When the call came to circumnavigate the Kaibab Plateau for a muli-day bikepacking trip with Chad, I threw my desire for rest aside and jumped in.....I would not be disappointed.
Leaving our car outside of Jacob Lake and descending out of the Ponderosa and Aspen forest, we contoured around to the west and then south......
Many lessons were learned by me on this first bikepacking trip.....the first one being to mentally prepare myself for the planned vs. anticipated water stops....and not assume that "Jug" implies water.....
The humid air above the northwestern Kaibab hinted at possible showers....but they never materialized....
40 miles in, we hit the Rainbow Rim Trail in the fading light of day....
Rarely seen western views from the north Kaibab were enjoyed while rolling along....me consumed by visions of running springs to which there were none.
Spotting evidence of folks camped across the way towards Locust point, we pedaled on to find a decent campsite with a good view for the next morning....
Arriving at Locust, we found two gents from Flagstaff, one of which knew Chad from 2 Spring Flings ago. They invited us to camp next to them and share in some of their PBR, cheese, pickled chiltipin's, fine tequilia and water........for which I contributed genoa salami, chili covered mango slices, and flattened banana. The conversation and hospitality was very much appreciated while enjoying timeless views of the fading light in the canyon.
Waking on day two, I walked out to the same point to view the suns rays revisiting the canyon once again.
Soft morning light along the rim from our camp exposed features obscured the night before.....
Thanking our friends in the morning, we continued on the Rainbow Rim, hollering out across the canyon at the camp we just left....taking in the echo's and the views alike.....
Transitioning off of the Rainbow Rim and skirting an active burn in progress, we borrowed some water from an unorthodox source before coming into views of Dragon Creek below which is framed by Confucius Temple, Tower of Ra, Osiris Temple.......and the "Leviathon", ably piloted by Chad.
Views of the Kachina Peaks from 70 miles away across the canyon were appreciated, however the chasm consumed most of our attention......
Moving on to the southern extent of the tour, dusty double track lead us to a detour towards the North Rim Lodge and some Pizza & Beer.....the former to be my downfall the rest of the day.
Dirty....but content....and fascinated how dirt does not stick to scar tissue......
5 of the 6 things I love in life are represented in this photo.....the sixth was in my thoughts.....
Wolfing down extra pizza which was awarded to us for suffering through an hour and a half wait....I soon realized I ate too much as I tried to pedal away and keep up with Chad.......Lesson two handily learned.
Climbing an old watchtower, more views of the Kachina Peaks on the horizon and from across the canyon....
Warning: After descending the tower, you may find yourself talking to an imaginary person in finely pressed white socks.....not seen here....because they are not real.....
Feeling spent and week, stomach torn asunder; Chad throws some encouragement my way to make camp at the East Rim.....the singletrack through idyllic meadows buoyed my spirits.....
When singletrack goes on vacation, this is probably where it goes.....
East Rim views in the fading light of day came into view, and lifted me even higher.....
Navajo Mountain, 80 miles to our northwest towered over the canyonlands......
The pastel colors of sandstone and sunset last for but a brief moment each day....but leave an indelible impression......
As we prepared for our second night....I savored the last moments before finally meeting the venerated Don Miguel......next time, I'm going to try "The Bomb".....
Falling asleep to views of the milky way, we slept in a bit before making our way to Dog Lake for our final water stop....hope the chlorine tabs work on dog water....
Making our way north along the AZT, we found the treed entrance to Valhalla........
Flowing out of climbs back into meadows, I savored the descents; hoping for more before the next climb.
Where's Chad?......
.........floating on the grass.......
......topping out......
Continuing north, the bowl shaped meadows gave way to flatter expanses of Lupine and Ponderossa.
144 miles later.....our stomaches were rewarded with Jacob Lake Cafe food.....
Driving away....Chad remarked outloud......"It's a good day to be alive"....I nodded in silence, answering only in my mind....."yes it is....yes it is...."
All things considered, I was pretty happy with myself; having learned a few valuable lessons along the way and I now have a pretty good idea as to what I need to do better next time. Below is a list of lessons learned on my 1st trip:
1)
Bring Less Food - I brought entirely too much food to include "Robo-Food". Chad's Don Miguel approach combined with planned refueling points was not something I planned on....I will pay more attention to the logistics next time.
2)
Bring more water - I carried 4L with me.....this trip I probably should have had 6L. Also, as indicated above, I should have paid more attention to the logistics of the ride. I anticipated refueling water at a certain point, only to realize that Chad never intended for a water stop at that point. My ignorance of all the planned/potential water stops enabled my mind to go a bit batty about water. Knowing the route in my head before going will eliminate this mental ping-pong.
3)
Use a seat bag vs. Handlebar bag - I suppose that a seat bag balanced with a handlebar bag would be ok... balance being the key word here. However, I'd much prefer having weight back there instead of up front, YMMV. I was lucky to have Chad loan me a CDW handlebar bag to try out in which I stuffed all my food (too much) and my sleeping bag. My Wing-Nut pack contained my water and spare clothes. I'll be placing an order soon for an escape pod and a frame bag.
4)
Get replaceable battery components - I have a Garmin 705 which I love....but it ran out of juice halfway through the second day. This clearly is not going to work for me going forward. I really love having a USGS 7.5 as a background map....so I need to buy a unit that will allow me this capability as well as the ability to swap out batteries.
5)
Stand more - I noticed that Chad stood a lot rather than sitting. I suppose this is now habit for him....and it will be now too, considering my arse was pretty raw after 3 days. Had I stood more on day 1, day 3 would have been more tolerable.
6)
Slow Down - I started out on a pace that was too fast, but which I thought was sustainable. I tried taking Chad's lead....but at the time his pace seemed impossibly slow despite the heat of day 1. It became painfully clear to me by day 2 that his pace was a pace he could keep forever. I had no idea what a multi-day pace was like....I do now.
7)
Eat less - This refers to when one stops to refuel....ones eyes are truly bigger than ones stomach. After gorging myself on pizza at the North Rim....my stomach was wrecked pedaling away. I should have taken some leftovers and put them in my pack....chipping away at the pizza throughout the next day instead of feasting. My legs and stomach did not recover until the next day.
