Bike Packing to the Chihuahuan Desert Dirt Fest (more or less)

[Blammo]

Here's my rough itinerary to circumnavigate Big Bend Nat'l Park in route to the Chihuahuan Desert Dirt Fest for your critique:

Sunday:  Cache Water/Food in these locations and then spend the night in Rio Grande Village
  o somewhere on the dirt road to Pine Canyon
  o somewhere on the west end of River Road depending on how far back my Honda can make it

Monday: Obtain Back Country permit at Rio Grande Village or Panther Junction and leave car at Rio Grande Village.  Bike west on River Road to Glen Spring road.  Explore Pine Canyon and Juniper Canyon dirt roads.  Pick up cached water on Pine Canyon rd and camp at Glen Springs or near there.

Tuesday: Take Black Gap Rd to River Rd west to the point where I cached water.  Black Dyke or Buenos Aires.  If I can't cache water on River Rd west, then I will ride into Castolon Visitor Center for water and up to Terlinqua Abajo, Ocotillo Grove or Chimneys West.

Wednesday: Head up Old Maverick Rd North.  Take the park paved road east to as close to Dagger Flats as I can get ...looks like Hannold Draw.  I don't recall food being available at Panther Junction ...need to find out.

Thursday: Get to the North End of Old Ore Road for the Group ride at 10.  Up to this point I will have been riding a bike loaded with gear so I'm hoping that someone from the group will take my bags and I can ride down to the Hot Springs without extra gear.  Get car from Rio Grande Village and drive over to Lajitas RV Park to setup for a few days.  I've got some folks trying to convince me to stay at the BoatHouse in Terlinqua, so maybe that instead.

Friday:  I'm going just do what the group does.  I'm hoping for the Dome or Lajitas Trail System.

Saturday: The Epic.

Sunday: Ride up to Pia Montoya III where some friends will be camped out.

Monday:  I really would like to get to the Road to the Other Side of NoWhere and then all the way back to my car in Lajitas, but I have to be realistic about 8 days of riding and the perils of going out their with folks who are not likely to be as motivated to finish quickly as I am.  They're expecting me back at work on Tuesday so it would be a long ride followed by a long drive back.  I suppose I could drive to Pia Montoya III but I figure it's a three hour drive or a 2 hour bike ride back to Lajitas.

By the way, I will have a SPOT personal location beacon, GPS and, if I can find any decent ones, paper maps.

[Blammo]

I forgot to mention that this is my first BikePacking trip of any significance.  Not counting food and water, my gear comes in at 21.83 lbs.