Although Jamie Van Beek and Corbin Hudacek had to alter their Hood River to Canada bikepacking plans because of the 2020 smokestorm, they meticulously planned on being self-sufficient for seven days. Here are their gear lists with an important caveat: For a ride this long, it's likely that the food at the start of the ride will outweigh all the other gear combined. Jamie's … [Read more...] about Gearing up for a Bikepacking Epic
Backcountry travel
Hudacek & Van Beek: Hood River to Canadian Border
On September 6, just a few days before the 2020 smokestorm hit Washington, Corbin Hudacek and Jamie Van Beek teamed up for a 7-day south-to-north off-road cycling adventure based on the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route. The duo covered 640 miles and over 72,000′ of climbing in 7 days all off-road and gravel except for a few paved … [Read more...] about Hudacek & Van Beek: Hood River to Canadian Border
Gravel Cycling Infects the PNW
We can credit/blame the coronavirus pandemic for all manner of secondary and downstream disruptions to humanity. While recreational activities are a relatively minor theme against the backdrop of everything else that is going on, for those of us who have the privilege to recreate, I'd argue that maintaining our physical and mental health helps us keep the vibe just a bit … [Read more...] about Gravel Cycling Infects the PNW
Julie Robertson Zivin @ US #CXNats 2019
Julie Robertson Zivin is an avid mountain biker who primarily focuses on endurance events. Julie is a regular at Seattle's Wednesday Night World Championships mountain bike series. She credits her coach with enabling her to win the 2019 Women's 50-54 National Cyclocross Championship. … [Read more...] about Julie Robertson Zivin @ US #CXNats 2019
Gearing up for Bikepacking
As gravel cycling (re- ?) catches on with an increasingly wider group of riders, you may be among those toying with the idea of bikepacking. The terminology around bikepacking is a bit confusing. Northwest in Motion is using the working definition that bikepacking requires: a bike, an overnight stay, and a bias for routes on dirt and gravel. In contrast to the overlapping … [Read more...] about Gearing up for Bikepacking
Bikepacking: XWA 2019
XWA is a bikepacking race on the Cross Washington Mountain Bike Route. The 684 mile ~48,000' Route is comprised of singletrack, dirt roads, and a little pavement. Although the Route travels through remote areas, there are many resupply opportunities. The Route is physically and mentally challenging, and is also considered a test of the rider's bikepacking kit and gear. Troy … [Read more...] about Bikepacking: XWA 2019
Stuke Sowle: #everysinglesummit
Although 44-year-old Stuke Sowle has only been running for about five years, he has been feverishly working on ambitious projects that are animating the PNW running community. He dubbed his most recently completed adventure #everysinglesummit. The #everysinglesummit idea was based on a Strava trend in which folks cycle every single street in their cities. Inspired, Stuke … [Read more...] about Stuke Sowle: #everysinglesummit
Team UltraPedestrian Completes First UP North Loop
Although 100-mile ultra runs are a relatively popular "thing" these days, several regional athletes are upping the ante just a tad. A few recent "ultra-ultra" projects include: 1. In the summer of 2017 mother/daughter duo Tania and Martina Halik became the second team to ski the entire 2,300km length of the Coast Mountains from Squamish, British Columbia to Skagway, … [Read more...] about Team UltraPedestrian Completes First UP North Loop
Hummel and Miller Traverse the Cascade Crest
A traverse of the Cascade crest from Mt. Baker to Mt. Rainer was first envisioned in the early 1980s by legendary Cascade skier, mountaineer, and historian Lowell Skoog. Skoog's version of the traverse was comprised of ~18 segments, and after working on the project for 25 years, he finally completed it in 2007. His vision and accomplishment has been an inspiration for younger … [Read more...] about Hummel and Miller Traverse the Cascade Crest