The Adventure April Trifecta - Overnight, Biking on Dirt, Coffee Outside

 Laura and I left for an overnight up Forest Rd. 79 yesterday afternoon around 3:30 p.m.  The total length of the ride was 14.7 miles - another .3 miles, and I think we may have covered all the Adventure April Challenges, (though I haven't added up all the climbing at 8% or greater).

The high yesterday was supposed to be around 74, and it was most likely in that ballpark.  It was also very windy, but luckily, it was a tailwind, particularly since we were climbing almost the entire way, with a big push on a steep grade right before the descent into Canada de los Alamos.  According to Ride with GPS, the steepest part of the climb was a 10.2% grade.  I'll admit that it was a bit of a struggle, with camping gear, to bike up that hill, but I did it.

 At 11.3 miles we hit the dirt, and we would be on dirt until we stopped 3.3 miles later.  We did end up walking up some of the hills.  The generally looked like this:

Sorry about the finger over the cell phone lens.  It is even steeper than it looks.  I believe that is where we hit the maximum grade of 13.9%  However, while I didn't stop and start the GPS whenever we got off the bike, I can say with reasonable certainty that we did ride at least a half mile without dimounting, and I certainly think it was in spirit of adventure.

One thing I have trouble with is getting the rack not to slide down the seat stays until it rests on the rear brake bolt.  The handlebar tape is where I keep trying to set it, but it keeps bouncing down.  I may just give up having a level rack and leave it where it wants to come to rest.

The only other trouble I have is the right handlebar grip comes loose when it warms up.  I try to keep an eye on it, but at the end of the big climb yesterday, and at the end of the climb out from Canada de los Alamos this morning, I looked down to find that I had almost pulled the grip off.  I know I have Gorilla Glued the cork grips on the Happy Little Three Speed, according to Rivendell instructions, but it's hard to get a grip off that's been glued on in such a fashion.  There has to be a better way to secure a handlebar grip.  It's not much of an issue riding around town, but it is on a long, hot climb.

Here is my coffee outside coffee.  I was going to bring the Bialetti pot, but I opted for instant.  I've been using SVEA Climbers for my stove for years, (that one is my second after I blew up the first one making pizza in a Bakepacker without the heat shield in place).  This SVEA seems to be getting lackluster on a cold morning.  I might have to finally fall back on the Trangia, but I love the sound of the SVEA and the silence that descends when you turn it off.

We took this photo a) to show how high up into the mountains we had come, (not very far in terms of the mountains themselves, but a good climb for an old three speed), and b) to send a photo to our son of the trail mix we had bought for him but then brought along and consumed on the ride.

Easter morning Shadow

The ride back was fast, (after we had climbed out of Canada de los Alamos), and enjoyable.  I have to admit a certain pleasure and ringing my bell at all the road cyclists we saw making the climb up, as we zipped along home.  That ride is here.  We did walk a bit more coming down the forest service road.  The brakes on the Raleigh just don't grab very well, even with new CR-18 rims and Koolstop Continental brake pads.  I also snapped a front brake cable on the Happy Little Three Speed recently, so I'm being more cautious than usual.  For some reason, the Happy Little Three Speed's brakes will bring me to a screaming halt, more so than on any of my other bikes.  The Raleigh sort of slows me down, but it takes real effort to try to bring it to a halt on a steep hill.

It was a pleasure to have my wife Laura along.  We haven't been bicycle camping together in a long time.  We're finally at the point where our oldest child is in college, and our youngest child is almost eighteen.  He mopped the house for us while we were gone.  I wish that there were more places we could camp that didn't involve climbing up into the mountains, but, around here, that is pretty much it.