Sky Islands Odyssey East Loop

As someone who survives seasonal depression, I've learned ways to help make it through each winter like taking a big trip to somewhere warm and sunny to ride my bike long distances. This year, I took two weeks to wander through California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona with the goal of taking up residence in Arizona for most of that time to admire the blooming ocotillo and explore a new corner of the southwest. My friend Aparna and I schemed a 4-day bikepacking trip with her family based on Bikepacking.com's Sky Islands Odyssey East loop. They flew into Tucson and met me in Patagonia to start our adventure. 

A home away from home to get ready for bikepacking in Patagonia.

Feeling optimistic as we head out of Patagonia.

Blue skies give way to dark storm clouds... 40% of .1 inch of rain!?

Emergency storm camp with vestibules pitched facing each other for socializing.

How it all went down.

Aparna and her family decided to cut the trip short due to their kiddo not feeling well, so I ventured off alone to finish off the loop.

Nothing like some hike-a-bike to start the day.

The other side of the mountain.

Aaaaah, flat trail to avoid the frontage road.

McDonalds provides a nice outdoor seating area, ice cream, french fries, and nice employees who let me fill all my water bottles with ice and cold water from the soda machine.

Gorgeous roads.

Sandy roads.

A magical dispersed site appeared right when I had about had it.

An oasis of clay, culture, and creation in the desert at the Canelo Project (https://caneloproject.com/). Reach out to them in advance if you want to camp or stay in their guesthouse.

He looks grumpy, but he's a snuggle butt.

The grasslands.

A few tips for cycle tourists:

• Everything you need to know is laid out here: https://bikepacking.com/routes/sky-islands-odyssey-east-loop/.
• The two things I think the bikepacking.com write-up does not cover are: (1) there is a reason why this is routed counterclockwise, and while it is rideable clockwise, it rides much better as mapped; and (2) the gravel roads in Santa Rita mountains are pretty gnarly and only rideable for more experienced riders running bigger tires and lightweight set ups... while most of this route is fairly moderate, those parts are not.
• I've become a pro at packing in 5 - 6 liters of water to dry camp to give myself more flexibility and that strategy was essential for this tour. Do not depend on seasonal streams or seasonal water tanks.
• A safe place to camp or park your car for your bike tour is TerraSol: https://www.marytolena.com/terrasol/ and it is also a hub for AZT through hikers.
• If you like goats and animals, a fun quirky AirBnB to base out of is: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/41503562.
• Make sure to get local intel at the Patagonia Lumber Company, the hub for all things gravel riding! If you happen to be there on a Sunday, then make sure to join their big ass group gravel ride.

Oregon Stampede

Oregon is one of those amazing places that can gift early season bikepacking... or at least that is what I tell myself when the original plan was supposed to be a Steens ski tour but the snowpack was too low to make it happen. Ha. But really, at the end of the day, I relish any excuse for an adventure with good company (really, the best of company).

The Oregon Stampede route is a classic route curated by the folks at Oregon Bikepacking -- a beautiful 50/50 mixed gravel and pavement route with wide sweeping vistas, mountain views, and desert canyons. The route as originally mapped is only rideable from April 1 to Nov 30th due to a closely monitored winter closure through the White River Wildlife Area to protect the area for elk calving (Oregon State Police is really active here and will ticket cyclists... they also constructed an impassable gate on one end). We rode a modified version of this route and mapped out two versions depending on the time of year.

Route for folks riding December 1 - March 31

Route for folks riding April 1 - November 30th

From ridiculously good food to perfect weather to getting into all kind o' trouble, we discovered some of the most beautiful corners in the rain shadow of Wy'east.

Sweeping views.

Camp in Mack's Canyon... it seems like there is always one cute protected walk in site in each campground along this route. We added on an unloaded ride to the end of the road since our first day was short and mostly downhill.

Bill wooed me by packing in this shrimp and sausage boil for dinner.

It's always worth taking the side detour.

Wildlife refuge shenanigans.

Some of the best riding of the whole route.

This seasonal closure is for real.

Bill gives his brother a message at the Columbia Gorge.

Mountain views.

Early evening in camp.

The road home.

A few tips for cycle tourists:

• We rode this route clockwise to maximize good camping opportunities in Mack's Canyon and the Lower Deschutes Recreation area. It made a really big second day. For those who prefer more amenities or spaced out days, folks can also take advantage of the small towns, especially Dufur.
• Most of this route is beautiful well graded gravel or pavement. The one exception is the wildlife refuge area which may require some hike-a-bike and a little more bike handling skills.