Originally Posted by
balto charlie
Hey there, Since Covid I have been exploring bikepacking much more. I actually like it. More like back packing but one moves at a faster rate. I have done a bunch of these tours recently. I often never use local stores, restaurants and hotels only gas stations. The tours are short about 1 week, extremely enjoyable and gets me moving in nature. I just (2 hours ago) returned from a canoe portage tour through the Williams Wilderness in the Adirondacks. Not really bike touring but similar. I think I only bought gas along the way as I organized each meal before hand. I always chat with others but it is outside and in that area there were very few. More loons than humans
I drive to all tours, no plane at this time.
FWIW: I hate not supporting local businesses, though I do at times on some of these adventures. I am just trying to push though this Covid mess we are currently in. I can't stay home anymore.
Safest way to tour, IMHO: dive to tour start, pack all of what you need, keep the tour on the shorter side.
That all makes a lot of sense. Glad to hear you are getting out. I have considered, but haven't actually done many of those more backpacking like "tours" (I still call them tours and don't draw a hard line between bikepacking and touring). For me most of the places that I consider wind up either being to much like a rail trail (not my cup of tea) or I think maybe I'd rather backpack in that area. Only a few seem to hit the sweet spot where I really want to bikepack vs backpack or go somewhere else. A few tempt me with a mixed bag. The Sisters OR.area for example I could see driving out and doing some of each backpacking and bikepacking or at least mountain biking, but it could wind up just being a base camps with day hikes/rides thing rather than a tour. It is a long drive, but I have driven out west before and slept in the car.
I tend to not like short tours much, a week is the very minimum I will usually do. I have been hesitant to leave my wife home alone during the pandemic. She would be suportive and encourage me to go (she always has), but I feel like she needs the company during the pandemic. Living alone while I go on a long tour is probably a nice break in normal times, but I doubt that would be the case during the pandemic.
For a while there we were on what seemed to be a death watch for our beloved dog, who had her spleen removed in the spring. We figured we had maybe weeks with her. No way was I going away at that point.She was my constant companion for many years and during my trail running days ran about 20k miles with me. She has hiked and generally been by my side since she was a pup. She always did her best to take care of me. These days she lays down and takes a break a couple times going for a walk around the block and often decides it is too hot to even walk around the block. That is notable since she alway took it as her jog to be sure we all got out and got some amount of exercise, but her health seems stable now so I am now feeling less stuck at home at least with regard to her.
The wife and I plan to get out together in a motorised fashion at some point (camping with small trailer or van maybe), but that doesn't necessarily open more time to touring. She'd be willing to drive sag for me, but sagged tours don't especially appeal to me. I may consider it though. I'd like to show her some of the places I have toured and backpacked and she isn't going to bike tour or backpack these days. Years ago she biked, paddled whitewater, and backpacked, but now she won't ride and very easy day hiking and canoeing is her limit.