Day 22: Helena to Park Lake

Ride time: 4:15
Average: 6.7 mph
Distance: 28.7 mi

Kris had breakfast going for us when we finally dragged our butts out of bed at 10AM!  It was a late night last night, for sure.  We didn't get on the road until about 1 PM, and then stopped at The Base Camp to get some new dry sacks to go in the Super Twinkies (the bag that hangs off the saddle).  Then we began climbing...and climbing...and climbing...  Helena sits at just above 4,000 feet and the camp we're at is at 6,300 feet.  It was a long day, and I was sweating profusely.  We bought some Nuuns tablets at The Base Camp to use as an electrolyte sort of drink, and they actually work really well.

Almost to camp...

We're now in Helena National Forest, and we're camped at a place that's been closed due to pine beetle infestation and clean up.  It looks like a freaky war zone with all the downed trees and lack of human presence.  It's quite sad to see what the pine beetle has done to the forests around here, and frightening to think of what might happen in years to come.

T Minus Whenever It Feels Right

We leave for the Divide this Saturday this is what I think I will have in the frame bag on the large Fargo and gas tank. 
On the right is the gear for the gas tank. Alien2, Griptillian, tripod, camera in an Aloksak, a trapezoid of bubble packaging for extra padding.
The top pocket of the frame bag is much bigger than it seems. It has the tent poles for an Emerald Forest SL3, road morph pump, headlamp, Ay-Up light charger, camera charger, camera cable, small sketch book, and The Count of Monte Cristo.
The lower pocket has the cook system, an insulator that I just made, a PCT bear hanging setup, padlock and cable, and two more fuel bottles.

Big Agnes!

Last fall, we purchased an Emerald Forest SL3 tent from Big Agnes.  Here's the tent with all its permutations and then stuffed into the handlebar bags:

Today, we set it up in the backyard for the first time.  Actually, Nate set it up and took it down while I was at work, and then I came home and set it up (almost) by myself.  I told Nate not to talk to me or give me hints unless I asked.  This tent is way more sophisticated than my REI Half Dome...

Anyway, he watched me from the upstairs window and calmly said things through the screen like, "That doesn't go there" or "Stake out the footprint first."  The weirdo kids from next door were watching me through their windows, and I just wanted to have it be over with.  He finally came down and asked me if I needed help with the fly.  My ego told me to say "no," but I wanted to be happy and not right, so I said, "yes."

I think that's going to be my motto on the trip: Do I want to be happy or do I want to be right?

Minibulldesign Alcohol Stove

We biked a marathon yesterday--26.2 miles with more gear than we had last weekend.  It was a beautiful day here in Milwaukee, and I'm grateful for sunscreen.  We did an out-and-back, and at the turn-around point, we cooked Nate's version of spicy noodles on the alcohol stove that we ordered from Minibulldesign.  Check out the videos that this guy made.  Anyway, it boiled water quickly and we had a nice lunch at Meaux Park near Whitefish Bay (at least that's where I think we were).  Looking forward to next weekend's ride!

'Stallis to Waukesha

We had a great ride this morning from our apartment past Calhoun Road along the New Berlin Trail.  It was our first time out with our bags on and almost fully loaded.  We did about 20 miles in under two hours and had a great time riding through puddles and saying hi to the on-lookers.  I think we look rather funny cruising around on our bikes.

The Fargo feels great, especially loaded down with weight.  At one point, I told Nate that I feel like I'm riding a tank.  I have a tendency to fall off mountain bikes, so I'm especially pleased with how sturdy I feel on this one. On the way back, right before we got onto Lapham, a deer jumped onto the trail about 20 feet in front of me, and I didn't fall off in the excitement, so that was reassuring. 

Four weeks until we depart and it'll be interesting to see how much riding we get in before we hit the trail.  We'll be biking to Edgerton, WI Memorial Day weekend, and that might end up being the longest trip we take.

It's All Going to Fit...I Swear

Here's my bike with all the bags on it.  You can see that the handlebar harness bag will hold my sleeping bag and perhaps the tent.  The triangle-shaped bag is the frame bag and Nate's frame bag will hold the tent poles.  We're trying to work out how the Super Twinkie (the bag that hangs off the seat) is going to stay off my rear tire.  I think Nate and Ian, from Cory the Bike Fixer, are going to design some sort of support.  Going for a ride today--it's 66.

Epic Design Bags

The doorbell rang Monday morning, and there was our little bundle of joy from Anchorage, Alaska.  I can't really imagine fitting all of our gear into these eight bags, but whatever.  We will make it work.  Eric from Epic Designs even included a little handwritten note in the box.  I love it when people do that.  If you go to his site, check out his videos of him rafting with his bike on the raft.  Crazy.

I was reading some other GDR biker's blog and he was reflecting on his experience of being picked up in New Mexico after he competed his journey.  He wished he had packed clean change of clothes along with a belt because he had lost 25 pounds during the two months he was riding.  Jebus.  That's serious weight loss.  He commented that it was fat, plus a lot of muscle.  I've definitely got chub to lose before the trip.

Woodchipper Handlebars

Here's my Fargo complete with Ay-Up lights, Woodchipper handlebars double wrapped with leather tape over gel cork tape.  Robyn has the same thing on her bike, and of course, she thinks this is overboard, but I'm sure she'll appreciate it on the ride.  We're waiting for our bags to come in from Eric from Epic Designs!