Everyone needs friends that they can say…”That sounds like a bad adventure, let’s go!” We didn’t find one friend, we found five.
The weather forecast changed daily and not always for the better. When myself and four fellow Gravel Gals of Eliel left home we knew that it would be cold the night before we left, that it would rain on us and that we would be only slightly warmer on the trail. For this part of the trip we were right on track!
There are times that you hope your training and equipment work flawlessly. Cold rain has the ability to make or break a trip. For me, once the rain sets in the adventure really starts. This trip was no exception.
Our bikes were fully loaded on this trip. We knew that there was not sag available or cell service in most areas…we were dependent on each other. The route was set to have short miles each day with lots of times for photos and friendship, heck we even went fishing.
Part of adventure is adaptability. We knew when we left that the rain was eminent as was cold. We also knew that if we were lucky it would miss us until Friday night. We lucked out!
Just as we settled into our tents for the night the rain began. The test of who had a dry tent in the morning was on! I knew from experience that my Big Agnes Copper Spur tent was up for the challenge!
Suddenly as we began packing in the morning strategy was beginning to form. How do we keep the inside of the tent dry as we ride, how do we make sure that our pads and sleeping bags are dry as we pack in the rain?
I had my Big Agnes Torchlight sleeping bag in a Pro Bike Gear waterproof seat bag. I knew that I was safe for that part of my sleep system. My Big Agnes insulated pad was in a Sea to Summit dry bag which gave me the leisure of knowing that once again that part would be dry.
The last segment of my sleep system was my tent. I loaded the fly into my Discover Bag by Pro Bike Gear. My tent was rolled very carefully with the fly to the inside of the roll and put in the Big Agnes tent bag. By doing so my tent was perfectly dry inside and out when I got home!
Goals change with the weather and mechanicals happen. The one thing that the Gravel Gals of Eliel did not waver on was smiles. Many of us had met for the first time on this weekend and some had known each other for years…however when we hugged goodbye after burgers and beers we all left as friends.
This trip was not pre scouted. We didn’t know all of the roads, or any of them for that matter. We had not been to the campgrounds before. We went in as cyclists with a common goal of spending the weekend in the North Woods, unplugging and riding bikes.
Go find yourself an adventure where your phone doesn’t work, your GPS is your guiding beacon and relax…you won’t regret it rain or shine!
Crystal Kovacs 