Sometimes Things Just Line Up

post by Corrine

The weather forecast looked grim: Southeast winds 30-40 mph with gusts up to 50-65 mph expected from 4 PM Saturday to Sunday afternoon.

That was exactly during the time I was planning on being out on a bikepack adventure at Eklutna Lake just north of Anchorage. An Anchorage friend, Janice, had already been on the fence about joining me. She saw the forecast and texted me on Friday that she was going to stay home. 

Then Saturday morning, Carlene, another friend who had planned to join me, texted that she wasn’t sure she could make the trip either. A friend’s car had just died, and she had to go rescue her. Carlene said she might try and make it but wasn’t sure. And she said the winds in Palmer, where she lives a little north of Eklutna Lake, were already howling. 

I wasn’t sure what to do. Should I cancel? Should I wait and see what conditions were like when I got to the trailhead? Another friend who lives in that area said it is often a bit more protected around Eklutna Lake. And our route was mostly in the trees, not up high on ridges. But did I want to chance riding in gale force winds? All by myself? 

I am one of those people who will make a decision but then doubt myself or change my mind after getting more information. Sometimes I go back and forth multiple times. It drives me crazy! I had already been doubting whether I wanted to do the Eklutna trip since Janice texted me the day before. I had finally convinced myself to just go when Carlene let me know she might not be able to make it. Now what should I do? I had to head out to that area anyway, so I decided to pack as if I was doing the overnighter and then make a last-minute decision. Why do I vacillate so much?

Anchorage Bound

The main impetus for my trip to Anchorage was my yearly rheumatology appointment. I have ankylosing spondylitis, an uncommon type of inflammatory arthritis that affects the spine and other joints. It’s mostly under control, but I need to check in with my rheumatologist once a year. 

I decided to set up some visits while I was in the area. While talking to Anchorage friends about getting together, I learned that the weekend after my appointment would be the culmination of GRIT (Girls Ride Into Tomorrow). This program empowers middle school girls by getting them out on bikes and teaching them biking and bikepacking skills. That weekend would be their final achievement, a 3-day, 2-night bikepack adventure. The girls that finish the program get to keep their bikes and gear.  One of the leaders, also a friend, asked if I wanted to help and I agreed. My job would be to bring out supplies including hot pizza to their final destination near Eklutna Lake.

A Full Trip

Now I had my appointment, some visiting, and a fun volunteer job during my trip to Anchorage, but could I make it even more fun? Earlier, I had committed to doing the Bikepack Every Month Challenge. In April, I did an overnight to Chena Hot Springs Resort. But I was having a hard time coming up with a fun May trip in Fairbanks. It would have to be another paved road trip which I was not excited about. But I knew there is a trail along Eklutna Lake that leads to some backcountry camp sites. Eric and I had biked it a few years ago as an out-and-back. Maybe I could do an overnight bikepack after I finished with my GRIT volunteer duties. I reached out to friend Carlene, who lives in the area to see if she knew about trail conditions. She was able to find out that the trail along Eklutna Lake was good to go with just one little section of snow, and she said she would love to join me. Great! Since I was meeting biking friend Janice while in Anchorage, I invited her, too. Plans were working out for volunteering and having an adventure!

Carlene and me at the Eklutna Lake Trailhead

But there’s more! I had also recently joined a group in Fairbanks that is working with the American League of Bicyclists to do a project around biking. We had just decided that our project would be to promote Bike Month (May) with an emphasis on National Bike to Work Day - a program started by the American League of Bicyclist to promote cycling as a healthy, environmentally friendly alternative to driving. Anchorage has an amazing Bike to Work Day program and it just so happened that it would occur while I was there. So, I could experience their program and meet with their director while there. 

Eric’s older sister, also named Janice, lives in Anchorage and would be around so I could stay with her and get a chance to catch up. It was looking to be a busy but fun few days in Anchorage. Everything was coming together nicely.

Biking in Anchorage

Anchorage has an amazing bike infrastructure with dedicated multi-use paths and bike lanes. And they have a fun 31-mile loop, almost all on bike paths, that makes the shape of a moose head called, appropriately, the Moose Loop. So, after biking to my doctor appointment on Thursday, I headed out to do the loop. This route is well worth doing if you are visiting Anchorage. Much of it is on beautiful bike paths that run along creeks, lakes, and the coast. 

The Moose Loop

The next day was Bike to Work Day. The program was started in Anchorage more than 20 years ago and keeps growing. Local businesses and advocacy groups support the commuters with treat stations from 7-9 AM and 4-6 PM. In 2014 they had 14 treat stations and about 1000 bikers. This year they had 130 stations and expected over 5000 participants. I wanted to check out several of the stations, especially the one that was serving bacon! I found out later that some stations give out hats and T-shirts, although those prizes were gone in about 15 minutes. Most stations had snacks, stickers, bike maps and drinks. Some even had live music! I also found out that you could get a free drink from any Kaladi Brothers Coffee stand if you had a bike helmet. Many people plot their routes specifically to get the best swag! It was fun to see so many people out on bikes on a brisk Friday morning. And it gave me a lot of ideas for what we could do in Fairbanks. 

So many cyclists out and about

Of course I had to get my picture with Seymour the Moose!

I found the bacon station at the top of Spenard hill!

Live music and fresh bakery treats!

To Bikepack or Not

Saturday morning dawned sunny and calm. But the forecast for windy conditions just kept getting worse. That’s when I heard from Carlene that she was possibly bailing, too. I had to meet the GRIT riders anyway, so I packed up all my gear, picked up the pizza and headed out to Eklutna Lake. The wind was picking up but wasn’t bad on my drive. I passed the riders on the road to the lake and cheered them on with promises of pizza when they finished. After arriving at the destination, an ice cream shop, I biked back to continue encouraging them. Some of the girls complained a little and some walked up the steeper hills, but they all made it to the ice cream stand and were revived with pizza and ice cream. 

Pizza and ice cream save the day! 18 girls completed the course.

As I chatted with everyone, I saw that Carlene had showed up after all. It was a little more windy but not terrible, so we decided to just go for it. We also knew that a friend had rented the Serenity Falls Cabin a couple of miles past the end of the lake. We figured we could always use her as our back up plan if the weather got worse that evening. Another thing lining up in our favor.

The last time I had biked the Eklutna Lake Trail, it had been one huge puddle after another. Carlene concurred that this was how it always was for her, too. So, we were delighted to find the trail dry with only one large puddle. And just one small section that still had snow on it. And the single track sections that had been eroded in the past had all been fixed. It was great riding the whole way. 

The forecasted winds did come. It was quite windy when we were by the lakeshore, but in the woods it was fine. And it was downright gale force on the bridges where the wind could rush through unimpeded, but those areas were few and far apart. We could hear the wind howling higher up in the mountains, but it was fine on the trail. We made great time stopping for photo opportunities along the way. Everything was working out perfectly and we were glad we had decided to go.

You can't tell from this photo but I was almost getting blown off this bridge!

The clouds got lower the further up the valley we went and by the time we made it to the cabin it was spitting rain. We had a nice surprise visit with Raena and her friend - they did not know we were coming – but then it was time to turn back and find a place to sleep before it started raining and blowing harder. We headed back down the valley and by the time we found a sheltered campsite, it was 9 PM, we had biked 15 miles, and we were ready for bed.

Surprise visit with Raena and Heather

Campsite sheltered in the trees

Home After a Full Trip

The next morning, it was still spitting rain on and off, but the wind had died down. We decided to skip breakfast and just pack up and go. The ride back was a quick, mostly downhill nine miles and we were at the trailhead by 8 AM. That bikepack trip was short, but well worth it. I completed my Bikepack Every Month Challenge for May. And so did Carlene. (She is doing the challenge, too.) I hadn’t spent much time with Carlene, so it was fun to do an overnight with her. We schemed some possibilities for another bikepack trip together later in the summer.

As I drove the six hours back to Fairbanks, I mused how my trip to see my rheumatologist had morphed into a fun few days of seeing friends and family, doing some volunteering, and going on a little adventure. Sometimes, everything does just line up perfectly. 

Setting New Goals

Post by Corrine

Nine weeks ago, in one moment, all my plans and goals for spring and summer were smashed. Just like my hip. 

No four-day trip in the White Mountains National Recreation Area. No 120-mile fatbike race from Manley to Fairbanks. No 100-mile gran fondo ride in the Eastern Sierras of California. And no bikepack challenge race in the Westfjords of Iceland. All these plans were suddenly out of reach after what seemed like a simple fall during the American Birkebeiner ski race in late February. 

The one thing I had left to look forward to was a June trip across the Denali Highway with three women bikepack friends, where I will be the designated sag wagon driver. I'll be able to bike as much as my body can handle, so any limits will be self-imposed. I’m really looking forward to that trip, but it’s not enough. I need other goals to work and plan toward.

The Need for Goals

After years of always having some big physical goal ahead of me, it’s unsettling not to have any concrete plans to prepare for. Goals give my life structure and keep me motivated. (I could go on at length about my need for other types of goals since retiring last year, but for this blog post I’ll stick to physical goals.)

So, what could I do this summer for physical goals? At first, I was wondering if I could even start planning new goals. Having a hip replacement is a big deal. But a couple of weeks ago, when I could see that my rehab was going well, I decided I was ready.

About that time, I saw on social media that Kurt Refsnider, a bikepack racer, was starting a bikepack challenge. The goal is to do at least one overnight trip every month for the next year, starting in April. Prizes will be given out monthly with special prizes at the end for those who complete the entire challenge. 

I also saw that Ryan Van Duzer, another outdoor adventurer and bikepacker, was going to ride the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) this summer for Adventure Cycling Associations’ 50th anniversary. He is inviting people to join up with him along the way. I raced the Tour Divide in 2018, which basically follows the GDMBR, but I had never done the portion from Jasper to Banff. I’ve met Ryan a few times and it would be fun to spend time with him. Maybe I should do that. 

And my friend, Nikki, has been wanting to plan a bikepack adventure in the northwest United States in the fall. I could start planning that. And Eric and I haven’t talked yet about any combined summer outdoor adventure goals, so we should be able to come up with some more. 

It didn’t take long for me to come up with several things to plan for. I’m retired now, so I can think big and small, short-term and long-term. While I’m still youngish (it’s all relative) and still have the ability, I figure that I should do the hard things. (I’m already thinking about biking from Fairbanks to Seattle next year. Our son Riley has expressed interest in that. Maybe he could join me for at least part of the trip.) 

First of 12 Bikepack Adventures

For this year, the Kurt Refsnider 12-month bikepack challenge was kind of a no-brainer. It costs nothing to sign up, so I did. But I knew it was already mid-April and break-up in Alaska was starting. What to do that would fit the bill?

A winter bikepack trip was out of the question. And the gravel roads and trails were still covered in snow and ice. Planning a trip outside of Alaska with just a week left in the month was not really feasible. So, if I was going to do this challenge, it would have to be a trip on pavement for April. Camping wasn’t a great option with all the wet soggy snow and ground, but staying indoors is okay per Kurt’s rules. Still, starting from Fairbanks my options were limited, but then I realized I could bike from home to Chena Hot Springs Resort for an overnight. Plus, I could soak in the hot springs after the long ride! 

But could I make it all the way there – and back – without bonking? My longest bike ride since my hip replacement had been just 25 miles. This ride would be 67 miles -- each way. Well, it’s supposed to be a “challenge,” and it’s all on pavement. And  half of the ride is mostly flat. And in a pinch, I could call Eric to come get me so. . . I booked a room.

I talked friends Cathy and Barb into starting the ride with me on Sunday morning. It was great to have the company and catch up on their lives for the first 10 miles. Then I turned left towards Chena Hot Springs while they kept on with their ride. 

The rest of the 67.5-mile ride to the hot springs was uneventful. It was a beautiful day with temperatures in the low 50s, and the traffic was light after Two Rivers. I stopped at the two stores along Chena Hot Springs Road to refuel and take breaks. I did have a slight headwind all day, which was annoying, and the last 30 miles was a steady 1 percent uphill grade, but I made it to the hot springs with no problems. 

I hardly ever visit Chena Hot Springs, and I’ve never spent the night. The rooms are adequate although there was some problem with the heat. (The place is heated by the thermal hot springs and there was some problem about bleeding the lines.) My room never got above 58 degrees. So, it was kind of like camping? Sort of?! Fortunately, it’s shoulder season so the resort was not too busy. The dinner was great and I ran into friends Dan and Peggy who had the same idea to spend the night. They drove but had seen me biking on their way there. Dan has had his hips replaced so we compared stories.

Chilly but adequate room at the hot springs

After dinner it was time to relax in the outdoor rock pool – my favorite part of Chena Hot Springs. It was quiet and the water felt great on my tired body and after about an hour, I was ready for bed. 

Returning Home

It was below freezing outside when I got up the next morning, so I decided to soak one more time to give the temperature a chance to warm up before I headed home. Retirement – and all the time flexibility – sure is nice! I started biking around 11 AM, but this time I had a little tailwind and a slight downhill for the first 30 miles. It was another sunny day and once again the temperature rose to the lower 50s. My legs felt better than expected, especially after I drank a caffeinated coke I brought along with me. 

At around mile 40, I saw a biker headed toward me. It was Barb! She decided to come bike with me a bit (even though it was supposed to be her rest day). Boy, I was happy to see her! I had just gotten to the hilly section, and I was starting to flag. I was ready to be home. With her beside me, the next 10 miles went by quickly and the hills seemed less steep as we chatted. Before we knew it, it was time for her to head back home and I only had about 10 more miles left to bike. 

I was so happy to see Barb!

A little while later I was back to the final two-mile gravel uphill on our road. It was a grind – as it usually is – but I made it. Eric cheered my success as I wheeled my bike into the garage. 

My April goal for “Bikepack Every Month” was done! One month down, 11 more to go. Now to start deciding on other outdoor goals for the year. The bikepack trip in the northwest U.S.  in September is a definite. The Jasper to Banff is a maybe. What other things could I do? I will be pondering. Have you got any suggestions? Leave them in the comments.