How to Take the World's Shortest Bike Tour

A step by step guide to taking a two mile bike tour

Let's be real, the entire planning stage was figuring out what we would eat

 1. Once you start thinking about a bike tour, try to plan, pack, and leave on your tour within 48 hours of conceptualization of the idea.  It helps if you choose a road with 12% grades, lots of semi-trucks, mud, and regular snow in August.  Setting overly ambitious goals in the brief planning stage is important too, for example, decide that you can probably bike 60 miles a day on a mountain bike while towing a 100-pound trailer (dogs are heavy!) through mud for twelve days straight even though you’ve never done a bike tour before.  Game on!

2. Sticker your whip.

3. Pack up and get out there!  

4. Travel for one mile

We're doing it!  And here comes a semi

This is so fun!

Bike touring is awesome!

5.  Break your bike.  Make sure to do something you can’t repair in the field, like completely bend your derailleur hanger and your derailleur.  

Omg.  That doesn't look good.

6. Admit defeat.  

Dangit.

So much sadness.

7.  Retreat.  Strap your bike to the top of your Burley trailer and jog back to the van like a suburban mom pushing her curly headed twins in a jogging stroller down the sidewalk.  The only difference is you have to pull over into ankle-deep mud and cower every time a semi passes and showers you with rocks.  

Back to the van!

Womp womp.

8. Now that everything is nice and muddy, pack it all back in the van.  You’ve done it!  All in a day’s work.

 So, needless to say, we kind of epically failed on our bike tour to Prudhoe Bay and back.  But, it was not in vain.  The dogs had a blast running alongside the bikes and we really enjoyed the first mile, although we quickly realized it was a lot harder than we thought it would be.  We are fairly avid road cyclists, but this was the first bike tour for us and our first time towing a bunch of weight.  I towed Titan briefly, then let him out to run, which was nice!  We learned a lot, and solidified our understanding that it will ALWAYS be easier NOT to go, but it is ALWAYS worth it to get out there and try things.  Trying and failing will always be more rewarding than never having put in the effort.  Tomorrow, we get my bike back from the shop, and then we are at it again, this time attempting 270 miles round trip on the Denali Highway.  Adventure on!  

Driving the Alaska Highway

Our journey north in words and pictures

It seems natural for anyone with an adventurous spirit to want to visit Alaska.  It's the final frontier, a wild place, full of beautiful landscapes but not of people.  Chelsea and I have been talking about going to Alaska for years, and we finally decided that 2015 was the time to make it happen.  Of course, we decided we should drive.  That way we could see how far north we could find a Tim Horton's in Canada.  We had many resources to help us plan the journey- books, magazines, pamphlets, the Milepost Highway Log, but somehow failed to do any research or planning (typical).  We crossed the border with surprising ease, only forfeiting one apple in the process, and then said, "now what?"  I sheepishly asked Chelsea, "sooo, uh, which road is actually the Alaska highway?"  A quick look in one of our books told us that the Alaska highway doesn't officially start until Dawson Creek, BC, some 700 miles away.  With that piece of useful information, we pointed north and set off on our adventure.

Day 1: Bellingham, WA to somewhere between Quesnel and Prince George, BC
410 miles

Highlights: The first day of our drive was extremely hot.  Silas doesn't have A/C.  We were a little sad and realized that we were driving through the desert section of BC that everyone suggested we go around.  Oops.  We enjoyed jumping in a lake on the side of the road and finishing the drive in our bikinis.  

Too hot.

Day 2: to 125 miles past Dawson Creek, BC
440 miles

Highlights: The temperature was much better on our second day!  We picked up a French couple who is hitchhiking their way through North and South America.  We enjoyed spending the day driving with them, eating their fresh picked blueberries, and camping together on the side of the road.  It rained a bit and we were treated to a lovely sunset!

Day 3: to Smith Falls, BC
365 miles
Highlights: We passed Julien and Lisa several times in their new ride and ended up having lunch with them and their driver of the day on the side of the road.  We stopped at a small outpost for the "best cinnamon bun in the galactic universe" and got two buns.  Then we went on a breathtaking (both because of the scenery and the extremely steep terrain) hike above Summit Lake.  We saw a bald eagle, a herd of bison, and two black bears.  We slept at a lovely waterfall.

Day 4: to Atlin Lake, BC 

365 miles

Highlights: We crossed back and forth into Yukon territory and got to visit the Signpost Forest.  There was a good forecast for the Northern Lights, so we headed south off the highway to find a campsite along Atlin Lake.  We found a gorgeous spot and back our tires up right to the lakeshore.  We woke up at 2:00 AM to try to see the lights, but it had clouded over and we were out of luck.

Day 5: to Beaver Creek, Yukon Territory 

350 miles
Highlights: We started the day with an invigorating dip into the lake.  Brrrrr!  We had a really nice leisurely stop in Whitehorse, the capitol of the Yukon.  We walked around the Yukon River, had a snack, and continued on our way to just outside of Beaver Creek.  It stayed light out until about 11 PM for our last night in the Yukon.

Day 6: to Delta Junction, Alaska
230 miles
Highlights: A very quick drive got us to the border!  Alaska!  We had the easiest border crossing in our history and motored along into the GIANT state of Alaska.  We went all the way to Delta Junction to officially complete the Alaska Highway.  We did it!

     

Take Me Back

Take me back to the days 

of skinned knees

and worn out shoes

Of playing in the dirt

and exploring until dark

Take me back to the days

of overalls

and sweatshirts tied around your waist 

Of new adventures around every corner

and imaginations that run wild

Take me back to the days

when dreams were bigger than fears

when the possibilities were endless

When having fun was the rule

and smiles were the only currency needed

... oh wait 

Passion drives life.  Find yours and pursue it relentlessly.

Star and Titan's Hiking Essentials

Everyday Essentials
These are items we bring with us on all of our hikes, short or long.

1. Earth Rated Poop Bags.  My dogs poop a lot.  I've used a lot of poop bags over the years and these are definitely my favorite.  They're durable and super affordable. They make a vegetable based bag option, which is 100% plastic-free, and they also have lavender scented bags.

2. Night Ize Pack-A-Poo.  I thought this was kind of silly when I first saw it, but now I'm hooked.  Instead of leaving your poop bags on the side of the trail to search for on your way back down, or tying them on your backpack and having them swing around and stink up your trail time, you can place your dog poop into this lined bag, roll it closed, clip it to the outside of your pack, and keep the stink at bay until you reach a trash can.  Genius!

3. First Aid Kit.  Unexpected things can happen anytime you head outdoors with your dog and it's always good to be prepared.  A standard human first aid kit will cover a lot of situations that may occur with your pup.  A couple of items that I always make sure I am carrying are Benadryl (Star and Titan are allergic to some pollens, which make them break out in hives, and bee stings), and a roll of medical tape.

4. Ruffwear Roamer Leash.  Star is not super social, so she stays on a leash during most of our walks.  The Roamer allows me to keep my hands free while we hike, and it also gives Star a bit more freedom to roam and explore even though she is leashed.  The bungee feature of the leash keeps both of us from getting shorted while scrambling around on rocks.


5. Zuke's Mini Naturals.  Treats!  Because all good dogs deserve yummy snacks.  Zuke's are made with natural ingredients and Titan and Star love them.








Short Jaunts
These are items we like to use on shorter walks and quick hikes.

6. Ruffwear Front Range Harness (Star).  I love this harness for Star for hiking, running, and biking together.  It doesn't rub or chafe, it has two quick and easy clip in points, and it keeps Star's leash from getting caught under her paws because it keeps it on the center of her back.  Plus, it comes in awesome colors and I think the dogs look really cute in it.

7. Ruffwear Quick Draw Leash (Titan).  Titan gets to be off leash most of the time, and the Quick Draw is a great tool for parking lots or sections of trail where we need more control of Titan.  The Quick Draw clips to your dogs existing collar and then wraps around and velcros to itself during times when you don't need it.  Just pull the red tab and all of sudden you have yourself a leash.  

Day-Hikes
These items are great to have on longer hikes or during hot days when you want to have more water available.

8. Ruffwear Singletrak Pack.  This streamlined pack is wonderful for times when you just need your dog to carry water and not food.  Because it has such a low profile, it doesn't get as beat up as larger packs when your dog sideswipes trees and rocks.  You can easily fit 1 liter of water as well as a bowl and poop bags.  The handle on top is great for assisting your dog over obstacles as well!

9. Ruffwear Bivy Bowl.  This collapsable bowl is great because it packs down small, but expands to be large enough for you dog to easily drink from it.






Overnights
On longer trips, Star and Titan carry their own food, water, and sleeping gear.

10. Ruffwear Palisades Pack.  This pack has all the bells and whistles.  First, it is made on a harness frame, so you get two products in one.  Just unclip the saddlebags and you have a great durable harness underneath.  There are compression straps on the side of the saddlebags so you can cinch down your dog's load and make it more streamlined.  Despite being a high-volume bag, the Palisades pack is never too bulky so your dog can still maneuver easily.  This pack can easily fit food, water, bowls, treats, and even bedding!  Just make sure your dog is used to carrying a load, or work up it by slowly adding weight.

11. Ruffwear Highlands Bed.  The Highlands bed compresses down nice and small so that it fits into Titan and Star's pack.  It provides insulation and comfort at the end of a long day of hiking.






I'll be the first to admit that I have a little bit of a gear obsession when it comes to outfitting my dogs.  We own tons of dog gear for all types of adventures, and these are just a few of the many products that I love!  There is not much that I enjoy more than getting outside with Titan and Star and having new adventures together.