Touring - Took our first bikecamp trip.

After drooling over tour logs here and on CGOAB for some time, I finally put some gear together and made a practice trip. My wife and I went to a converted rail trail about an hour and a half from home, hooked up our new BOB Yak and had at it. Some mistakes, plenty of laughs and a lot of fun later, we came home to think about the next one. I seriously misjudged our distance capability (we camped at our turn-around point, only 14 miles up the trail rather than the 25 I thought we`d do), underestimated our water consumption and brought too much stuff but it all worked out in the end. Looking at the gear spread out on the living room floor, I definitely thought it was too much, but couldn`t really figue out where cut it down very far. I have a few ideas to ditch a little for the next trip and I guess with practice we`ll be able to whittle it down more. Anyway, I mostly just wanted to whoop it up a little over our first overnighter. Thanks to everyone here for all the ideas and inspiration. Here are some picturess from our trip for anyone interrested:
http://s161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/brianylupita/Bizz%20Johnson/

Thanks for the pics. That looks like a nice ride. Where is this trail? My wife and I are doing our first mini tour/ camping trip this weekend. We are taking the train to San Francisco, then riding to Samuel P. Taylor park for a couple nights.

Thanks for the pics. That looks like a nice ride. Where is this trail? My wife and I are doing our first mini tour/ camping trip this weekend. We are taking the train to San Francisco, then riding to Samuel P. Taylor park for a couple nights.

Hey, great! The one we did was the Bizz Johnson Trail out of Susanville.
http://bizzjohnsontrail.com/index_files/Page656.htm
Thanks for looking and good luck with yours.

On the 31st of this month I am leaving for a tour between Shasta City and Lake Tahoe. I think I am in the exact neighborhood you just came from. I will be going very near Susanville. Here is the link:http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3Tzut&doc_id=3606&v=b

Anyway, I notice you have your wife in a backpack. That looks miserable. Get her a rack and some small panniers to carry incidentals. I've seen inexpensive panniers on EBAY for cheap.

Looks great.

That looks like it will be a very scenic trip. I grew up in Quincy, that is beautiful country up there. Good Luck!




On the 31st of this month I am leaving for a tour between Shasta City and Lake Tahoe. I think I am in the exact neighborhood you just came from. I will be going very near Susanville. Here is the link:http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3Tzut&doc_id=3606&v=b

Anyway, I notice you have your wife in a backpack. That looks miserable. Get her a rack and some small panniers to carry incidentals. I've seen inexpensive panniers on EBAY for cheap.

Looks great.

Anyway, I notice you have your wife in a backpack. That looks miserable.

Not too bad... I left air holes for her :D
Seriously though, We have rack and panniers on our "shopping list". Thanks for the suggestion. About your CGOAB entry- looks like you`ve read some bad words about pedaling 89. For what it`s worth, from the little I`ve read on the route it`s supposed to be a slice of heaven. Have a nice ride.

Helmut?

Nice pics. Great scenery

Thanks for the pics. That looks like a nice ride. Where is this trail? My wife and I are doing our first mini tour/ camping trip this weekend. We are taking the train to San Francisco, then riding to Samuel P. Taylor park for a couple nights.

I'll be heading up to Samuel P taylor this weekend also. I'm going to try and get a hike/bike site if they don't fill up. Did you reserve a spot or were you going for the hike/bike site?

Neat. Wish I could have gone too.

Oof da. That looks like a lot of gear. You know, I do the same thing when I sled my gear on back-country ski/camp trips. I just am not as careful about packing as I am when I go backpacking.

I ask myself how I could hike the Rocky Mountains for weeks at at a time with everything needed fitting nicely in a single backpack, but when I load up a bike for weekend, it looks like Fibber McGee's closet.

Now, my rule is to pack into a backpack first. THEN, repack to the bike. I find that I take a lot less stuff that I really don't need.

I'll be heading up to Samuel P taylor this weekend also. I'm going to try and get a hike/bike site if they don't fill up. Did you reserve a spot or were you going for the hike/bike site?

I believe that the rule for national campgrounds is that if you arrive by foot or by bike, the park has to find space for you whether the park is full or not. I know that they made room for us at Glacier when we hiked in without a car even though the automobile line to get in was miles long. I did not know about the rule when we arrived and I thought we were going to have to hoof it back into the Bob Marshal Wilderness, but the park ranger advised us of the rule. He said, "Oh, you guys didn't come by car? Well then, we have to find space for you. Just wait while we take care of some of these campers and we will see what we can do for you", and sure enough, they let us camp with another group sharing a large site.

That is also the case in many state parks. You should check to be sure. If you can't reserve a site, for example, you could still bike there and be able to camp. You might not get an official campsite, but they could let you camp in the picnic area or other available space.

We are heading to the hike/bike site, hopefully they make room for us.




I'll be heading up to Samuel P taylor this weekend also. I'm going to try and get a hike/bike site if they don't fill up. Did you reserve a spot or were you going for the hike/bike site?

Nice