Tag Archives: tout singletrailer

Riding bikes in Oregon – Part 3 (The rest)

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Next up after Smith Rock was Peterson’s Ridge, near a little town called Sisters. After the Three Sisters series of volcanoes nearby. Which begs the questions “Why is it always Three Sisters, not Three Brothers?” But google confirms that it is sometimes Three Brothers, just less often. We’d been told Peterson’s Ridge was a must-do ride, with great views. I’d vaguely assumed it must be on a ridge, and so would have awesome views. This was all lies and trickery. The trails was very nearly entirely flat, and was 95% in the forest, with views of nothing but trees. Pictured … Continue reading Riding bikes in Oregon – Part 3 (The rest) →

Riding Bikes in Oregon – Part 2 (Smith Rock)

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Turning off the highway and driving the final few kilometres to Smith Rock began an exercise in longing for my climbing gear that lasted until I began to realise that it was actually pretty fun to be riding here too. Smith Rock is one of THE North American rock climbing destinations. Birthplace of sport climbing? Maybe. Spectacular rock and views? Definitely. The boy rode his bike for the first few hundred metres, then decided he’d had enough, and for the rest of the day it was just helping Alex with his resistance training. Alex tried to sell me on the … Continue reading Riding Bikes in Oregon – Part 2 (Smith Rock) →

Riding bikes in Bend, Oregon – Part 1

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The adventure began not with a bike ride, but with a ridiculously long car drive, from Alberta to British Columbia, through Montana, and on to Idaho and then Washington. There we stopped for the first night in Spokane, and the boy roamed the streets on his strider bike. I arrived in Bend the next day in a haze of sleep deprivation, as it started to precipitate on us in a manner suspiciously similar to snow, and we ran to hide in the REI store. And then realised that releasing a recently car-bound small person into an exciting store was a … Continue reading Riding bikes in Bend, Oregon – Part 1 →

Bikepacking Canmore to Lake Minnewanka (via Goat Creek)

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“We should bikepack Lake Minnewanka this weekend.” “Going there from home, via Goat Creek?” “Yes!!” And so was our most recent adventure planned. We had company on the first leg, biking up to the pass from Canmore, and then dropping down the Goat Creek trail to Banff. We weren’t expecting the snow though! I always forget how this little valley is so much colder and darker than our big wide valley next door. Following the floods, one of the bridges is still a little bit out. Definitely not open for business. Could be that it’s possible to cross the river … Continue reading Bikepacking Canmore to Lake Minnewanka (via Goat Creek) →

Our first bike-packing adventure: Jumpingpound Ridge

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We’d been hoping to get out on a few overnight trips this summer, but our options had been limited by the flooding in June. Thankfully Kananaskis had finally opened up a little, and so we set on Jumpingpound Ridge as a likely destination. Here’s my faithful steed all kitted out for the ride. Thermarest strapped under saddle, all our sleeping gear strapped onto handlebars (with some dodgy home-made straps we knocked up). Extra water carrying capacity on front fork. We both wore hydrapacks to carry our spare clothes/extra layers plus a few other bits and pieces. After unloading and packing … Continue reading Our first bike-packing adventure: Jumpingpound Ridge →

Biking Revelstoke II: Keystone Standard Basin

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For the second day of the Great Revelstoke Bike Trip, we gained one more member for our cycling posse, and set off to do the epic logging road drive to the trailhead of Keystone Standard Basin. This drive is even longer and more painful than the one to access Frisby Ridge, but on the plus side you’re very nearly in the alpine from the get-go. Keystone Standard Basin was designed as a hiking trail, but is one bikes are allowed on. As a result it is more technical, with rocks, roots, and gruntier climbs than Frisby Ridge, but to make … Continue reading Biking Revelstoke II: Keystone Standard Basin →

Finally biking Revelstoke I: Frisby Ridge

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This was a bike trip that ended up being so epic I’m going to have to split it into three posts. We’d been wanting to ride some of the trails in Revelstoke for a few years now. First up on the hit list was Frisby Ridge, just to the north-west of Revelstoke. A nice flowy trail that was built with bikes in mind, it’s a simple out on back with basically all climbing on the way out, all descending on the way back. We were hoping it would be easy enough for towing the Singletrailer (and it was). The climbing … Continue reading Finally biking Revelstoke I: Frisby Ridge →

Return to Lake Minnewanka

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A return to Minnewanka with the Tout, because it’s a nice cruisy place for a family ride…. and this time it was actually sunny. This time we dragged Joel along too A couple of places are a bit tricky with the Singletrailer, and it needs some assistance Flat and mossy forest makes for relaxing Singletrailer terrain Unbelievable but true, Alex does sometimes smile when he’s out riding Moosling grins by the beach at the Warden’s Cabin Playing around by the shore at the Warden’s Cabin Alex’s obsession with fat tyres continues unabated. Now he’s selling off all his normal bikes … Continue reading Return to Lake Minnewanka →

The traditional early season family epic up Skogan Pass

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It was around the time of the year when we start getting impatient to do longer rides. The trails in town are dry. Surely some of the trails further out of town are dry too? And so we set off up Skogan Pass, hoping the snow at the top would have cleared. We didn’t get away super early, despite the threat of worsening weather in the afternoon. The scenic powerline trail was as scenic as ever, as we pedalled from downtown Canmore towards the Skogan Pass trailhead. The Tout Singletrailer has been making everything easier, even wide double track like … Continue reading The traditional early season family epic up Skogan Pass →

The Tout goes on a local adventure

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There aren’t many dry trails around here yet, but the Lake Minnewanka trail is pretty close. The first kilometre or two has a lot of mud and ice, but once you round the hill, the trail was bone dry. Until it started raining anyway. We gambled on the weather and lost. Actually, the rain was a bit of a foregone conclusion, and it wasn’t so bad for the first half of the trip. After a short lunch at the Warden’s Cabin, the return trip just got wetter and wetter though. The single trailer experiment was a success though. Apart from … Continue reading The Tout goes on a local adventure →

Moab 6: Not Moab at all, but a day trip to Fruita, Colorado

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We’d all heard wonderful things about the riding in Fruita, Colorado. Well, Alex and I had heard wonderful things, and Brendan had ridden there, and seemed to think it was a good idea. The idea of going over there and camping for a night or two was proposed, but dubious weather and cool overnight temperatures led to a day trip only – to 18 Road. Zipping over to Western Zipity The Moosling running most of the way up Prime Cut Probaby on Western Zipity Alex on Zipity Doo Dah The Moosling stares disdainfully from the Tout Singletrailer – probably on … Continue reading Moab 6: Not Moab at all, but a day trip to Fruita, Colorado →