 Topic Name: California and Oregon Trips in April: Are there Any?
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on: January 18, 2021, 06:23:31 PM
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benshem
Posts: 2
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« on: January 18, 2021, 06:23:31 PM » |
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Hi all,
My son, a proficient mountain biker and bikepacker, and I, a roadie/MTBer, intend to do a several day trip in mid-April. We're looking for something in the middle of the difficulty range: not too easy, not too techie. I know that April is early for lots of routes that would be good in May or later, but that's a limitation we can't get around.
Please suggest possible routes - if there are any!
Thanks,
Ben
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Topic Name: California and Oregon Trips in April: Are there Any?
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Reply #1 on: January 20, 2021, 04:22:39 AM
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offroute
Posts: 326
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« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2021, 04:22:39 AM » |
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Spring is tough to plan at higher latitudes without (or with) a clue what winter will deliver. The safe bet is planning to get a little warm over pushing your bike through snow and avalanche debris. I would forget OR and NorCal and look at CA/AZ/NM. That latter part of the country below 7-8k ft elevation is ideal then.
Have a look at the Routes page here - it has inspired more than one ride. Get creative and put together something that includes an area you want to see, part of an existing route, etc. If the unknown is not your thing, stick to part of one of the standards; lots of documentation. AZT for more singletrack and hike-a-bike, Great Divide if you like mind numbing dirt roads and higher mileage days.
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« Last Edit: January 20, 2021, 04:26:30 AM by offroute »
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Topic Name: California and Oregon Trips in April: Are there Any?
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Reply #2 on: January 20, 2021, 07:42:01 AM
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Topic Name: California and Oregon Trips in April: Are there Any?
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Reply #3 on: January 20, 2021, 06:44:25 PM
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benshem
Posts: 2
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« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2021, 06:44:25 PM » |
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Alex and Offroute, thanks for the suggestions and link. I'll search on with them in mind.
Ben
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Topic Name: California and Oregon Trips in April: Are there Any?
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Reply #4 on: January 25, 2021, 11:22:55 PM
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evdog
Location: San Diego
Posts: 374
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« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2021, 11:22:55 PM » |
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Can't speak to OR or Norcal much aside from agreeing with the comment about elevation. SoCal and AZ are prime in March-April aside from routes that get higher up.
In Socal you have Stagecoach 400 and Tour de los Padres, AZ has the AZT 300 and Queen's Ransom routes. Any of these can be modified to fit your timeline and logistics.
Richwolf used to, or perhaps still does put on the Julian Bikepacking Challenge which has 3 loops from Julian to the beach, mountains and desert. You can do one or all. They roughly overlap the same range as Stagecoach.
Weather in March and April can swing widely and storms can hit in this time period, so it's best to have a few alternates available.
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