journeyvision

Drama with my Diesel Heater – Don’t make these mistakes!

It took me 2 Chinese Diesel Heater kits and 2 install attempts to get a working heater. Don’t make the mistakes I did! I have experience and confidence cutting holes into my minivan and making significant modifications but this project kicked my ass!!

When I decided to do vanlife through the winter this year I realized that I would need a more sustainable heat source than my propane heater. I know there’s people in the vanlife community that will make a propane heater work but for me the heat it produced was uncomfortable, gave me a bit of a head ache, and emitted large amounts of moisture into my van.

Here is my Mr. Buddy Grey 4000 – 9000 BTU heater keeping me warm during a 2 day snow storm in Pagosa Springs CO. I would use the 1lb green propane bottles just because they are more convenient but they certainly are not cheap. Sometimes I would connect it directly to my 1 gallon refillable propane bottle, fuel filter, and 4’ adapter hose and this was far more cost effective than the green 1lb bottles. The major down side to this propane heater is it puts out too much heat even on low and I need to constantly be turning it on and off to keep the small space in my minivan van from getting either too hot or too chilly.

I decided to go with a 2kw Diesel Heater since my minivan interior space is very small and felt a 5kw heater would be far more than needed

After watching some video’s and doing some initial research I found out that a true 2kw heating unit measures 28cm x 11cm x 11cm. I decided to go with a 2kw kit from Aliexpress based from a link from this YouTube video. It looks like this kit is no longer available. This kit had a 5l fuel tank, the new blue lcd controller, and measured 28cm x 11cm x 11cm which was the size I was looking for.

Buying this kit off Aliexpress was my first mistake, This kit came with a crappy fuel line and exhaust muffler. If your kit comes with the green fuel line I would highly recommend replacing it with the thinner and stiffer white fuel line that provides a consistent fuel dose. The green hose is flexy and can deliver too much fuel to the combustion chamber. The exhaust muffler this kit came with was a piece of crap and had air gaps all around the seam and the coupler where the exhaust pipe is connects broke off. I did my best to fix this using JB Weld but with too many bends in my exhaust pipe and a low quality muffler made for a poor performing exhaust.

I drilled my initial holes for the exhaust, intake, and fuel line, then prepared the surface to mount the heating unit with aluminum tape. Here lies another one of my mistakes. I should have cut larger holes and later I did because the exhaust gets over 400 degrees Fahrenheit and can melt or damage the mounting surface. In my case the sound deadening material I used started to melt and ooze out of the holes. Yikes! I later cut 2 bigger holes and that took care of the problem. I have seen a lot of people recommend one of these heavy duty turrets from eBay for your install. If I wasn’t rushing my install I probably would have used a turret.

Here is my 2kw unit mounted in the rear cavity of my 2003 Honda Odyssey minivan where the 3rd row seats used to be.

Here is the rats nest of my first install! Yikes! I did not take into consideration that since the combustion chamber does not have a carburetor its very sensitive to oxygen intake and fuel mixture.

My first install had too many sharp bends in the exhaust pipe, a pinched intake hose from a zip tie, and the shitty green fuel line. This adds up to a poor oxygen/fuel mixture and a badly smoking exhaust pipe.

After running the heater for a few hours the unit started to smoke. It smoked so much that it caked up with burnt carbon and would no longer ignite. After some intense trouble-shooting I came to the conclusion that I would need take the unit completely apart and clean out the carbon build-up and redo the intake and exhaust. In addition to this I would need to acquire special tools and parts to include new gaskets, glow plug remover, exhaust pipe, muffler, air cleaner, and fuel line. I was having anxiety about opening up the heater, cleaning it, then put it back together. I think I could handle this task if I had the time but I needed to get back on the road and winter was coming fast.

A good resource during my trouble shooting was the Chinese Diesel vehicle air heaters – Troubleshooting & Parts sales group on Facebook. If you are on Facebook look it up. I learned a lot from this group.

After a couple of restless nights thinking about it I decided not to clean the heater and just order a new 2kw Chinese Diesel Heater kit from eBay. This was a much better kit and came with a higher quality exhaust muffler, an air filter instead of an air silencer, and the proper fuel line. The best part was I didn’t have to take apart the heating unit I ruined and clean it! These heaters are cheep in the long run. I was glad I opted to just buy a new unit. When I have more time I would like to take apart this unit and learn how to clean and maintain it.

My second install went much better.

Simple 90 degree bend in the exhaust pipe and a much better silencer. I drilled a small pinhole at the lowest point of the exhaust. This will prevent water buildup since I was unable to mount the pipe sloping downward.

The air intake was also installed much cleaner with no more zip ties. I also installed an air cleaner instead of the air silencer that the previous kit came with. The difference between the two is the cleaner has a mesh screen to keep debris out and the silencer does not. The silencer only has foam wrapped around the outside to make the intake quieter.

Here is the improved fuel line and larger cutouts to accommodate for the extreme heat given off by the combustion chamber exhaust. This is where the turret would come in handy. I made sure my fuel lines are secured tightly with the included hose clamps. Spray paint is used to cover any exposed metal. Most of the drilling surface in this 3rd row seat compartment was 1/2’ thick composite plastic with a steel frame and very easy to cut through.

Here is my fuel pump install. Yes you can hear it ticking inside the van! I used a self tapping screw to mount it directly to my tow hitch. Not much room to work with under my minivan but I was able to get about a 20deg tilt in the pump and so far its been working great. The new fuel line delivers and much better dose of fuel to the heater and seems to work much better. Due to the nature of how this pump works its important that they are mounted in a tilted fashion. I have heard anywhere from 45-90 degrees is ideal.

I wanted to go with the 5l fuel tank instead of the more common 10l tanks you see in most kits. It mounted excellent using self tapping screws into the steel insides of my bumper. Its somewhat stealth as it tucks in nicely behind my bike rack. This also made for easy routing of the fuel line and keeps the clingy diesel fuel smell out of my cabin. The 2kw heater is incredibly efficient on its low setting and this 5l fuel tank lasts for hours and hours. If you look closely you can see two dots spaced about 1 1/4 inch apart on the left side of the tank. To get an idea of fuel consumption, that is how much fuel it used on the low setting for 8 continuous hours!! At some point I want to paint it with grey Plasti-Dip to help protect the fuel tank and diesel inside.

60mm vent ran to the far back of my passenger side cabinet. You may notice the thermal tape inside covering half the outlet. This is done to help create back pressure and increase flow to the longer running hot air duct mounted to the front of the cabinet.

This is a photo of my 60mm hot air vent mounted to the front of my passenger side cabinet. I am glad that I installed 2 hot air ducts to better distribute the hot air.

Above are some examples of my duct work and insulation. After it was routed I covered the aluminum hose with 2 layers of insulation. First layer is motorcycle fiberglass exhaust wrap and the silver outer layer is self adhesive water heater insulation cut to fit. Running the aluminum hose and insulating everything was far more time consuming that I expected. Its not pretty but it does work well.

I used 4 sections of 60mm aluminum ducting and a T Joint to get the length I needed. This took 3 additional 60mm aluminum ducting segments I ordered form Amazon then taped them together using aluminum tape.

One thing I didn’t realize during my initial install was how much heat the hot air exhaust pumps out. Also it tends to get really hot around the joints and intersections. I learned the hard way that you need to use the 60 mm aluminum ducting the kits come with. I thought I could get away with a vinyl flex duct hose I found on Amazon since it was difficult to find long sections of 60mm hose to fit this smaller 2kw unit. The vinyl duct hose was described as duct work for your vehicles heater/AC and sounded like something that could work. The first time I fired up the heater the vinyl hose melted and started smoking as soon as it warmed up! Yikes again! The aluminum hose holds up great to the heat but does get really hot and I realized it would need some serious insulation to protect my precious gear and supplies near the ducting.

Most of the ductwork runs through my largest cabinet where I store all my bedding. The double insulation works well enough for me not worry about my expensive down sleeping bags or anything else melting while stored. So far everything is keeping at a safe temperature.

The LCD controller is straight forward to install and I find it easy to operate. There is a setting to prime your fuel line and I quickly found out these heaters do not have a thermostat but instead 2 timers you can program. You adjust the temperature output by increasing or lowering the speed of the fuel pump. It also came with a remote that works well but I don’t really see myself using it much since the main controller is usually within arms reach for me. This YouTube video helped me learn how to navigate the settings.

I still find it amusing watching the indicator go through it startup cycle and watch the animations!

Summary

It took me two attempts to get this heater working right but when it does work its pretty incredible. Clean, dry, efficient heat that seems to last for ever. I could be parked in sub freezing temperatures and stay toasty warm for days. I have found that when the outside ambient temperature is above 40 degrees it can get hot inside while running on low. To solve this I just let out some warm air using my roof vent.

I do worry about the exhaust, intake and fuel lines exposed in the underside of my van but so far everything has held up and stayed out of the way on bumpy backcountry roads.

I wish I didn’t feel rushed during my install and should have taken more time and research to plan. It was hard to find much information on diesel heater minivan installs which I think a minivan install can be more complex than a larger van since I had tight spaces to work with and no clearance under the vehicle.

I do have a remaining issue with this heater. It starts up smoky when I am above 6,000 feet in elevation. For somebody like me who spends a lot of time in Colorado this is going to be an issue. I have a feeling I can tune it to run better at higher elevations but I need to set aside some time to trouble-shoot and figure this process out. There are some advanced setting that can be adjusted to decrease fuel and increase fan speed and I have heard of people using a cleaner burning kerosene mixture to get it running better at elevation. More to come on this and I will be sure to update the blog on what I find.

Hopefully this blog post helps some people with their heater install and maybe avoid some of the mistakes I made along the way. If your have any questions or would do something different please let me know in the comments. I am always learning!

I would highly recommend watching this YouTube video series by John McK 47. The series is long and very detailed but If I would have discovered these videos by my first install and watched them all things would have gone much better.

Here is a nice looking 2kw unit currently on Amazon. It looks like it has nice parts and I like the aluminum body. If I was to by another heating unit it would probably be this.

If you are considering a 5kw heater this is a decent kit and the Happybuy kit is popular.

Here is the kit I bought of eBay.

Although this heater unit came with nice parts I cannot 100% recommend it. The plastic outer housing it came with was warped and would have leaked hot air. I ended up switching out the housing from my first heater and that solved the problem.

Review – ARB 2500 x 2500 Awning and Deluxe Room

I have been absolutely thrilled with my ARB Awning and Deluxe Room combo. ARB is primarily known for their 4wd products but this system works excellent on my minivan camper. I previously had the ARB 2500×2000 Awning attached to the roof and enjoyed it quite a bit but felt the coverage was small and really wanted bug protection for when I sit outside. I decided to sell my smaller ARB 2500×2000 awning I had and ordered the larger 2500×2500 ARB Awning and Deluxe Room to go with it. It was a big debate for me if I should get the Deluxe Room since space is so limited in my minivan. It packs up about the size of a large duffel bag but I managed to find a good place to store it in the cavity in front of the passenger seat. One of my favorite things about this system is how versatile it is. It can be set up fully enclosed, screened, or like in the about picture, open. The room offers a door that you can drop down against your vehicle that allows access to your vehicles side doors. My setup allows me to open and close my sliding door but does block access to my passenger side front door. The room cannot stand alone on its own and needs your vehicle to create its structure. It is not possible to leave the room set up and drive away.

To set up the awning it would help to have 2 people. Although it can be tricky I seem to manage to set it up by myself. Setting up the awning involves unzipping the PVC cover, releasing the velcro straps and unrolling the canvas. This part can be difficult if just one person. Before getting to far out I extend the side poles, then once fully rolled out extend the legs and secure everything. After the awning is set up the room uses a combination of zippers, notches, and clips to attach itself to the awning structure. The room is easy for me to set up on my own but can still take a good bit of time to stake everything out and clear the area of debris. I cannot stress enough how important it is to use the included guy lines and stake everything down securely.

Just the awning pulled out.

When not in use the awning rolls up and stows nicely on my roof rack. The ARB 2500×2500 awning does not come with mounts to attach to your roof rack so if you do go with this awning you will need to figure out what mount works best for your roof rack system. I have a round bar Thule roof rack system and decided to go with mounts made by BomberProducts. I was unable to look up their website and they may be out of business at the time of writing this review. I have seen folks go with these ARB mounts and if you do you may need to drill holes into your cross bars to attach them.

Setting up the awning by myself can be a bit tough but I have been able to manage it. If the wind is bad I wont even bother. Once the awning is set up up, the Deluxe Room is a not to bad getting set up.

The Bomber Products mount that I am using. Unfortunately it looks like this company is out of business and no longer making these mounts.

Here is a link to the ARB mount that I have seen people make work by drilling holes in their cross bars to accommodate.

The Deluxe Room fully screened.

It does a great job protecting you from the bugs but I need to make sure it’s closed up tightly. Bugs always seem to find a way in. Along the edges of the roof you will find hooks to hang items or in my case a string of lights. I use my room for cooking and living and sleep in my van. It could easily be used to sleep in.

This is a neat configuration. There are so many ways to set up this room. As the sun or wind shifts you can open and close panels and screens depending on what you need. The zippers are high quality and there are tons of hook and loops to stow away unzipped panels. After using this system for 3 months on my Colorado road trip It proved to work very well for shade, bug , rain, and even snow protection.

Here is the room set up for rain. Its very important that you leave one corner dropped to let water pour easily off the corner. One time I left my ARB 2500×2000 Awning unattended while hiking and a thunder storm snuck in. The water pooled up on top of the awning while I was gone and stretched out the canvas. When it comes to the room, it’s performance in the rain has not been as good as I would like. During hard rain I have had trouble with water trickling in and pooling up on the floor. Its never been much and easily mopped up with a rag. If I had one complaint about this room is its inability to fully stay dry in heavy rain. Also its critical that you guy line and stake down (stakes and stake bag provided) the awning along with the room quickly to avoid damage. It just takes one gust of wind to send this thing flying over my roof if not secured immediately. One time I was setting it up with occasional wind gusts and took to long stakeing it down. A gust of wind snuck in and flipped the awning over my roof! After a bit of a strain I got the awning flipped back over I was lucky with minimal damage and learned a hard lesson.

The floor is large and easy to clean. Its constructed out of tarp like material that is thick and solid black. So far it has proven to be quite sturdy. Before setting up the room I always try and clear out rocks and debris that may end up poking the underside of the floor the best you can. After using this floor extensively and stepping on plenty of rocks and twigs that were lurking underneath, it has held up excellent. I did poke a hole in the floor by accidently dropping the lid to my cast iron skillet to the ground. The hole was easily repaired with some Gorilla Tape.

Summary:

This ARB combo has really delivered and has proven to be worth the extra bulk. It has added incredible amounts of living space to my minivan camper setup and so far I have really enjoyed using it. It does take some time to set up and keep clean. Also you need to be a bit more selective where you park your vehicle to create a flat surface for the room floor. Similar to what you would do if you were to pitch a tent. Both the awning and room have held up to expectations and I am happy with my purchase.

Pros:

Brilliant versatile design that adds tons of living space
Full floor
Excellent protection from the bugs and the elements
Easy to change the configuration and has proven to be a adaptable system
Made with high quality materials and has proven to be durable
Strong zippers
4×4 tough

Cons:

Expensive compared to a homemade tarp or pop up screen room
Finding a mounting solution for your vehicle can be tough
Cleaning and packing up is time consuming and dirty
Easily caught in the wind if not staked down securely
A little bit leaky and the roof needs to be pitched at a slant during a rain storm

Overall:

I would highly recommend this awning and screen room combo and have been very happy I purchased it. I really have not seen anything else like it on the market. The tarp is an absolute wonder on its own and adding the Deluxe Room has added a whole new level of living space.

Amazon link for ARB 2500×2500 Awning

Amazon link for ARB 2500×2500 Deluxe Room

Tincup Time! – Mountain Biking and Vanlife

Tincup is a tiny little town in the Taylor Park area. I got a tip on a campsite outside of town and it looked like an excellent option just being 1 hour away from Gunnison were I have been resupplying and staging adventures.

On my way up Tincup Pass road I found this beautiful campsite next to a large meadow and babbling stream.

The weather forecast was bad and I had only 1 day with good weather so decided to take advantage of Monday and attempt a high alpine ride that I had been eyeballing.

This was a big ride. From my campsite in Tincup you climb to the shores of Mirror lake and up and over Tincup Pass. From there its a huge descent down a forest road to the ghost town of St. Elmo. After a quick visit and snack in St. Elmo I proceeded up the 7 mile long railroad grade dirt road to the Alpine Tunnel. From here you access the CDT to ride a sweet high alpine section of trail. After some fun descending back to the forest road its a gruleing climb back over Tincup Pass before descending rough 4wd road back to camp.

The above picture was taken when I arrived to St Elmo. I looked down at my real wheel and noticed that the rim was wobbling all over the place. I stopped and checked the spokes. Every single one was loose!! I dug out my spoke wrench and snugged them back up allowing me to continue on with the ride.

There were some old mining relics up the road to the Alpine tunnel. The 7 mile road climb was nice and went by faster than I thought.

After the gravel road you hit the old railroad bed and continued up the gentle climb to about 11,000 feet.

The view start to get really good once you get on the CDT (Continental Divide Trail)

I always appreciate segments of alpine trail like this. This was a 7 mile stretch of trail and most of it is above tree line.

I got the pleasure of crossing Tincup pass twice. This is a very popular ATV area and on the way up I hit a traffic jam of about 20 ATV riders and caught myself getting pissed off and snapped at some lady in her 4 wheeler. I usually don”t like to snap at people but she saw me getting frustrated while I was waiting to get a clear path. We were only a 10th of a mile from the summit and she said “Didn’t quite know what you got yourself into… Did you?” This did not sit well with me and I replied “Yeah, So many fucking OHV’s!” It felt good to let out some of my frustration as there were just to many ATVs. And of course I knew what I was getting myself into.

I was beat after this ride. It took me a couple days to recover.

I love my breakfast and after depleting all those calories the previous day I had to throw down.

After a relaxing and getting some rest I decided it was time to head back up to Mirror Lake and catch some dinner.

Mirror Lake was stocked with 10″-12″ Rainbows. They were striking about every half hour and really fun to catch. This was my second time going to this spot and on the north edge of the lake there is a nice pensala that I was catching some nice ones a few days prior. When I got to the spot there were 2 elderly couples taking selfies at my fishing spot. I sat there and waited patiently, not wanting to have a conflict like I did with the ATV lady. After awhile they asked If they were in the way. I said no I was just waiting for that fishing spot and I had good luck there the other day. They were very friendly and finished taking their pictures starting moving along. As I was getting my pole ready one of the gentleman stood by and waited for me to send my first cast. It was almost like the pressure was on….. I reached back and send my bait flying through the air. As soon as my fly hit the water, Snap! I had a bite instantly and a nice 12 inch rainbow on the line that I fought me nicely while I reeled him into shore. The guy watching said “Wow you weren’t joking, this is good spot!” I smiled and enjoyed the moment of fishing glory.

East Willow Creek was beautiful and lulled me to sleep each night.

Tincup offered some amazing camping and activities but I was a bit overwhelmed with how popular it was. Outside of town there is an ATV rental company and daily there were 100 – 200 ATVs racing up and down the road behind my camp. Needless to say it got old after awhile. This was a very beautiful spot but probably wont go back due to the crowds.

Review -JPaks Adventure Bags

Back Story

Before I met Joe I was using a large CamelBak and and several compression sacks for my bikepacking adventures. This was back when the concept of bikepacking was new and frame bags were not yet available unless you wanted to make your own. I quickly learned that bikepacking with a heavy Camelbak was not the way to go. Sore sweaty back and shoulders, decimated sit bones, and intense fatigue is what I dealt with on my early bikepacking adventures. I bought my first JPak from Joe Tonsager in 2012 and it was a very early version of his current packs. Even back then he was ahead of his time in terms of quality and innovation. Joe is a Colorado Trail racer and an avid bikepacker himself. He uses all of his own bags and tests of his products rigorously in the field. The frame bag that I first had made 2011 is still in great shape and gets used to this day. Working with a custom bike bag maker like JPaks over the years has been an excellent way for me to get set up for big bikepacking adventures.

Joe stands behind his products and is just a all around great guy to work with! Be sure to visit his website here. Depending on your bike and type of adventures you are planning, Joe can design your bags in a variety of ways such as custom colors, custom pockets, double or single zippers, bladder storage, webbing for your pump, etc. Lately Joe has been using a very durable material called XPac and XPac Lite. Not only does it look good, it’s highly durable and water resistant. If I have ever had any problems with the packs Joe will fix them personally even if it means tearing apart and rebuilding your bag. Over an 8 year span there were only 2 times I had to send my packs back. Once for a blown out zipper, and another was to repair a hole in the bottom of my frame bag from crank rub. Both instances Joe was able to repair and get the bags back to me in a very reasonable amount of time. I especially liked that when he fixed the hole from crank rub on my Stumpjumper he reinforced it with some very sturdy plastic material to prevent another hole from ever developing again. In terms of finding a more personable, innovative, and quality driven bike bags go no further than JPaks.

FramePak (approx $300)

I have purchased 4 frame bags from Joe over the years. One for my hard tail bike in 2012, and a Surly Cross Check and Specialized Stumpjumper sometime in 2015. In July of this year I received the beautiful pack above made out of XPac Liteskin material. FramePaks need to be custom made and it starts by creating a template of your frame triangle. Joe can provide you instructions on how to create a template at home, or drop into his shop in Denver and he can make one for you while enjoying some friendly conversation about bikes and adventures!

The FramePak is by far my favorite and most functional bag JPaks offers. My FramePak almost always stays attached to my bike and allows me to take on day rides and bikepacking adventures with nothing on my back. I am able to carry all my tools, tubes, pump, food, clothing, and water stored neatly inside my frame triangle. For bikepacking trips it functions amazingly with easy access to all those items you need to grab quickly while on trail. I am always amazed at how much stuff fits inside. Joe uses closed cell foam to create structure and rigidity. It’s also flared in the front by the head tube so if you are looking for a place to stash a jacket or leg warmers there is always plenty of room waiting for you there. About 2/3 the way down the inside of the FramePak there is a divider in the middle that can be used to create 2 separate compartments, each with their own zipper access from the drive side of the bike. The velcro divider in the middle can be stashed away to make your bag one compartment if that is what you prefer. There are so many functional pockets on piece of gear! I did not capture good pictures of the pockets but counted over 7. These pockets will hold everything form your pump, energy bars, clothing, water, tools, tire sealant, and even several beers. For awhile now Joe has been leading the industry by taking advantage of the water bottle mounts already in the frame to attach the frame bag directly to your frame. The top of the bag is secured by a elastic cord laced through tabs across the top of the bag. This makes for a very secure fit and allows the bag to hold its shape but flex while zipping up tight loads.

One of the Innovative features on the FramePak is a port to run your CamelBak Hose or cables for your lighting system through.

Picture of the bolt on mounts from inside.

Peaking inside to see the velcro divider and Joe’s flawless stitching. I like having the option to have one large compartment or two smaller ones. And all the different sized internal pockets, so much storage! Its important to stay organized on trail and my FramePak really helps. Also the highlighter yellow interior seems to light up and make it easier to find what you are looking for. There are 3 pockets on the drive side and 4 pockets on the non drive side in addition to the main compartment allowing me to organize my gear just about anyway possible.

SeatPak (Retail from $170)

I have purchased 2 different versions of SeatPaks. I have a large one (SeatPak) that I use for bikepacking and a small one (GravelPak) that I use for commuting or long day rides. Both I have been very satisfied with. The GravelPak fits a pair of shoes or a jacket and some light clothing which makes it perfect for commuting or bringing extra layers for that winter ride. Unfortunately I do not have a picture of this pack but you can find one here.

The larger SeatPak’s performance is incredible when riding loaded. My seat pack is a few years old had is just as sturdy as the day I bought it. Some of my favorite innovations are the oversized straps and buckles used to keep this large bag snug and your gear compressed. In the above picture my pack is filled to the brim. I rely on mine to hold my shelter, 10 degree sleeping bag, and rain gear. That’s a lot of stuff!. My JPaks Seatpak fits securely with 2 over built velcro tabs around the seat post then two heavy duty straps with locking buckles that attach to my seat rails. This plus some plastic molding in the front of the pack makes for easy loading. After my gear is stuffed inside I use a velcro enclosure at the edge of the bag and compression straps to roll and compress its contents. What I end up with, if properly packed, is a very stable bag that holds my gear securely all day long despite how rough the ride gets. There is minimal sway and my legs or butt do not rub against the material when peddling. I have been extremely happy with this pack and has proven to be an essential piece of my bikepacking gear.

Deluxe BarritoPak (call for pricing) and RukSak ($60 each)

Bags from left to right..The Pouch, BarritoPak, and RukSak all work in harmony to securely load gear onto the front of your bike. In the picture above is my JPaks Deluxe H-Bar Pak setup with the BarritoPak and the handy Pouch that for the front. With all my gear fully packed I find minimal impact with steering and the load feels nicely balanced and secure on the front of my bike. The BarritoPak is the largest bag in the grouping and is the one that looks like a burrito. Each end is equipped with a velcro and buckle and roll system that allows you to compress your gear. The cleverly designed “H” mounts space the bag away enough from your bars to clear your cables and levers. I typically will strap this bag on loosely then use a piece of gear like an air mattress or sit pad to create structure in the middle. Then fill the rest with food on one side and clothing on the other opening. After compressing each end you should have a nice burrito shape. Joe makes an additional pouch that is designed to mount to the front of the “barrito” and offers quick access for items like my stove, food, medical kit, and more. It takes some practice to pack and get the straps right but when done correctly I am left with an all day long secure fit.

It’s pretty standard to have 2 RukSaks, one on each side of your stem. These mount securely using straps from the BarritoPak and a strip of velcro connecting each pack to the stem. On the bottom of each RukSak is a strap to lash under your fork crown to finalize securing it. Inside there is plenty of storage for large or small water bottles, snacks, sunglasses, bear spray and whatever else I need to stuff in there. There is a drawstring on top to close it off and a mesh pocket on the outside for a couple energy bars, ear buds, or to stuff your wrappers in.

SnackPak ($70) and the ToolPak ($45)

The SnackPak is a simple but highly functioning bag. It’s constructed using XPac Lite and closed cell foam to ensure a sturdy shape for you ride. Its easy to un-zip and zip back up while riding.

Another great innovation is a velcro divider inside the SnackPak that’s just the right size for energy bars in top compartment and my keys in the bottom. Like the FramePak, If needed the divider can be opened up for more room.

My ToolPak fits snugly into this corner of my bike and is filled with bike tools, spare parts, a small bottle of chain lube, and enough room left for my headlamp.

Overall

Synergy is what makes these packs so amazing. They all work together to carry your gear over rugged trails and keeps you comfortable over long distances. Its also great to work with Joe. He is a stand up guy and is fun to be around. He is very knowledgeable and it shows with his passion of cycling and the sport of bikepacking.

With 8 years experience using JPaks I can say I am pleased with every purchase. Joes quality and innovation proves he is an absolute industry leader. If I had any issues it would be the long lead times on custom items like FramePaks. Typically everything is made to order. Joe is just a one man show and supports a large demand of bikepackers that love his products. Something else to consider is that JPaks for the most part are water resistant and not waterproof. I typically bring along a couple trash compactor bags to line the inside during heavy wet weather.

The JPaks on my bike have elevated my cycling and hunger for adventure to new levels. I have completed the Colorado Trail in 2015 and the Kokopelli Trail 4 times along with countless other adventures that you can find on this blog.

Crested Butte Redux–Mountain Biking and Vanlife

Summer nights in Crested Butte are most excellent!After resting for a day in Gunnison and stocking up on supplies I made my way back to Crested Butte to spend a week at a spot I had previously camped at in 2018. I ended up having a good time in 2018 and you can view that stay here.My campsite is located at the top of the maintained part of Brush Creek road and there is a large open dispersed camping area. There is plenty of room for all types of campers and due to its proximity to town, awesome riding, and 4 wheeling, it is a very popular place to camp so expect some neighbors. If you have a 4×4 camping setup it would be great to push up the 4wd road past the creek crossing and stay at one of the many incredible dispersed sites along the way to Pearl Pass.Climbing is tough getting up the start of the singletrack on the way to the top of Teocalli Ridge.In 2018 I got my ass kicked on this trail. It was my first high elevation ride of the year and I bonked so hard I could not enjoy the downhill. After getting rested up from the 195 mile ride with Joe and Kristen I was feeling pretty strong and ready for another attempt.The wild flowers were poppin! I was feeling strong at this point but there were still some steep spots that required you to push your bike. About 2/3 of the way up I was pushing my bike, huffing and puffing and I look back and see a middle aged couple rocketing up the climb that I could barely walk. They zip past me and say hi, I notice a whirring sound that reminded me of and RC motor. Ha! They were on e-bikes! Ok my spirit wasn’t completely crushed after all.

At the top I took a break and busted out a gluten free PB and J. Man these taste good but ended up being a bad idea for my finicky digestive system. The views from the ridge are spectacular and inspired me to ride Perl Pass the next day.After a great ride on Teocalli Ridge the previous day I was ready to attack Pearl Pass next. This ride has some historical significance and hold the oldest Mountain bike event in the world the Pearl Pass tour from Crested Butte to Aspen that has been a tradition for 48 years!

Picture from the 3rd annual event in 1978

I wasn’t riding to the town of Aspen but still wanted to make it to the top of the 12,705 foot pass then head back to camp. On the way up I ran into some jeepers and had a good conversation with a gal that was waiting for her husband and friends to get to the top and head back. One of the jeeps radioed in and said they had to turn around about 200 yards from the summit due to a snow bank. When I got up there and saw it for myself the snow bank looked manageable so I drug my bike across the off camber snow bank. Briefly after getting back on dry trail I encountered another snow bank that was just as easy to cross as the last one.I was thrilled to get to the top of this 12,700 foot pass. Lots of other jeepers, motos, and ATV’s were not able to enjoy the summit this day. I felt kind of special.

Breathtaking views of the Elk Mountains all around. The Elk Mountain range is one of my favorite ranges in Colorado.

After a good 10 days of camping at the Brush Creek dispersed campsite I made my way back into Gunnison to resupply and noticed a post from one of my other nomad friends Ramon. I know Ramon from riding at the bike parts and in New Mexico. I messaged him and we decided to meet up in Gunnison and catch up then later ride Doctor Park.

Doctor Park is considered to be one of the best rides in Crested Butte. Ramon’s wife Linda was kind enough to shuttle us to the top of Bear Creek Trail. The ride started off excellent with mellow descending along the creek and through meadows.

When we reached the top of the climb to Doctor Park a thunderstorm moved in and parked right on top of us. It was scary to hear the thunder ecohing right above us. We waited for about a half hour for the rain to let up but it never did so we decided to go for it. Man did it rain on us. Lucly I had brought my rainjacket bur Ramon did not. It rained so hard the trail turned to a stream and even hailed on us.

We finished the ride with big grins on our faces. Although this was not the Dr. Park experience I was looking for we still had a blast and completed the ride safely. Ramon and Linda invited me to their winter home in San Felipe Mexico that I just may take them up on!

Road to Tarabithia–3 Day Epic Bikepacking Trip

Bikepacking makes the best friends!!! Joe, Kristen and myself smiling big after leaving the town of Crested Butte.

After completing a week stay in Buffalo Creek I made my way down to Gunnison Colorado to meet my friends Joe and Kristen for a 3 day bikepacking trip around Crested Butte. I was riding my bike in Buffalo Creek when I noticed a text from Joe that said “Kristen and I were thinking about your Crested Butte 4th of July route this year. Would you be interested in that?” I replied “Yes, Lets make it happen!”

For several years in a row we had a 4th of July weekend tradition where we would ride a gravel style bikepacking route that typically covered 150+ miles of gravel road, 4×4 road, easy singletrack, and some paved road. The idea is to explore and discover new parts of Colorado that we have never seen before. Unfortunately the tradition got derailed mainly due to my health issues I was having the past couple of years but was very excited to see it pick back up and me back in good health.

Joe also runs his own bike bag business and just in time for this adventure he made me a fresh set of frame bags! I got a brand new FramePak, ToolPak, and SnakPak. They are made of this really slick off black XPac Lightskin material with orange stitching that gives the bag a little pop. My old frame bag was made by Joe back in 2012 and it is still going strong. I love my old bag but am excited to take advantage of JPaks new innovations and features. For instance the FramePak now bolts directly into the water bottle mounts for an incredibly secure fit. The front of the frame pack is flared for more room when stashing items in a pinch. The pack is cleverly divided into 2 sections for easy organizing. And this new bag is constructed with the latest XPac Lightskin material that’s incredibly sturdy and looks amazing! Be sure visit his company JPaks here.

I always get very excited when my bike is fully loaded up and ready to go. Its amazing how capable this 2 wheeled human powered machine is. The above picture was taken in Gunnison next to a a friend of Joe and Kristen’s by the name of Jonathan. He was kind enough to let us park our vehicles on the side of his house for 3 days while we had our adventure. Jonathan is the County Commissioner for Gunnison and an advocate for our public lands. We discussed how I would like to live in Gunnison someday.

And we are off! The start of the ride was a gentle climb up Ohio Pass Road. The last few miles it gets steep and turns to gravel with some rocks to dodge here and there. The crisp morning, blue skies, and beautiful country road made for a very pleasant start.

Here is Joe and Kristen celebrating with some snack mix after cresting Ohio Pass. This was the first of many big passes on this route.

After reaching Kebler Pass Road, Kristen found a delightful piece of singletrack that took us down into the town of Crested Butte. Unfortunately this little slice of trail was the only singletrack the 195 mile route offered.

We arrived at the legendary mountain bike town of Crested Butte and all took turns getting selfies in front of the town sign.

We rolled onto Main Street and scouted a place for lunch. One thing I love about bike touring is all the delicious food and resupply options along the way.

While we were eating lunch it rained hard and we were grateful to have dodged the storm. Here is Kristen enjoying her affogato which is espresso and french vanilla ice cream. I got a taste and it was yummy. Something about the mix of rich espresso and the cold vanilla ice cream did wonders for your taste buds.

Somebody is all fueled up and ready for our next big climb over Schofield Pass. Over the years it’s been great to see Kristen grow into one of the best mountain bikers I know. She is a Colorado Trail Race finisher and an absolute beast of a rider that continues to inspire me.

We continued on climbing up easy paved and dirt road passing the Mount Crested Butte Ski Resort and the little town of Gothic.

Along the way up I asked Joe and Kristen to stop at a bend in the stream next to the road for a little Tenkara fishing. During my last van tour in 2018, I had finished riding the 401 Trail, and after I loaded up my bike I fished the creek by the trail head and caught a little brook trout. So why not try this spot again?

Well the fish were not biting for me and the next wave of thunderstorms were moving in. However Joe did catch a little fingerling that he was pretty excited about!

Continuing up the pass and it starts to rain. In the distance you can see the gorgeous Emerald Lake. This day we planed to ride 50 miles and after cresting the pass it would be time to look for a camp site.

After being rained on moderately for the last couple of hours we were relieved to see the top of Schofield Pass. Are spirits were high and the day seemed to go really smooth despite the rain. Joe obliged and added a couple of JPaks stickers to the sign and we got this group photo. After the summit the gravel road slowly descends to a large alpine park then turns to a very rough 4×4 road.

After a great night sleep in my hammock next to a rushing stream, I was awakened by Joe making a morning fire and was looking forward to having coffee with my friends.

#coffeeoutside

Our campsite was excellent. It was right next to a rushing creek with a a waterfall about 50 yards away. There was a flat spot for Joe and Kristen’s tarp and a nice spacing of trees for my hammock. Also there was a makeshift bridge that crossed the fast running creek and on the other side was a sign that said “Bridge to Tarabithia”. Kristen explained to me that it was based on a children’s fantasy book that I never had heard of. Well Tarabithia sounded like a magical place and so was the setting for this adventure. Hence my title for this ride, “Road to Tarabithia”.

After a high energy breakfast we loaded up and got ready to head out for day 2. I was a little apprehensive about this day since the backside of Schofield Pass looked steep and spicy with large creek crossings according to the maps I studied. It ended up being spicy indeed with steep loose rocky descents, massive water crossings, and consequential exposure.

The first large water crossing was immediately after leaving our campsite. Here is Joe taking in the majesty of the area. This was just a small taste how amazing the next 10 miles were going to be.

More creek crossings. The descending at this point was way beyond the capabilities of my gravel bike but Joe and Kristen were right at home on their beefy trail bikes and 3 inch wide tires. We were coming down a very rocky and exposed section of trail when we encountered two dirt bikers that were trying to figure out how to get their heavy motorcycles up the steep, rocky trail. Kristen rode by them as if this treacherous section of trail was a piece of cake. I will never forget how they were in complete amazement of her prancing down the rugged trail making it look effortless. Me not so much. There were several parts I had to dismount and walk my bike but for the most part I did well and just had to hang on tight to my fully ridged whip.

The views were unbelievable. As Joe said later on, his retinas were burning from the overload of beauty and pure ruggedness. This had to be the most spectacular 10 miles of Colorado I have ever experienced. However it is not easily earned. You need a very capable off road vehicle, motorcycle, or mountain bike accompanied by some balls of steel to conquer this side of the pass.

The lighting was not right but low and behold the Devils Punch Bowl. As usual It was much more impressive in person. I did not know at the time but reaching the Devils Punchbowl it is a sought after off road accomplishment.

The 4×4 road starts to level off but is still very rocky. I love riding through these tight sections of Aspens that would on occasion open up with views of the rushing Crystal River.

When I designed the route I was ecstatic to see that it passed the infamous Crystal Mill. For quite some time I have wanted to visit this highly photogenic riverside relic. I have seen photos of it displayed in businesses, doctors and dentist offices, even one of my old coworkers had a picture of it hanging on his cubicle wall. We took some time to snap some shots and enjoy the spectacle.

Here is a better picture of the Crystal Mill. I later found out that the mill is actually an air compressor that fed pressurized airlines at 60psi for the marble mining operation.

After a very bumpy ride we made it to the town of Marble. I always wanted to visit this little town and when I created the route I noticed Marble had an awesome BBQ spot worth checking out. Joes eye caught the catering truck and our mouths started watering.

Slow Groovin BBQ didn’t open until noon so we had about an hour to kill. We discovered this historic site and had fun checking out the cool cuts of marble. Much of the marble mined from this area was used on the Lincoln Memorial and Colorado State Capitol.

Oh boy did Slow Groovin deliver! Just look at that!

After leaving the town of Marble with a belly fully of brisket, smoked sausage, baked beans, and cole slaw, we had some road riding to do and coming up was our first big pass of the day, McClure Pass. The pass was a beat down as temps were close to 100 degrees and the road was steep with no shade. We had some ground to make up as by the time we left the town of Marble it was afternoon already and we had only ridden about 10 miles so far.

We were back on gravel and on a very long dirt road climb that would lead us eventually to the small Western Colorado town of Paonia. This climb was 4000’ of ascending over 13 miles and was an absolute beat down. I suffered more on this segment than anywhere else on the route. The blazing heat, unrelenting sun, never ending climb, and the loose surface of the road just absolutely tore me up.

Here I am faking a smile, or maybe not… as I climb and climb and climb. To beat the heat I would pack away my helmet and wear a buff until I started going downhill again.

One last stop for water. By this time we had been on our bikes for over 10 hours and I was beyond exhausted. Kristen kept pushing us to make distance. Originally we had thought the route was 150 miles long so our goal was to make 50 miles each day. At this point we were at about 40 miles for the day and wanted to stay on track. This way we didn’t have a terrible long set up for tomorrow. Later we would find out that what was thought to be a 150 mile long route was 195 miles instead.

We rode until 9:00 pm. I remember saying to myself several times that at some point we had to stop. And we did eventually after a 12 hour day and slightly exceeding our 50 mile goal.

Here are a couple of pictures that I took as we were finishing packing up and getting ready to leave for day 3. We had trouble finding a spot at the end of the second day and most of the sites were occupied by mooing cows. Kristen was wise and recommended for us to find a campsite not occupied by noisy cows which we eventually did. I can tell I was completely exhausted because I lost my sun glasses and a USB C cable while setting up camp that night. I got up early and looked everywhere but could not find my misplaced items. Oh well, Joe had a cable I could borrow to charge my phone and soon the town of Paonia was coming up so I could look for a place to buy new sunglasses there.

After a roaring 13 mile downhill we made it to the town of Paonia. We crossed paths with a bakery and Kristen thought it would be a good idea to stop and grab a quick bite. Joe and Kristen had breakfast pizza and I had a quiche. Everything was delicious. After that we ventured our way deeper into town to find me a new pair of sunglasses. I didn’t notice, but while I was standing in line to purchase my glasses, J and K went on a photo shoot and captured some really cool shots of Joes new titanium bike and some street art. Joe says he wants to retire in Paonia. There is something very charming about this town.

When I had mapped out the ride there was a long highway section between Paonia and Kebler Pass Road. So I searched and searched for alternates along the way to reduce our time on the highway. On the outskirts of Paonia I found some back roads on Google Earth then some small farming roads that lead to this bridge crossing the North Fork of the Gunnison River. On Google Earth it looked legit but you never know until you get there in person. Everything was great until we got to the end of the bridge and it was gated and locked. There was a residential house just 10 yards away and just beyond the end of the drive way was the public road we were trying to reach. We made the call to hand our bikes over the side of the bridge and make a dash for the road. If we turned back it would have added at least an hour to an already grueling long day on our bikes. Well we dashed for it and we did get yelled at but all in all it was worth the risk. I certainly don’t condone trespassing and if I am ever to do this route again I will be sure to leave this section out and ride the highway miles.

Moments later we got stopped by law enforcement on another highway detour. We were forced onto the highway again and left no choice but to put our heads down and push the remaining miles to Kebler Pass Road. I felt bad about the private land issues but if I attempt this route again I will be sure to make some adjustments.

We reached the start of Kebler Pass Road and found a campground with a little general store to buy some cold beverages and snacks. It was blazing hot again today and it felt good to get off the highway and refresh in the shade for a bit. We devoured the last of our snacks and guzzled our drinks before attacking the final grueling segment.

Kebler Pass Road is beautiful and home of some of the largest aspen groves in the world. It had some paved parts but was mostly dirt. Kebler Pass Road is 33 miles long with massive hills but we pushed forward knowing this was our last big climb.

As we ascended up the pass we were treated with excellent views of Ruby Peak and the surrounding Elk Mountains

Joe is rounding out the final climb at the top of Kebler Pass. We were all beat but proud of our accomplishments this day. After this point it was 26 miles of downhill tracing our way back to Gunnison on Ohio Pass Road where we started 3 days ago.

Easy Peasy! All of us were relieved to be riding the final bit of bike path into Gunnison. The last 26 miles went by quickly.

We made our way into Gunnison and found a place to get some Mexican food and salty margaritas. Here is my bike after arriving back to my van with my leftovers strapped to my SeatPak. 195 miles and over 15k of climbing according to my Strava app. On the last day we covered over 80 miles… Wow!

We were beyond tired and dirty after 3 days of riding. I remember Kristen saying after the ride she just wanted to lay on the ground and groan. I thought this was funny because I wanted to do the exact same.

I cannot recommend this bikepacking route enough. It delivered on all of our 4th of July adventure expectations and then some. The route had awesome towns like Gunnison, Crested Butte, Marble, and Paonia. Massive passes, rugged 4×4 descents, waterfalls, sunsets, and barbeque. Even a little fishing can be thrown in. This is by far the best route I have put together for our 4th of July adventures and we all said let’s do it again!

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/2EFaYYkaw9

1st stop. Buffalo Creek

It had been 634 days to get back to this place in my life. When my last road trip ended I was heart broken. I remember that day so clearly when I unpacked my van and rented a room from a friend back in Colorado Springs. I remember unexpectedly crying and feeling immense grief as I unpacked my van and I realized this was the end of the road.

So much happened after that. I ran into some serious health problems that pretty much keep me grounded and didn’t allow me to be active the way I like to. I rented a cute little cottage in downtown Colorado Springs and went back to my old job as a recruiter with the condition I would work for them for a year in hopes I can return to my dream.

My dream was very much still alive. I pushed thru, made some money, and was able to resolve my health issues. Going back to recruiting was a tough decision but I ended up working with great people and made some great friendships and money. At the end of my 1 year commitment I was in an excellent position to launch another adventure. My savings account is stacked, I have a new mountain bike, my health is good, and made some nice upgrades to my minivan camper.

To kick off this adventure I had my sights set on hiking the 500 mile long Colorado Trail. Starting in January of this year I began my training. I started dialing in my backpacking gear and doing longer and longer hikes with my pack loaded to get my cyclist body in shape for a long hike.Training was going great until I injured my foot and developed a case of planter fasciitis.

My very dialed backpacking kit. I always wanted to take a gear explosion pic like this.

My hammock set up I planned on using for the CT.

It was a tough pill to swallow but I made the decision to postpone the Colorado Trail hike due to the foot injury and switch my focus back to cycling and Vanlife which is what I had planned to do after the hike anyway.

Here is my new and improved camper setup. I sold my sold my 6’x8′ awning and went all out for ARBs 8’x8′ awning and Deluxe Room. ARBs Deluxe Room is outstanding! It’s a fully enclosed room that can be converted from fully enclosed, screened, or open. In addition to the massive living space I can now cook and relax protected from the wind, rain, and bugs. I also purchased a separate small solar system to supplement the main solar system integrated into my van build. Then I set out to find the most baller camp chair I could find.

Here is what the room looks like fully enclosed on a test run trip down to Canon City.

I am super grateful that I have such good friends and family and was sent off with several small gatherings and a bikepacking trip with my best friend Mike and a weekend backpacking trip with my nephew Evan.

On June 22nd 2020 I launched my next journey with my self built mini campervan and made my first destination to an area called Buffalo Creek. It’s a very popular dispersed camping area surrounded by world class hiking and biking trails. As long as you get there on a Tuesday or Wednesday you can usually find a good spot. Here is my first camp site!

My first bike ride was a 20 mile easy ride on mostly roads. It felt good to be pedaling and during the ride I got an invite from my friend and frame bag builder Joe of Jpaks to ride a multi day bike route around Crested Butte that I had designed a few years ago. More to come on this adventure.

It was time to bust out my mountain bike and ride Little Scraggy trail. Little Scraggy is a well built MTB oriented trail with lots of tough climbing and a long fast and flowing decent at the finish.

After the ride I was treated to an interesting sunset and had dinner with some new friends that I am sharing my camp with.

Here is Kristy and Shaun that I ended up sharing my large camp site with. On my last adventure one of the challenges I encountered was loneliness and lack of human interaction. I decided on this journey I would make an effort to meet people and be more social. Sometimes as an introvert that can be tough but I am already off to a great start enjoying conversations and meals with my neighbors.

I went out for another ride on my gravel bike but this time I was going to enjoy the smooth and easy going single track this area offers. All in all I got to stay 6 days in Buffalo Creek and was able to get some great rides in and make new friends. I love this freedom!!!

Not everything is glorious about Vanlife. Here is me and Baby Yoda hanging out in a King Soopers parking lot in Denver while we get our shit together to go back into the mountains!

South Dakota!

Mt. Rushmore in all its glory!

When I was preparing for vanlife I did a lot of research and of course watched many Youtube videos of active vanlife vloggers. By far my favorite vanlife vlogger and probably overall Youtuber is Adventure Van Man! Be sure to check out his channel. He posted a video a couple of years back at this exact same spot. I had it written down on my list of premium boondocking spots to visit and here I was!

Not a bad place to sit and read dune. I am starting off really slow with this book but enjoy Frank Herbert’s writing and the complex universe he has created with the Dune series.

I was camped right on the edge of the Badlands. I stayed here for a couple days and had really good weather except for the one morning I was socked in with fog and could only see about 5 feet in front of me. Other than the views there was not much to do so I made my way to Rapid City SD to visit some family.

Here is my stepdaughter Susan and her husband Nate. They make a great couple and seem to really compliment each other. Both have good jobs and their own side businesses. One of those businesses ia a Hookah lounge. I have never really spent time in a hookah lounge before but I sure spent a lot of time at the one in Rapid City. Their lounge is called the Sahara Nights Lounge and is right downtown. The lounge has a gaming theme and I really enjoyed smoking the hookah. It was less like smoking and more like vaping. It was very social and I got to meet many of Susans friends.

We went to a Speakeasy that Susan and Nate knew of and we had some really good drinks. I messed up though. I wanted to order a whisky sour and goofed and ordered an old fashioned. I have never had and old fashioned before but they are very sweet and I did not like it. Unknowingly the bartender made us custom cocktails based on the first drinks we ordered so mine ended up all being sweet until I tried one of their fine whiskeys on the rocks.

Susans 2 dogs. Fao and I want to say Nymeria

I played my first game of disk golf and had a blast. We just played for fun and really didn’t keep score. I would definitely like to play disc golf again. It seems to be more up my alley then regular golf.

We had a great time checking out Mt Rushmore in the Black Hills. I really enjoyed seeing the monument for the first time. When I first arrived the Mt Rushmore was not as big as I thought but still very impressive. You can see the whole monument above our heads.

A close up of President George Washington. I was impressed with the detail.

After visiting Mt. Rushmore we made a stop at Custer State Park and hiked around. It’s a very beautiful park and we just saw a tiny portion of it.

Cathedral Spires Custer State Park SD.

Bikepacking the Maah Daah Hey Trail – North Dakota

Bikepacking the Maah Daah Hey Trail has been on my radar for years since I very first discovered the sport of bikepacking back in the mid 2000’s. It’s a 150 mile long trail that runs through the Badlands of North Dakota..

Here is my bike leaning against the ruins of Theodore Roosevelt’s Cabin just outside of the national park.

Dakota Cyclery is the go to shop in Medora. I got lucky and was able to book a lower cost shuttle for the next day sharing a ride with another group doing a supported trip. The shuttle service is for the 100 mile route so that is what I ended up taking. There is another 50 miles of the MDH trail south of Medora that looks promising but was told its a bit more rocky and less traveled.

After about an hour drive in the shuttle van I was dropped of at the at the northern terminus of the MDH. It was hot and sticky!

The trail meanders up and down the bentonite clay buttes of the North Dakota Badlands. I was eager to ride the traill and really impressed with the scenery right of the bat.

This is my bike leaning up against a very large petrified tree stump. I guess this is my year for seeing petrified trees….

Lots of texture and color.

This land is heavily used for cattle grazing and the cows love to walk along the well laid out singletrack. The trail was not as nice as I hoped since the cows had had their way with it. A rainy summer in western North Dakota led to the cows chopping up what could a be butter smooth trail. There was cow shit everywhere also. All this made it hard to keep your speed up and get a good rhythm.

The MDH is well marked with these posts. The slant of the post indicates what side the trail is on. Route finding was still hard and there were lots of intersections and side trails from the cattle.

I ended up making a couple wrong turns and missed the mountain bike detour around the national park wilderness area but eventually made my way following my GPS track on my phone.

It was getting late and I was tired. I felt like I had a good push for the day.

Along the MDH there are several developed campgrounds about every 15 miles along the trail. All have pit toilets and a spigot to get water. I did not filter water the entire trip. However the water tasted horrible and luckily I brought Crystal Lite the night before to make it drinkable.

When I arrived at Magpie Campground I ran into the group of mountain bikers that were riding the supported tour of the MDH that Dakota Cyclery offers. I cannot remember their names but some were from Boulder Colorado and a couple were from San Francisco. They offered for me to stay at their campsite. I got my tarp pitched and headed over for some socializing. I ended up drinking a beer and cooked up/ate my Mountain House Chicken and Rice meal. They were all acting pretty mellow and quiet when one of them explained to me they had taken edibles and were a bit stoned. Lol…. They offered me one of their gummies and was thrilled to have some company for the night. I told them the stories of my travels and they were all impressed I was doing the route self supported. I left them a note on the windshield on their car when I got back to Medora to connect on Facebook or Instagram but they never did.

I woke up at the crack of dawn and packed up my things without being able to say goodby. I did not sleep well. The campground was really busy and it seemed like I could hear everybody rustling around. I remember there was a thunderstorm in the middle of the night that was lighting up the sky in such an incredible way. Almost like there were aliens in the clouds. I got water from the spigot which makes a ton of noise at 5am in the campground. After getting water I snapped this pretty picture just before leaving the campground.

I found a cool spot to myself just a couple miles outside of the Wannagan Campground. Normally I eat breakfast at camp but this time I set up my cookstove trailside! I enjoyed this early morning breakfast and views of the clay buttes very much.

On the second day there was a rather large stretch of land that was packed with fracking and drilling sights every few miles. It seemed like a mining boom was happening out here. I was saddened to see all the mining activity along with all the mass cattle grazing. Mankind is a bitch…….

Don’t get me wrong there was still plenty of beauty to be had. The name Maah Daah Hay translates to “The place that will stand time”.

I love this shot of my bike in the tall grass. It really captures the mood of this trail for me. There were ticks out here so I was being careful and checked myself every now and then.

Here I am dorking around with more self timer shots. This one turned out good.

The trail would consistently drop and rise about 400 to 500 feet of elevation. It was tiring and made for a lot of elevation for the day.

Eventually I came to the Little Missouri River. I have heard stories of this being impassable in the spring or summer but it was late season and only up to my calves. I lifted up my bike and hiked across. No biggie other than the wet feet.

A rare shaded and lush section of trail right after crossing the river.

I was covering a lot of ground this day. The elevation was taking its toll and I was ready to get to camp for food and rest.

Beautiful section of rolling singletrack.

So for some reason not to far from the Wannagan Campground I wanted to stop and take a picture of me doing a wheelie in front of this clay butte. Cool picture but that decision ended up being a mistake. I took too much time goofing around wanting to get this shot and then I got rained on for about 10 minutes before camp even though I could see the thunderstorm building prior. It was just enough to get me soaked and make the trail and my bike really muddy.

When I got to camp I took a moment to relax and rest. The campground was 10 dollars for the night and I only had a $20 dollar bill. I went around and asked the hunters if they could make change. The hunters were able to break the bill for me. I got rained on one more time as I was setting up my tarp.

Here you can see the mud on my tires from the last 5 minutes of the ride and a dam near perfect pitch on my tarp despite being rained on while setting it up. This was a big day with 43 miles and over 6000 feel of elevation gain. I was excited to get a good nights rest after not sleeping well the previous night. Nope… My neighbors were a young couple hiking the trail with a baby. Yeah that’s right a baby. I had just planned on putting in my headphones and blocking out any noise through the night. Well just as I lay my head down to sleep my headphones break and no longer put out any sound.

Fool proof gates. I must have lifted dozens of these

I had less than 30 miles on the last day and was looking forward to finishing this 100 mile route. Unfortunately I ran into trouble and hit mud right away. This was bentonite clay mud, just about the worst possible scenario for a mountain biker.

It made for slow going and was really taking a toll on my bike performance and parts.

I stopped here for about 2 hours to let the sun come out and dry up some of the trail. I remember calling my friend Mike while I was waiting and told him about the ride.

Things did slowly improve but it was still muddy for most of the day.

Here is one of the prettiest cow ponds I have ever laid eyes on!

The tunnel crossing under Highway 94.

After crossing the highway there was actually a section of trail that did not have any cattle grazing. It was very smooth, flowy, and incredibly fun to ride. This section of the MDH going southeast from Highway 94 to Medora was the best out of the 100 miles of trail I rode. .

My bike was trashed. The clay mud caused my front fork to only have about an inch of travel. My rear shock was leaking air and my seatpost was having issues. I ended up selling the bike as soon as I got home then bought a brand new 2019 Stumpjumper!

Enjoying the last few miles of the MDH before getting back into town. It was very scenic.

The MDH was tough for only being 100 miles. The whole trail is rough singletrack that undulates up and down over the clay buttes. I would definitely recommend other bikepacking routes over the MDH.

I stayed for a few days at the Buffalo Gap Campground. It is right of Highway 94 right before you get into Medora. It was very nice and very free. I needed to rest up after back to back days of riding a loaded bike. I aired out my gear and ate tons of food to replenish some lost calories. I would highly recommend this free campground right out of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Got Bacon?

Windy Mountain Loop

Thain Creek Campground outside of Great Falls Montana. If you look closely you can see my shower tent set up to the left of my van. It worked great. It consisted of a rechargeable battery powered pump and shower head, a bucket full of warm water and this pop up shower/changing tent I got of Amazon.

After an amazing visit in Glacier National Park I changed my direction and headed east. I needed to get resupplies so I stopped in the town of Great Falls Montana. I really like Great Falls. It is a dry climate here. There was the Missouri River that divides the town right down the middle. To get anywhere you have to cross a bridge. The town was very flat and somewhat depressed compared to other Montana towns such as Bozeman or Whitefish. But it was a good sized town and I was able to get groceries, do laundry, refill my propane tank, then grab a latte at Starbucks.

While running the errands I got a call from one of my friends in Colorado Springs and he offered me a job! Here I am eating some delicious BBQ that I picked up to celebrate. I had a job lined up working for 3-4 weeks at the beet harvest in the northeast corner of North Dakota at the end of the month so I was making my way there. I was looking forward to the beet harvest job but working for my friend is a much better gig and being homesick and a bit lonely at this point I was eager to get back to my hometown of Colorado Springs. Something in my mind was telling me that this change of plans could cause what long distance hikers call a vortex and my days on the road could be coming to an end.

I was looking for a place to camp outside of Great Falls and found a little mountain range that had a campsite with mountain bike trails nearby called Thain Creek Campground. It was Labor Day weekend and luckily I got to the campground before everyone else. I got this awesome site right next to the creek with level parking, fire pit, and picnic table. This was the first time I was camping in a area that was not under fire restrictions. There was a catch tho…. I had to pay $5 dollars a night to camp here and this broke my 5 month streak of free dispersed camping. No biggie I ended up paying $20 to stay here for 5 nights and 4 days and it was totally worth it.

I would pull my chair next to the creek and read my book. I loved having the sound of a babbling stream next to camp. I was reading Dune by Frank Herbert and I remember it being a slow start. Later I ended up really loving that book.

I hiked around and explored the area. There was a beaver pond upstream. I did not fish it but I saw other campers catching little brokkies. This was turning out to be a fantastic little place!

After a day of chilaxing around the campsite I set out for a mountain bike ride. The Windy Mountain Loop was featured in my MTB Project app and wanted to give it a go.

There was some steep climbing and I made my way to the ridge and worked my way around the mountains. This route ended being tough and there was some poor quality trail on the south side of the loop that I was pretty disappointed about. There was lots of treefall, and the crappiest trail reroute I have ever seen by the forest service. Instead of cutting new trail to reroute a very rutted piece of trail they just laid down sticks and branches to indicate where to go around the old trail. It was a mess!

The next day did a quick 8 mile loop and instead of riding the crappy trail on the south side of the mountain I came down Briggs Creek Trail and that was frigging amazing. This loop was a little short but the climbs were challenging and the decent down Briggs Creek was ripping!

After the ride I was chilling at my van. It was a Monday, Labor Day so the campground at this point was completely full and busy. The sun was shining and it was a picture perfect day. I had just finished lunch and a guy in a high viz vest and a very large beard asked how my ride was and I wanted to join them for another spin. His name was Tim and he had two friends with him, Pat, and Ian. We all remembered each others name since they each had 3 letters. However I kept calling Pat, Matt and he seemed ok with it until I got kindly corrected later. They gave me some Montana craft beers to sample and I recall this strawberry cream craft beer that was pretty amazing. To bad I cant drink beer like I used to.

This is Tim. He is a welder, lives in Great Falls and is a super cool dude.

Pat and Tim hiking the steep final climb up to the windy ridge.

I was super stoked to ride with some other guys and I told them that they reminded me of my mountain biking friends back in Colorado Springs since we were smoking weed, drinking beers and riding bikes. After the ride Tim invited me to his home in Great Falls to see a show and hang out but I was tired and did not feel like packing up. We parted ways and even though we may never cross path again they are my friends.

After labor day weekend. The campground cleared out and I had the whole place to myself again. A cold front crept in and overnight fall came. It was almost like the trees changed color right before my very eyes.

I really enjoyed my stay at this campground. It was special. This is Thain Creek that snakes through.

After leaving the campground I made a fast pace across eastern Montana. Much of it looks just like this. It took me two days to make it across the large state of Montana. I stayed a night in one of the Montana rest stops. Montana has the best rest stops!

I would see more farming equipment than cars in eastern Montana.

Before reaching North Dakota I stopped at a crappy restaurant in the town of Jordan Montana. I ordered a cheeseburger and fries without the bun and it was horrible. I could tell both the fries and burger were previously frozen. This set of mounted deer heads was the best part.