Seattle resident John Stamstad is a legendary ultra endurance athlete who arguably established the bikepacking niche. A significant hallmark of John's ultra career has been to be the first: He pioneered routes, gear, and techniques that laid the foundation for the recent surge in bikepacking activity. In this interview clip, John talks about how gear and technologies have … [Read more...] about John Stamstad: Gear Evolution
John Stamstad: Early Motivations
Seattle resident John Stamstad is a legendary ultra endurance athlete who arguably established the bikepacking niche. John's palmarès include both off-road cycling and trail running accomplishments from the mid 1980s through the early 2000s: --1992 First off-road crossing of Australia by bicycle--3,500 miles --1993, 1994, 1995, 1996: Iditasport Race (170 … [Read more...] about John Stamstad: Early Motivations
Seward Park Adrenaline
The Thursday Night Cycling Series at Seward Park resumed July 1. The pent-up COVID energy was palpable this week! Held on Thursday evenings during the spring and summer, this classic Seattle weekly hammerfest is a focal point for the region’s road bike racing community. Most participants ride to the race, race, then ride home, often with a pit stop to commiserate with … [Read more...] about Seward Park Adrenaline
The Easy Pass Duathlon
The inspiration for this little project came from coach Jessica Kelley way back in 2015, who that year was ticking off routes in the UltraPedestrian Wilderness Challenge. Jessica did a point-to-point hike/trail run from Easy Pass trailhead to Thunder Creek trailhead. In her trip report she mentioned that some folks bike back to the start to make it a loop. Did someone say … [Read more...] about The Easy Pass Duathlon
Hiking Gothic Basin
Starting at Barlow Pass on the Mountain Loop Highway, the hike to Gothic Basin rewards a strenuous effort with a gorgeous dual cirque dotted with ponds and lakes. Unless you do an early season hike, in which case the basin is a vast snowfield. In the Cascades, the timing of "early season" conditions varies depending on the winter's snowfall. The drive from … [Read more...] about Hiking Gothic Basin