Bikepacking: Slate Springs Overnight

OVERVIEW

Do you like freedom?? Have you ever thought about how magical it would feel to bike into the woods, rip down the trails and explore the beauties of our mountains all while knowing everything you need to sustain your living is strapped to the bike you’re riding?? We introduce to you: the art of bikepacking.

This will be a two-day trip consisting of a 52-mile loop through the heart of the Shenandoah Mountains. The route follows mostly dirt roads and relatively smooth doubletrack around the summit of Reddish Knob.

The focus of this trip is to introduce people to bikepacking, so priority will be given to those who have not done it before. That being said, there is a good amount of climbing and elevation gain (5,400’) so you need to be tough, but by no means do you have to be crazy in shape to do this. We plan on taking this loop at a very approachable pace.

*** MUST READ ***:
Slate Springs Loop: https://bikepacking.com/routes/overnighter-harrisonburg-va/
Bikepacking 101: https://bikepacking.com/bikepacking-101/

Prerequisites:
–You must have been mountain biking at least a few times OR have some other equivalent riding experience. There are no technical trails on this route, but you need to be comfortable handling your bike on a chunky dirt road.
–Any prior backpacking experience will help, but it is not necessary by any means. This will be equally as challenging as a backpacking overnight with some additional complexity due to the fact that everything is strapped to a bike.

Options for bikes:
To make this trip as accessible as possible to anyone interested in bikepacking, we are going to primarily be taking club mountain bikes. That being said, if you own a touring/road bike and you want a challenge, you are very welcome to bring it instead! Gabriel and I are planning on riding our 40-year-old road bikes. If doing this on a bike you own rather than a club mountain bike interests you, please let us know and we can try to figure things out. The bike should at least have somewhat thick, knobby tires.

If you have any questions/concerns at all regarding this trip (mileage, difficulty, specific packing questions, how we’re going to strap everything to our bikes, etc.), please send one of us a text and we can chat about it! Our goal is to make you feel comfortable! Bikepacking isn’t super scary as long as you’re prepared, and knowing the logistics of it definitely soothes the brain.

Bryson – 8045171604
Gabriel – 5403830524
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Schedule:
– The plan is to meet at the Shred Shack at some point during the week (whenever people are free) to distribute bags and communal gear. At that point, people will know how much space they have to pack and begin packing – whatever doesn’t fit into the bike bags you can carry in a small daypack (see sections below)

FRIDAY (10/13)
– 7:00AM: Meet at Shred Shrack, see how it’ll all fit on our bikes, load em up
– 8:00AM: Depart, grab Bodos on way out
– 9:15AM: Arrive at parking lot, pack our bikes
– 10:00AM: Start the loop
– Pedal 25 miles to the summit of Reddish Knob (will probably take us 4-5 hours)
– Set up camp (https://maps.app.goo.gl/uHZPUCBuLVp5SZpc6), make dinner, watch a beautiful sunset, vibe!!!!!!

** It will probably be pretty cold up in the mountains at this time so bring a warm sleeping bag/pad **

SATURDAY (10/14)
– Wake up with the sun, make breakfast and pack our bikes
– Gradually descend down the rest of the 27 miles back to the car and leave!
– Lunch potentially
– Back to C’ville by 5:00PM (subject, as always, to the possibility of unexpected delays)
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WE PROVIDE:
– Bikes (if you’re using a club bike)
– Frame bag, handlebar bag, and seatpost bag
– Helmet
– Bike tools and repair kit
– Stove and tents (we will distribute this stuff the morning of)
– First aid kit (just so we’re clear: you could totally crash and break yourself doing this if you’re careless, but we’ll have plenty of time to take the descents at a comfortable pace)

YOU PROVIDE:
– Everything you’d normally use when backpacking – you should have a decent idea of what you need if you’re signing up for this trip but we are very happy to discuss in-depth certain options and what you may or may not need if you’re on the fence about things.
– Daypack: enough capacity for some layers and personal items that you can’t fit on your bike, but small enough to bike with all day and not be super obnoxious (the club has some) – ideally with a chest strap. The goal is to not have to bring one (for comfort, assuming you can fit everything in the packs we give you), but you’ll probably have to.
– Study shoes: something you can comfortably pedal/hike in – we’ll likely have to push our bikes for certain sections of the loop
– Comfortable riding clothes
– 3L water capacity, ideally in a hydration bladder but we can probably put water bottle holders on your bike if theres enough room
– Food: (1) dinner, (2) lunches, (1) breakfast, lots of calorie-dense snacks for the ride (easy meals are best, something you can make with just boiling water)
– Optional: your own bike

Recommended for biking:
– Gloves (mandatory if it’s cold), cheap $10 Mechanix gloves work great
– Layers to avoid wind chill on downhill
– Sunglasses

Videos you should watch!!