Weekly Newsletter: October 16th-22nd, 2023
- Written by Keith Huster
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- 5 min read
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- Last updated 5 months ago
This week started out slow but ended with an amazing bikepacking trip out in the Utah desert. ⛺️ 🌵
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Keith Huster
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A typical work week 👨💻 👩💻
This week started off sort of slow and tedious. Lindsey and I both focused on our regular work schedules and taking care of tasks around the house. Sometimes you have to succumb to the daily grind even though we would much rather focus on adventure and fun.
Bored at work gif (Source: tenor.com)
However, the upcoming weekend would be quite a different story (keep reading)...
Prepping for Keith's first overnight bikepacking trip 💼 🚵♂️
The weather has been absolutely beautiful but we know it is all about to change as we get closer and closer to winter. Lindsey suggested that we take advantage of this weather window with an overnight camping trip. The plan was for Keith to bikepack to/from the campsite. Lindsey would drive the Jeep out to the campsite to meet Keith. This would be an opportune time for Keith to obtain some real-world bikepacking experience. It would also give Lindsey some practice driving the Jeep, setting up camp, etc.
Keith had to spend some time installing a few last-minute components on his bike. He also had to finalize a plan for how he was going to transport enough food, water, and other necessities. He has plenty of storage on his bike but figuring out how to best utilize the available storage is a bit like playing Tetris.
We did manage to get in one short ride down to Utah Lake and back. This is one of our favorite local routes since the views along the lake are so stunning! 🤩
Bikepacking to Simpson Springs Campground along the Original Pony Express Trail ⛺️ 🌵
Keith left the house, with his bike fully packed, at around 7:30 AM on Saturday morning. Lindsey arrived at the campsite near the Simpson Springs Campground around 6:00 PM. She promptly set up her tent, started a small fire in a designated fire pit, and waited for Keith to arrive. Keith finally made it to the campsite at 7:30 PM... a full 12 hours of riding later! 🥵 He decided to take the "hard route" to the campsite which included multiple sections of steep hike-a-bike across several mountain passes. His ride for the day was just shy of 90 miles with over 5,000 feet of climbing.
Gallery of the first day of our bikepacking/camping trip out in the Utah desert
After spending a beautiful night in the desert enjoying the fire and the stars, it was time to pack up and head home. Keith was unsure if he would be feeling strong enough to make the journey home by bike. Eventually, after having some coffee and breakfast, he decided to go for it and ride all the way back! This time though, he took a more traditional route along the Original Pony Express Trail. His ride home was filled with a nice mix of long gravel roads, a small amount of hike-a-bike, and navigating through multiple cities. His ride for the day was 78 miles with over 2,500 feet of climbing. He completed the return trip a little under 8 hours.
Gallery of the second day of our bikepacking/camping trip out in the Utah desert (yep, we had separate tents)
In total, over the two days, Keith rode for nearly 20 hours covering approximately 168 miles with over 7,500 feet of climbing! This was such a great training experience for Keith's upcoming attempt at the 2024 Tour Divide.
Upcoming posts and videos 👷 👷♀️️
Lindsey is working on a series of posts about our 2-week road trip throughout Oregon. Keith is working on a post detailing his first bikepacking experience. We can't wait to share these adventures with you all. Be sure to subscribe to our blog so that you don't miss out.
We hope that you are enjoying our newsletters. Summer has come to a close. Do you have any big plans for the fall/winter? Let us know in the comments section below.👇 💬