Just found this new route release over at
Adventurecycling.org. 518 miles of off pavement riding....and hot springs to boot. The write up below is totally stolen from Adventure Cycling....all credit to them.
Adventure Cycling is excited to announce the release of the Idaho Hot Springs Mountain Bike Route Maps!
Maps are now available for Adventure Cycling Association’s
Idaho Hot Springs Mountain Bike Route (IHSMBR). The brand-new,
two-map set
guides cyclists through the breathtaking landscape of central Idaho
along a spectacular 518-mile off-pavement route, offering four
substantial singletrack options and featuring access to more than 50 hot
springs in the Gem State.
The first IHSMBR map section features the main, off-pavement route — a
looped route that primarily follows dirt roads for 518 miles, with a
few stretches of pavement in the mix. Cyclists planning a trip on the
main route need only to have a basic understanding of mountain-bike
riding technique. However, cyclists attempting any of the four
singletrack options, featured on the second, supplementary map
section, should know their own ability and prepare for challenging
conditions. Some sections of the singletrack are expert-only riding (or
hike-a-biking for those who aren’t experts).
The Singletrack Options Map features 228 miles of singletrack, which
is a departure from anything we’ve offered before. Riders who choose to
ride any of the four unique singletrack sections should be prepared to
face river fordings, unmanicured trails, downed trees, and plenty of
hike-a-bikes. This can be daunting to some, but for those seeking a true
backcountry experience with epic views, primitive camping, and mountain
biking, it can also be incredibly rewarding.
Hike-a-biking on the singletrack options
We know you're as excited as we are to get out and ride the
IHSMBR this summer. For those who have never bikepacked mountainous
singletrack before and are thinking about attempting these
sections, Adventure Cycling Cartographer Casey Greene, creator of the
route, recommends 5 ways to prepare for the singletrack:
Do some off-bike training before your trip
This can include hiking, running, climbing, backcountry skiing, or
upper body strength training. The point is to mix it up and get you body
used to different scenarios so when it's late in the day and you're
faced with a 1000-foot, off-camber hike-a-bike, you’ll be able to make
it to your planned destination.
Lower your mileage expectations
First, figure out the mileage you’re accomplishing on dirt roads in a
day. Then, to be safe, cut that mileage in half, or even a third to
plan your mileage for these singletrack options. It all depends on the
conditions you encounter on the trail — the conditions will dictate how
fast you can move. For instance, one week a trail might have tons of
downed trees, the next it may be cleared.
Take it easy
Don’t kill yourself out there. If you’re red-lining it up a climb
early in the day, you may run out of juice before making it to your
destination, which could be a sweet hot spring. Consider hike-a-biking
to save some energy, and take lots of breaks if you need to — especially
to stop and enjoy the scenery.
Go as lightweight as possible
It’s pretty simple: The less weight you carry, the easier it is to carry that weight up mountains.
Bring extra food
Trail conditions may force you to be out longer than expected. It
will ease your mind to bring an extra half-day's worth of snacks.
Rough trails, river fordings, and downed trees are some of the obstacles riders will face
on the singletrack options.
At this point, I hope I haven’t scared everybody away from attempting
these singletrack options. They are hard, I’ll give you that, but they
also travel through some of the most spectacular country I’ve ever
pulled a bike through. Some of the descents are world class, as are some
of the hot springs. I could go on and on about an awesome view here, or
a good fishing hole there, but at the end of the day, I think it’s best
to let everyone pick up some maps and go discover central Idaho for
themselves. I don’t think you’ll regret it.
Post and photos by Casey Greene
To celebrate the release of our newest mountain-bike route, and
our first-ever route featuring singletrack, we'll be giving away two
complete IHSMBR mapsets
this week. For a chance to win a mapset, simply comment on this blog
post. We'll draw two winners at random on Friday. The winners will be
contacted via email.
SPREAD THE NEWS:
Online press release: http://bit.ly/idahohotsprings
Tweet: New 518-mile off-pavement cycling route provides access to 50+ hot springs and beautiful wildlands in Idaho:
http://bit.ly/idahohotsprings
Facebook/Newsletter: Maps are now available for
Adventure Cycling Association’s Idaho Hot Springs Mountain Bike Route.
The brand-new two-map set guides cyclists through the breathtaking
landscape of central Idaho along a spectacular 518-mile off-pavement
route, offering four substantial singletrack options, and featuring
access to more than 50 hot springs in the Gem State.
http://bit.ly/idahohotsprings
—
BIKEPACKER
is written by Casey Greene and Paul Hansbarger, Adventure Cycling
staff, guest bloggers, part-time adventure seekers, and gear nerds
alike.
