Bikepacking 101

Yes, as the title suggests, I'm about to embark on my VERY FIRST bikepacking trip!

It will only be a 1-nighter, so don't get too excited. It's more of a 'gear check-out' than anything else. Tomorrow (Friday, May 3rd) is my Friday off in our 9/80 work schedule...and I intend to leave the house around 8am and drive an hour to my ride-off-point, where I will ride my loaded mountain bike up Bates Canyon Rd to Sierra Madre Ridge, and then turn left onto the ridge road and go out to Painted Rock, where I will dump some gear and then continue on to Chokecherry spring where I will fill a bunch of water from the spring and head back and camp for the night at Painted Rock.

Painted Rock is called such as it's the site of ancient Chumash Indian cave paintings. There is a valley behind the Rock that is chock full of enormous rock formations, and I've been told there are more paintings in this area that nobody talks about. I intend to find some! I've been pretty keen on getting to this area and do some exploring ever since I first rode thru it many years ago...and NOW is the time!

I somehow got all my crap, er, I mean GEAR, packed into my seat "torpedo bag" and a day-pack that I am using as a handlebar bag. My mt bike won't fit my frame bag that I have for my gravel bike  (that's where I could likely carry a tent). I briefly considered riding that instead of the full suspension mt bike, but having rode about the first third of what I'm riding tomorrow last Saturday, I know it's pretty wicked rough and rocky....sure, I COULD do it on the gravel bike, but why? The mt bike will be WAY more comfy and fun.

I have to admit I've never spent the night 'out' alone before so far from any help....so it's going to be a teensy bit spooky, as there are certainly mt lions in the area (they are everywhere) and I saw bear tracks last Saturday about 25 miles from where I will be camping. And I'm NOT bringing a bear can for my food....just no way to carry it on the bike. And I don't recall any trees to hang my food, but I will bring a bag and some line as I hope to hang it somewhere AWAY from my camp for the night (so that any creatures that are intent on stealing it don't have to take it FROM me close to where I'm sleeping in my bivy bag).

Ahhh yes...the bivy bag...basically a nylon waterproof bag with a zipper and a face hole that my sleeping bag fits into along with a sleeping pad. I'm NOT bringing a tent (I have all my backpacking gear in the attic, aching to be used again). There's just no room. The bivy bag is new and also never used (Christmas present,) along with a new 45 degree down sleeping bag that I've also never used (also Christmas present). The bivy bag brings the temp rating of the sleeping bag down about 10 degrees....and then I'm bringing long underwear and wool socks to sleep in...so I HOPE that I don't freeze to death tomorrow night. It is a gamble I must admit. If worse comes to worst, I could just get up (if I AM freezing to death), pack my gear, and ride back to my car in the night. I do have lights (just in case).

Alas, I am looking at this as an adventure. Something TOTALLY NEW. In an awesome place.

So...I should (if I survive) have pictures here by Monday. Have a great weekend!

The wild-man-explorer, signing off.