESY OXFAM
54, and Raz Marsden, 55, returned
home to the UK having broken not
just the women’s record for fastest
circumnavigation of the world on a
tandem bicycle, but the men’s record as
SANJAY ACHARYA
well, and by nearly 20 days.
Cat and Raz pedaled more than
18,000 miles through 25 countries
and just barely made it back to their
home country before the coronavirus
lockdown. More than just an attempt at
the world record, the two also rode to
raise money for Oxfam and the Motor
Neuron Disease Association. Their goal
was £18,000, matching their mileage. In
the end, they raised more than £34,000.
You can see their route, read
the blog they maintained during
the trip, and donate to the cause at
tandemwow.com.
ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG/MEMBERS 09
gravel road to Damascus
climbing across the transvirginia route
story and photos by JESS DADDIO At 4,397 feet, Reddish Knob
near the Virginia-West
Virginia border is well worth
the hard climb to reach it.
10 ADVENTURE CYCLIST october /nov ember 2020“DUDE, YOUR LIPS ARE BLUE.” cups of piping hot pour-over, sweating in the fading
Lindsey eyed me with motherly concern. shade of an umbrella. By 8:00 am, the temperature
Behind her, the fluorescent yellow Dollar General had already spiked above 80°F. Throngs of suit-clad
sign beamed brightly against the cloudy sky. The businessmen and women swarmed the sidewalks,
morning’s rain had stopped, but the air hung heavy marching purposefully to their nine-to-fives.
with the cool dampness of fall. We were seven Eventually we peeled our sticky legs from the metal
days into our journey along the TransVirginia Bike chairs and pedaled to the Lincoln Memorial, the
Route, a 550-mile mostly gravel route that begins in TransVirginia’s official starting point. Weaving our
Washington, DC, and ends in Damascus, Virginia. loaded bikes through the morning commute felt
“I wish Dollar General served coffee,” I said, my a little like skipping school. Handlebars pointed
teeth chattering. I sized up Lindsey’s grocery bag. west, we left the weekday hustle behind, giddy with
She pulled out a pack of fruit cups. “Is that all you anticipation.
got?” I asked. The first 36 miles of the route steered us away
“Yeah, it’s fine, fruit cups are great,” she said. from the capital’s busy streets to the Chesapeake
Whether she was feigning enthusiasm, I couldn’t & Ohio Canal Trail. Within minutes of leaving the
be sure. Lindsey doesn’t eat gluten, soy, corn, nuts, Lincoln Memorial, concrete jungle gave way to
or dairy, the five main food groups of bikepacking. verdant forest. The mostly flat, crushed-gravel path
Having climbed over 37,000 feet so far, how she should have rolled fast, but in the soaring heat, it felt
kept pedaling without a steady drip of candy bars like a slog. Dense stands of tulip poplar and oak trees
was a mystery to me. wrapped us in a green embrace, shading us from the
The Dollar General in Pulaski was 30 miles into sun but trapping the soupy air beneath their boughs.
what we had dubbed “the Big Day,” a 97-mile push It was afternoon by the time we arrived at
from our previous night’s camp along the New White’s Ferry. Inside the White’s Ferry Store &
River to the campground at Comers Rock high up Grill, we settled into a booth. The air conditioning
on Iron Mountain. In reality, it was just a slightly and ice-cold drinks felt indulgent, like we hadn’t
bigger day in a string of big days. The day before, yet ridden far enough to justify the luxury, but we
we’d climbed a punishing 9,000 feet in just 75 splurged all the same.
miles. Fatigue pulled heavy on my legs, but if we White’s Ferry is the only operating cable ferry
reached Comers Rock that night, we could finish on the Potomac River. Used daily by commuters
the route the next day. crossing between Virginia and Maryland, the ferry
was mostly empty when Lindsey and I rolled our
HOT, HOT HEAT bikes down the ramp. The novelty of the crossing
wore off quickly; as the ferry inched across the
A week ago, I dreamed of being cold enough to stagnant river, we baked under the cloudless sky.
warrant blue lips. Day One of TransVirginia dawned We dodged traffic for the next 10 miles until
hot and humid. It was a late September morning, reaching another rail trail, the Washington & Old
and though we were officially on the precipice of Dominion Trail. It’s paved and straight, and we
autumn, summer was still holding its ruthless grasp. made quick work of the miles. At the trail’s end in
Lindsey and I rolled early from my brother’s Purcellville, a sign in front of the local bank crawled
house near downtown Washington, DC, in search with heat advisories and safety reminders for pets.
of coffee. Outside a café, we sipped our overpriced The temperature reading was 100°F.
ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG/MEMBERS 11Lindsey Carpenter makes quick work of fast-rolling gravel on the TransVirginia outside of Harrisonburg. With 24 miles to go before we of the day, we could hear the din of TOURING IN A TIME reached the sole campground — at Mile westbound traffic roaring ahead. The OF DROUGHT 80 — in a sea of private land, I began northern Virginia chaos we had left to despair. Every stroke of the pedal behind in DC was now zooming 60 mph Click. Click. Click. Click. By the end of felt too hard. Every hill was impossibly down the mountain on Route 7, the very Day Two, my bottom bracket creaked long. Dry mouth, aching head, road we would have to ride for a few incessantly. Gone were the meditative cramping legs. No, it wasn’t despair I hairy miles. Fortunately, there was a moments of quiet pedaling that I was feeling — it was dehydration. sizable shoulder for us. We merged into relished on bike tours. “Are we going right or left up here?” single file, taking care to avoid broken Click. Click. Click. Click. Lindsey asked. shards of glass and hardware that could The rhythmic ticking mocked I looked down at my phone and put holes in our tires or, worse, shred me with every turn of the cranks. zoomed in on the route. We were their sidewalls. For hours, I obsessed over it, feeling approaching a lefthand turn onto When we finally crossed the four-lane annoyed both at the bike and myself. Yellow Schoolhouse Road. highway and were safely back on country I had ridden this bike — a 2017 Salsa “Yellow,” I stammered. Lindsey roads, our relief was palpable. Pavement Fargo — thousands of miles down the peered back curiously over her turned to gravel. We rolled along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route shoulder. “I mean left,” I said. banks of the Shenandoah River through and on countless shorter tours in the We pulled off beneath the shade of familiar-to-me territory; this river was intervening years. Of course, this trip a sprawling oak tree. Lindsey poured literally my childhood backyard. At would be the one that finally put my electrolyte drink mix into my water camp, my parents — who still live in the bottom bracket over the edge. bottle, which I promptly chugged. area — treated us to burritos and cold After 50 miles, we crossed into the Within minutes, I could feel myself sparkling water. Neither of us slept much George Washington National Forest. emerge from the red zone, thankful for that night. The stifling heat had hardly Straddling the border between Virginia the second wind. dissipated, but no matter: at long last, the and West Virginia, the combined George As we crawled up the final climb adventure had begun. Washington and Jefferson national 12 ADVENTURE CYCLIST october /nov ember 2020
Riders can tackle the
TransVirginia almost
any time of year, but
the route’s scenery
really shines in autumn.
ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG/MEMBERS 13The TransVirginia traverses the George Washington and Jefferson national forests, a rugged 1.8-million-acre swath of public land that seeps across the Virginia-West Virginia border. 14 ADVENTURE CYCLIST october /nov ember 2020
forests are home to over 1.8 million
acres of rugged terrain. Steep, rocky NUTS & BOLTS
climbs awaited us in the days to come,
so we made camp early in the shadow
of Little Sluice Mountain.
Though the insufferable heat
from the day before had abated, the
transvirginia route
WHEN TO GO chunky, so if you run a skinnier tire, come
humidity remained relentless. Our Because of Virginia’s mild year-round prepared with a solid repair kit.
chamois and shirts were soaked with weather, this route can be ridden during
sweat. We walked down to the creek much of the year. However, campgrounds HOW MUCH FOOD AND WATER TO CARRY
behind our campsite to rinse the are typically closed in the winter, which Most riders will only need to carry a
crusted salt and dust from our legs. To may affect your itinerary. Mid-April maximum of two days’ worth of food.
our surprise, the creek was bone dry. through October is the recommended Riders will pass by gas stations or country
In general, Virginia is blessed with window for touring the TransVirginia. It’s stores at least every 50 to 60 miles.
ample surface water and piped springs, not uncommon for snowfall and freezing The longest stretch without stores is 85
even in the heat of summer. But in the temperatures to linger at elevations above miles. Natural surface water is accessible
past 10 weeks, over half of Virginia 4,000 feet, even in April, so come prepared throughout the route, but plan accordingly
had fallen into a moderate drought, or to experience a range of temperatures. during the late summer months when
worse. Fortunately, we remembered droughts are common.
crossing a trickling tributary about a HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE
mile up the road from camp. At the With over 45,000 feet of climbing over the LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY
very least, we had water for the night. course of 550 miles, this route packs a About 60 percent of the route is unpaved:
On Day Three, we were climbing solid punch. Most riders will take anywhere 35 percent on gravel/dirt roads, 17 percent
right away. Doubletrack strewn with from nine to 15 days to complete the on rail trails, 5 percent on doubletrack, and
large rocks turned to washed-out TransVirginia, which averages out to be 0.5 percent on singletrack. The climbing
singletrack. Fallen trees slowed our between 36 and 61 miles per day. can be very demanding, especially if
speed, forcing us to hike-a-bike on you are attempting to ride 60 miles or
sections we might have otherwise WHAT BIKE TO BRING more per day. Earlier this year, the route
been able to ride. Eventually, the trail Any rigid gravel or hardtail mountain developers created an alternate called
dumped us out onto well-maintained bike will be sufficient for this route. Front the Valley TransVirginia, which follows the
gravel Forest Service roads. Up and suspension is certainly not necessary, same north–south trajectory but reduces
up we climbed, the grade stiffening so though wider tires are. Riders can get the overall climbing by 15,000 feet.
much that even spinning in the granny away with 45mm gravel tires, but 2.0in.
gear felt hard. tires are recommended. Many of the MORE INFORMATION
As we neared the summit of Devils Forest Service roads are rough and TransVirginia Bike Route: transvirginia.org
Hole Mountain, a misty fog shrouded
us in obscurity. Pops of red and yellow
NATHAN TAYLOR
in the canopy signaled the change
of seasons. In three days, it would
be autumn. Despite the moisture in
the air, the land was still parched. We
passed yet another normally reliable
spring that was completely dry.
Just when I thought I could climb
no more, we started to descend out of
the clouds. In five miles, we dropped
over 1,400 feet in elevation. Before
us, the rolling hills of the Lost River
Valley glistened in the golden light.
Tucked somewhere beyond those
ridges was our next climb of the day:
German River Road.
Having climbed some 3,500
feet that morning alone, we steeled
ourselves mentally for the remaining
5,000 feet of climbing ahead. The
grind up German River Road began
innocently enough, first on pavement,
ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG/MEMBERS 1516 ADVENTURE CYCLIST october /nov ember 2020
then dirt, then grassy doubletrack. But just as the sun was starting to set. We
the more elevation we gained, the more tucked into a mini-peloton for the final
the road devolved. pavement rip down to Switzer Lake
Our pace slowed from 13 mph to where we hoped to find water. We were
10, then 8, then 5. We picked our way in luck. Out of the many feeder creeks
slowly up the rock-studded jeep trail, that dumped into the reservoir, only
crawling alongside a scorched German one remained flowing.
River. We rationed our remaining water, By Day Six, we had fully assimilated to
knowing full well that, if anything, the life on tour, our new normal. Riding bikes
ridge we were gaining would be drier became our job. There was freedom in
than the holler. the simplicity of only needing to eat, ride,
Just as we crested the ridge, thunder and find water. I’d made peace with the
rumbled overhead. Within minutes, the creaking of my bottom bracket and the
sky opened up and unleashed a heavy fact that, although water was seemingly
curtain of rain. We hastily took cover scarce on this route, the climbing was
and huddled beneath a scrawny tree, mercilessly plentiful.
but no sooner had it started than the This section in particular — from
storm passed. Covington to our planned campsite
Though the day’s climbing was along the New River — was stacked
mostly behind us, the next 10 miles of with 2,000-foot climb after 2,000-foot
overgrown doubletrack hardly came climb. But there were joys too: the sight
easy. Stinging nettle and thorny briars of a black bear scrambling down a tree,
ripped at our skin. Freshly downed the rush of flying down mountains side
branches littered what little of the track by side with one of your closest friends.
we could see and threatened to rip the Even the ritual morning cup of instant
derailers from our bikes. coffee tasted better than that gucci
Soaked, scratched, and a little pour-over we had back in DC. We were
bloodied, we emerged from the woods CONTINUED ON PAGE 48
Above: Lindsey
Carpenter, Ellen
Kasiske, and Adam
Ritter keep a steady
pace up German
River Road outside of
Criders.
Left: Riders need only
carry two to three
days’ worth of food
thanks to frequent
country store
resupplies on route.
Right: The
TransVirginia packs
a punchy 45,000 feet
of climbing in 550
miles, but the views
are worth the effort.
17Closing the Loop CONNECTING ON THE GOLDEN CIRCLE
The scenery between Carcross
and Skagway is exquisite.
18 ADVENTURE CYCLIST october /nov ember 2020As
I neared the top of Chilkat
Pass, everything vanished
— swallowed by a dense
fog. When I looked behind
me, my partner rode into view like an
apparition. The wolf tracks alongside
the road appeared very real though, so
I slowed my pace to drift closer to my
fellow human.
I’d never done anything like this.
Before this ride, I could tentatively call
myself a bike commuter, but even that
had been a while ago. I’d spent the past
couple of months working on a fishing
boat in western Alaska, pulling sockeye
salmon out of a net, and all of my
movements had been confined to the 32
feet between the bow and the stern.
Pedaling up a mountain into the
Yukon with shaky sea legs, getting
totally soaked, and edging toward
hypothermia definitely felt adventurous.
Also a little dumb. I regretted not
putting on my rain gear when we first
started riding into this chilling mist,
but I took some abstract comfort in the
fact that this particular intersection of
Alaska and Canada has a rich history of
luring in foolhardy adventurers.
The 350-mile route we rode is called
the Golden Circle, named for the historic
Klondike Gold Rush that exploded in this
region in the late nineteenth century.
This frantic migration of 100,000 would-
be miners to the north was so epic in
proportion and fatal in consequence
that it was called a stampede. The
stories of hardship and heartbreak
experienced by the stampeders as they
attempted to strike it rich in a hostile
environment were made legendary by
authors like Jack London and Robert
Service. The Golden Circle travels the
very routes used by those fortune-
s t o ry by Elsa Sebastian | p h o t o s by Colin Arisman seeking prospectors.
ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG/MEMBERS 19A deteriorating conveyor building, part of an abondoned mine, on the steep shore of Tagish Lake. We began riding in Haines, Alaska, the mellower grade of the climb into River, when I first showed up in a tiny town at the end of the longest, the Yukon, but we also had personal town I was immediately labeled by deepest fjord in North America. reasons for beginning there. some of the residents as an “outside We then followed the Chilkat River I moved to Haines in the dead of environmentalist.” I had moved to through Klukwan, a Tlingit village winter a few years ago. I’d come to Haines to serve as executive director of that has been on the river’s banks for fight against a modern-day gold rush, a local conservation organization, and hundreds of years. From there, we one that bore little resemblance to the as I navigated this job — a heady mix of climbed through the Chilkat Pass, romanticized individualism of 1898. heated public meetings and long hours traveling along a traditional trade Today, multinational mining companies alone in a dark office at the end of a dirt route of the Tlingit and Athabascan are scrambling for investors and road — a few major things happened peoples. Most of our ride was on permits to dig for copper and gold in the totally by accident. rolling plateau on a route that wound mountains above the Chilkat River, one First off, I fell in love with Haines through Whitehorse, the capital of the of the most important salmon-producing and its endearing assortment of Yukon, and then back through another rivers in the region. These fish have contrarians, fishermen, artists, and ski mountain pass to Alaska and the iconic been sustaining the Tlingit people for bums. Second, I met my boyfriend, gold rush town of Skagway. To close thousands of years, and within the who was working on a documentary the circle, it’s necessary to hop on a last century the salmon have become film about the threat of mining in the ferry and sail back to Haines or down essential to commercial fisheries as well. Chilkat Watershed. Finally, I crashed to Juneau. Mines and fish don’t mix: the pollutants my trusty garage-sale bike on a patch Ferries are what make this ride unearthed by mining can have a of ice and replaced it with the sleekest possible as a loop, and in the summer negative impact on salmon in perpetuity. ride I’d ever owned: a Surly Disc they run regularly between Haines Even though I moved to Haines Trucker from the local bike shop. and Skagway. Arguably, the Golden from a nearby community and my When I left that job, I still had the Circle can be started in either town. family has long been harvesting bike, boyfriend, and love for the town. A sound reason to start in Haines is salmon spawned in the Chilkat Less cheerfully, I still saw the local 20 ADVENTURE CYCLIST october /nov ember 2020
Looking across the Yukon to Whitehorse. The Little Green Apple is the only grocery store between Haines and Skagway.
rivers, mountains, and forests through From the stories they told, I started felt like our compatriots in adventure.
the lens of political controversy and to understand that the Green Shack As we were pushing up a particularly
potential loss. We had many reasons was much more than a shelter — it’s a arduous hill, legs burning, a solo
for wanting to ride the Golden Circle — gentle reprimand to those entering this biker came roaring down from above
my first bikepacking adventure — but, mighty land without proper caution. with the speakers on his handlebars
deep down, I was hoping that I could Without this little cabin, I would’ve blasting Brazilian jazz. The funky
pedal my way into a richer, less fraught been dangerously cold, struggling to horns seemed to be a jubilant tribute
relationship with this place. set up a tent with numb fingers. to the beauty that was all around us.
After we made it over Chilkat Pass
and began our descent into the valley
beyond, the fog turned to rain. It felt
like riding into a cresting wave, but
Mines and fish don’t mix:
even as my hands cramped with cold I
was still awed by the scenery that rose the pollutants unearthed by mining can have
into view as we lost elevation. A lake
wrapped sinuously around the base of
the mountains, and even under gray
a negative impact on salmon in perpetuity.
skies it sparkled a bright turquoise.
Our destination on that first night The following morning, we slept After a day of pedaling through
was known simply as the Green until the rain stopped tapping the roof, majestic mountain valleys, we spent
Shack. It’s a refuge for cold and wet and we emerged from the Green Shack our second night in a campground by
folks like us, and it’s regularly stocked to a gleaming valley. As we filled up Dezadeash Lake. We dried our clothes
with firewood by the Canadian Park our water bottles from swollen creeks, over a fire in the cooking shelter, and by
Service. In the summer, the Green I could see that the tiny plants of the the time the rain started to fall again, we
Shack is visited by motorcyclists and tundra were starting to burn red and had stretched out in our sleeping bags.
bikepackers; in the winter, it's skiers gold with the changing season. Seed In Haines Junction, we made a
and snowmobilers. Once we arrived, pods spiraled elegantly across the much anticipated stop at the famous
I shucked my wet layers, crawled into road’s shoulders. Village Bakery, one of the few
my sleeping bag, and gratefully drank Besides the occasional lumbering businesses in this tiny crossroads town.
some of the bottle of wine that we’d RV, the roads here seemed to be After eating a wide selection of baked
cached days before. As I warmed up, the nearly exclusive domain of goods and savory treats, I started to
I flipped through the visitor log and motorcycles and bicycles. While the work my way through coffee refills
studied the quotations and crayon RVs seemed as foreign as spaceships as I listened to locals discussing the
graffiti scrawled across the wall. in this wild country, the motorcyclists upcoming salmon bake, hosted every
ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG/MEMBERS 21Clockwise from top left:
This passenger train makes daily runs on the scenic railway between Skagway and Whitehorse.
Carcross Commons: the Carcross/Tagish First Nations people have invested in tourism with
the goal of empowering their culture through a sustainable local economy.
Turning the lens on the photographer as he cooks up a classic dinner at our camp by Tutshi Lake.
We were struck by how each valley seemed like its own microclimate; in late August, some
places were still green while others were chilly with colors turning toward fall.
22 ADVENTURE CYCLIST october /nov ember 2020began looking for a place to camp. beautiful community with smooth
Roadside camping options were less white roads along the banks of a deep
than ideal, and as it grew dark we were blue lake, sweeping mountains, and
coming to terms with what looked to be a newly constructed cultural center
an uncomfortable night. showcasing outstanding indigenous art.
When we saw the handmade Although these lands have been
highway sign for Irene’s Restaurant and the home of the Tagish and Tlingit
Bar, we were skeptical that a business indigenous people for thousands of
could even exist in a place this remote. years, Carcross was only permanently
But Irene’s is an oasis in the Yukon, a established during the Klondike Gold
one-woman show with local beer served Rush. Since then, the Yukon’s economy
in frosty glasses and seriously tasty has been primarily dependent on
home-cooked lasagna. When I shyly resource extraction, and Carcross was
asked about camping options, Bella, our no exception.
host, happily waved us to the grove of Twenty years ago, the Tagish people
trees behind her restaurant. We slept started working toward self-governance.
soundly despite the frequent howling At the beginning of the process, the
of nearby wolves with accompanying community identified a primary
vocals from neighborhood dogs. concern: Tagish youth were losing their
We reached Whitehorse the connection to the land and leaving
following day and enjoyed a night the village in droves. When Carcross
out on the town in what felt like fully transitioned to self-government
a surprisingly cosmopolitan little in 2006, they had an ambitious plan to
city (Whitehorse’s 25,000 residents establish their community as a tourism
represent 70 percent of the population destination, but they wanted to do it
of the Yukon Territory). We ambled in a way that would revitalize local
down the clean streets in our bike connections to the land.
shorts and found a hip bar that served In the last 15 years, Carcross
Friday by the Village Bakery and us cocktails and wood-fired pizza. has built a world-class collection of
featuring live music, beer, and dancing. We got a late start out of Whitehorse, mountain bike trails, shredded annually
Turns out that in a place like Haines and we were still 15 miles from our by an estimated 2,500 riders. At the
Junction, bread is just one of many campground when the sun started heart of this effort is the Singletrack to
things the bakery cooks up. making long shadows through the black Success program, which employs local
I’m used to small-town Alaska, but spruce. We tried to be extra cautious of First Nations youth to build and repair
there was something special about vehicles as the darkness closed in, and the trails. Carcross made a decision
traveling in a wild place like the Yukon when a car pulled over we expected to shift their economy to tourism
that made it easier to appreciate a reprimand for riding in low light. without forgetting to incorporate
the way people are shaped by epic Instead we received a warning about a their values into their vision. By
landscapes and plenty of elbow room. bear family ahead of us. A mama brown many accounts, when they made that
More often than not, the indigenous bear on one side of the road, her two decision, it felt risky. It’s a lot easier
people — and those who have recently playful cubs on the other. for rural communities to accept jobs
found a home in these wild places We fell silent, trying to figure out as they come, through boom-and-bust
— are deeply generous. Whether how we could possibly crest a hill extractive economies, than to make a
it’s expressed through continually between a protective mama and her long-term plan for a sustainable future.
restocking firewood at the Green cubs. Before we could come up with We vowed to return with our
Shack or sharing local knowledge with a plan, another car with two lanky mountain bikes to ride these epic trails,
travelers, this generosity can mean a lot bearded Canadian guys pulled over and but on this journey we didn’t do much
to those at the mercy of the wide-open offered to shuttle us past the mama more in Carcross than drink a cup of
spaces and the ever-changing weather. bear. We thanked them profusely, and coffee, enjoy the views, and chat with
The next day’s ride heading toward one of them told us his own story of some stoked mountain bikers. I later
Whitehorse felt long. It’s flat country, getting a shuttle past an aggressive bear found out that a Whitehorse-based bike
and even though there were occasional when he was cycling in Alaska. He was shop has a mini mountain bike rental in
surprises, like watching coyotes hunt happy to do a good turn. Carcross — this might be my one regret
along the road, the taiga forest was less The next morning, we awoke to from this ride.
scenic than the dramatic mountain sunshine and pedaled into the town On our final day, we woke before the
valleys we’d been riding through, and of Carcross for breakfast. Carcross frost had melted from our tent and set
the traffic was steady. We made it 50 (pop. 300) is home to the Tagish First out early so as to catch our ferry from
miles, halfway to Whitehorse, and Nations people. It’s an incredibly Skagway. We stopped at the top of the
ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG/MEMBERS 23NUTS & BOLTS
golden
WHEN TO GO
circle
The Golden Circle route is rideable from
mid-May to mid-September. Fall colors are
gorgeous, but be prepared for chilly nights
if you ride in September. Weather this far
north is always unpredictable — be sure to
pack warm clothes and good raingear.
BIKES AND GEAR
The roads on this route are in excellent
condition, and an average touring bike
will work fine. If you don’t want to bring
your bike to Alaska, Sockeye Cycle
(sockeyecycle.com) operates stores in
Boarding the Alaska State Ferry for a short trip through the fjord that connects Skagway and Haines.
Haines and Skagway and offers complete
outfitting as well as guided tours. mountain pass and leaned our bikes toy docked next to the massive cruise
against the Welcome to Alaska sign. As ship. I’m told that our ferry ride back to
BEAR SPRAY we dug through our seatbags for dried Haines was nice, but I missed it. I was
Bring it. You’re allowed to carry it across the fruit, two huge buses trundled up the sleeping on the sundeck.
border but not on commercial flights. Be mountain and ground to a halt next I found what I had been looking for
prepared to buy it once you land in Alaska. to us. We watched in bemusement as on this ride: a deeper connection to the
the quiet landscape turned rowdy with land separate from the political battles
PASSPORT tourists fresh off one of the massive over its future. But I also received the
This ride is mostly in Canada with two cruise ships docked in Skagway. welcome I didn’t know I was looking for.
border crossings. Bring your passport (and Some of the cruise ship’s passengers People are an extension of the places they
check your border status)! expressed joyous wonderment, others live, and small-town politics has a way of
seemed bored. Everyone took pictures. obscuring this bigger truth. Throughout
FOOD AND WATER As the tourists lined up to pose for this ride, there was something special
It’s possible to resupply every 100 miles or photos by the Alaska sign, one of about how kind locals were to us. It felt
so, and water is plentiful along the route. their guides requested that we find like people appreciated not only the fact
The grocery store in Haines Junction somewhere else to lean our bikes. that we were visiting, but the way we
has great options, but it’s very small and Finishing our last mouthful of crackers were doing it. In turn, we were impressed
closes a couple of days each week. Check suddenly felt like a small act of protest. by the spirit of these communities and
their hours online before planning to We quickly forgot the absurdity of for the way that some rural communities
resupply in Haines Junction: facebook. this encounter as we descended from are reclaiming their future by resisting
com/thelittlegreenappleyt 3,800 feet to sea level in just 15 miles. cycles of boom and bust and developing
Our disc brakes were literally smoking businesses and an economy in a way that
FERRIES as we sped through the lush, craggy, wild benefits both people and the land.
We started this ride in Haines, but most pass. Along the road there were pull-outs Back in Haines, our first stop was for
travelers fly into Juneau and ride the ferry with interpretive information about a celebratory drink at the Port Chilkoot
to Haines. You can walk your bike onto the Klondike Gold Rush. The grisly Distillery, but we also dropped by
the ferry. Ferries at Skagway, Haines, and facts painted a stark picture of what Sockeye Cycle, where I had purchased
Juneau don’t run every day. Check the men will do for the promise of riches: my Surly a few years ago. The business
schedule at dot.alaska.gov/amhs 3,000 pack horses died on Dead Horse had just changed hands, and the new
Trail; smallpox devastated indigenous owners were wrapping up their first
ROUTE communities; and in the end, only a few tourist season, exhausted and happy
This route is straightforward and easy to made fortunes while many others lost after showing so many people this wild
follow on Google Maps. However, there everything in the attempt. land. We shared a report of our ride and
are some old highways and dirt roads just Our time in Skagway was brief, just chatted about the bike tourism we’d
past Haines Junction that parallel the new long enough for an ice cream cone seen in Carcross, and how tourism can
road. These are preferable to ride on, but and some people-watching before we bring stability to rural towns.
you’ll want to ask a local for advice. boarded our ferry, which looked like a That was back in the fall of 2019,
24 ADVENTURE CYCLISTGolden light streams down through the aspens on a crisp morning in the Yukon. and as I wrote this article in the spring Tourism has been mostly a good they are so quick to show us. of 2020, it was hard not to think about thing for rural towns in the north, and The outdoor community has hit a how COVID-19, and the dramatic everywhere we went on the Golden moment of reckoning with COVID-19. decrease in visitors, will make it hard Circle we found businesses committed For many of us, it’s meant exploring for many small tourism businesses to doing tourism the right way. As we closer to home and tabling our larger to hang on. Without locally owned look forward to our next adventures, travel plans. But it should also make businesses, the economies of rural we should remember that COVID-19 us more aware of our impact on places communities in Alaska and the Yukon has hit rural economies especially hard. wherever we go. As bike travelers, we’re are defined by what big multinational Hopefully we can soon re-enter rural more than self-powered specks on the companies bring to the table: mining, communities like those we explored on landscape. We’re part of the picture. resource extraction, short-term the Golden Circle, but for now we can profit, and long-term social and think ahead about how to show these Elsa Sebastian is a commercial salmon fisherman and environmental consequences. rural places the generosity of spirit that conservationist from Southeast Alaska. ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG/MEMBERS 25
STORY AND PHOTOS BY CHUCK HANEY
A
s a longtime professional favorite states, Nebraska. This wouldn’t
photographer, I’m often asked be my first rodeo in the Cornhusker
what is my favorite environment State — I had previously documented,
to shoot. Majestic mountains, giant in this fine publication, perhaps the
forests, unspoiled coastlines? To the only bike/barbershop in existence
surprise of many, my response is: the while sampling the singletrack trails
Great Plains. I’ve always been attracted around Chadron 20 years ago (“The
to the vast skies, the sudden and Nebraska Outback,” Sept./Oct. 2000).
dramatic storms, and the abundant A couple of years later, I embarked on
wildlife and birds. But most of all, I a mountain bike tour of the remote
love the sense of buoyancy I feel while badlands of the Nebraska panhandle
exploring the immense grasslands. pulling a BOB trailer. I saved my
It came as no surprise when new road riding escapade for one of
hatching my latest bicycling adventure the more unique places to roam on
that I chose to return to one of my the Great Plains, a region of grass-
26 ADVENTURE CYCLIST october /nov ember 2020stabilized sand dunes in north-central I needed for both cruising the plethora the region of Nebraska that I would
Nebraska that was designated a National of local gravel roads and handling the visit. I felt that I could safely pull off a
Natural Landmark in 1984. loads of pannier-laden touring. I told spartan trip. Riding a solo self-supported
While planning this bike tour during Chris of my Nebraska trip in June, bicycle trip in a really remote region
the winter months, I realized that I and when it came time for a paint, I sounded like the perfect recipe for both
would have to retire my antiquated selected the school colors from one adventure and community safety. Social
Bruce Gordon touring bike that I of my favorite college football teams distancing in the Nebraska Sandhills can
had purchased in 1988 for a lengthy growing up, the University of Nebraska. be measured by the mile.
tour of the Northern Tier Route. I My new bike suddenly had its own I began my trip with an exploration
needed a modern touring steed, one moniker, Cornhusker Red. in the small town of Valentine. This
that I could retrofit my sturdy and As the tumultuous spring of 2020 town owes its charm to a multitude
lightweight Bruce Gordon racks and transpired, I was concerned that my of heart-emblazoned red street signs.
custom Bob Beckman hand-stitched scheduled bike tour might have to be Taking advantage of its name, each year
panniers to. Lucky for me, I have a good canceled like so many other events due around 5,000 romantics from all over
friend in my hometown of Whitefish, to the spread of COVID-19. By the time the country send their Valentine’s Day
Montana, who builds custom bikes. June rolled around, however, I was letters to the Valentine post office in
Chris Boedeker, of the one-man Boedie more confident due to the extremely order to have them stamped with that
Cycles, was eager to build the exact bike low occurrence in both Montana and year’s Valentine postmark. There’s also
Bison herd at sunrise
at Fort Niobrara
National Wildlife
Refuge in Valentine.
ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG/MEMBERS 27When completed,
the Cowboy Trail
will be the country’s
longest rail trail.
affection for the nearby Niobrara, a
designated National Scenic River. The
76-mile scenic section is extremely
popular with canoeists and floaters.
Gaining traction are the number of
cyclists coming to ride the Cowboy Trail,
a rail trail that follows the old Chicago
and Northwestern rail line and whose
western terminus lies in the city park
right along Valentine’s Main Street.
The historic rail line spans 321 miles
from Norfolk in the east to Chadron
in the west. Currently, there are 195
continuous miles with a crushed
limestone or granite surface suitable for
riding from Norfolk to Valentine while
loosely adjoining highways 275 and 20.
Farther west of Valentine, there are
several shorter sections that have been
converted, but you can’t ride all the
way to Chadron yet. When completed,
the Cowboy Trail will be the country’s
longest rail trail.
Instead of just touring on the
Cowboy Trail, I was more interested
in doing a loop where I could check
out the countryside north of one of my
favorite prairie rivers, the Niobrara.
I headed out of town on Highway
12 in the early morning, paralleling
the gently flowing river. I was soon
reintroduced to the masochistic
joy of lugging my fully loaded bike
up the steep wooded incline out of
Minnechaduza Canyon and chugging
onto the outback of America, the rolling
expanse of my beloved Great Plains.
From top: Long Pine Creek gorge
in Long Pine.
Riding the Niobrara River Trestle
on the Cowboy Trail in Valentine.
The author’s gravel bike,
Cornhusker Red, at the trailhead
of the Cowboy Trail.
28 ADVENTURE CYCLIST october /nov ember 2020You can also read
