The last 2 weeks have been a blur. We left New York, drove across the country in single digits, endless semis, rest stops, a wind and dust storm, and landed in Colorado in time to close on our new house. We were back to work two days later, adjusting to East Coast hours being 2 hours earlier and trying to get the house unpacked and organized. It’s the same size, but has different spaces, so things don’t just GO where they used to go.
I’m also learning that despite the massive purging we did in New York, I still have too much Stuff. Some of it might just stay in boxes until I’m ready to fully part with it.
The holidays have barely registered for us – each holiday was a day off from work and a chance to catch up on the house (and sleep in). We’ve had service people out almost every day this week to complete the routine maintenance the previous owner didn’t do. We have a handman coming next week to knock out a long list of little things that, once completed, will give us more time to maintain rather than catch up.
We’re like 90% moved in … that 10% is going to take a minute.
In bike news, I’m psyched to have a local bike shop and will be dropping my bikes off for tune-ups after being in a moving pod for a bit. I’m starting to think about bike plans for the year. The plans will be modest, as 2026 will be reacclimating to elevation and exposure (there are very few trees – you can see forever, but there’s also very little shade).
The goal is to reconnect with old bike friends and find new bike friends who want to explore at a casual pace. I’m super into fat bikepacking and want to do it a few more times. The number of routes and options for bikepacking out West is tremendous – way more than out East – so I’m bound to get to at least a few new places.
And of course, spend more time with my family and Pete’s family. That’s the main reason we moved back – we missed being near our people. For now our kids are still out East and we look forward to setting up vacations to see them. Our kids are the coolest people we know and we always love spending time with them.
So that’s the plan for 2026 – be gentle to myself, try new things, find my place in where I live, and do my best not to become a Z-list celebrity among bike people in my area.
Four years ago, a bikepacking route in Maine was posted to Bikepacking.com and I was immediately intrigued. Maine has a mythical status in my mind and having never been there at the time, I wanted to experience a true Maine adventure. Whenever I mentioned the route to friends, their response was usually “looks so cool!” and then they looked at the drive time and said “PASS.”
Then one of my bike friends moved to Maine.
And I finally visited Maine – first a long weekend in Portland; then a week in Harpswell; and now, a long weekend in Baxter State Park and Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument.
This was my year.
day 1 – BSP
We basecamped at the New England Outdoor Center – Penobscot, reserving a 4-person canvas tent for the week so we could have a place to start close to the park, hot showers when we returned, and a place for our cars to be during our trip. Also, their Twin Pines campus has two restaurants (River Drivers and Knife’s Edge) making it easy to get a bite and back to camp fairly quickly.
Day One is usually a more relaxed morning as we savor our morning coffee and load the bikes for the first time. We finally headed out around 10:30 a.m. under partly sunny, humid conditions. Almost immediately, my rear rack disassembled itself from the weight. Thankfully, it was a quick fix, and we were back in business in less than 5 minutes.
A few miles later we’re in Baxter, checking in with the rangers at the gate. Ranger Aiden was suitably impressed to see two women on well-loaded fat bikes and instructed us to return our pass to the north gate so they know we made it through the park.
Baxter State Park is true Maine wilderness despite the established hiking trails, the tote road through the park, forest service campgrounds, and plenty of public pit toilets. Seriously – I wish every state took public toilet opportunities as seriously as Maine does in BSP. We marveled at the beauty surrounding us and started our “Moose Watch.”
We stopped to take a photo and it started to rain. Not terribly hard, but enough that we decided to put on our rain jackets.
It never stopped raining for the rest of the day and into the night. Something like an inch+ of rain fell. At one point, we pulled over and put a midlayer under the rain jackets to stay warm. Always fun to try to change and add layers when it’s pouring rain out.
But the rain kept a lot of people (and animals) away – so we pedaled our way though the park.
Thoroughly soaked through, we arrived at the Matagamon Gate and surrendered our pass to the Ranger, who was asking if we were on e-bikes. No e-bikes here – just analog human-powered transportation! A woman took our photo to send to her husband who is on the Great Divide Route right now.
A few miles later, we roll into Matagamon Wilderness Campground for the night. Months ago, we had called to reserve a tent site, but as the weather forecast solidified before we headed up, I made the executive decision to see if we could book a cabin or other indoor accommodations. We were able to reserve the yurt, which ended up being perfect for us.
Soaked, caked in muddy dirt, and starting to get chilled, we headed to the coin-op showers to rinse off and warm up a bit. We left our stuff on the porch and got a hot meal from the restaurant, Mama Bear’s Kitchen, before going back to the yurt to crank the heat and try to get our clothing to dry out.
a whoopie pie is not a meal, but homemade whoopie pies are not to be missed
Day 2 – KW&WNM
After a nice sleep in a warm bed in a yurt, we opted for breakfast at the kitchen again and discuss our plans for the day’s route. The owner asked about our route and gave us some Pro Tips that only a local would know. We got a late start (11am) but with only 30ish miles to go, we weren’t especially worried about time.
Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument is a relatively new national park, established in 2016. As such, there aren’t many front-country amenities and roads can mean anything from a wide smooth trucking road to overgrown two-track.
As with any day two, the legs are a touch stiffer and hills a bit slower – especially with 4″ tires and heavy loads. We enjoyed the solitude and lack of civilization, pedaling along dirt roads to two track to slick, mossy singletrack. We crossed the suspension bridge and found a spot to stop for lunch.
After lunch was a huge hike a bike up a long logging road two track. None of our photos show the actual steepness of the inclines, which challenged our upper body strength pushing our loaded bikes over rocky, uneven terrain.
By the time we get to the top, Ashley’s energy is waning. My water is getting low so we found a campground on the map 6 miles from our intended spot for the night that has direct access to the river so we can filter water.
WILDLIFE ENCOUNTER: We’ve been on “Moose Watch” the whole time – every time we see a logged lane or a swampy area, we scan for moose. No luck. So we’re happily motoring along on a wide, open logging road when we hear a branch crack, leaves shake, and something dark drop. We immediately stop and look at each other. Bear or Moose?What do we do if it’s a moose?Bear spray works on moose, right? Ashley takes out the bear spray and we stand there for a few minutes assessing the situation before deciding to high-tail it down the road. Nothing chased us but we had a good spike in our heart rate for a moment.
Once we get there though, we decide to just call it for the day. the Lunksoos Campground was beautiful, clean, and there was only one other camper – Mo The Gravel Cyclist. We chatted with Mo and he gave us some pro tips for the next day’s route to avoid some impassable roads. Mo is retired and spends his time out camping and riding his super-sick Cutthroat with Lauf fork. Mo asked us if we were on e-bikes.
We filter water, make dinner, and call it a night.
Day 3 – Home Again
It’s chilly when we get up so we make some coffee and oatmeal for breakfast while wearing puffies and warm beanies and gloves. We filter more water and as we’re packing up, Ranger Steve stops by to let us know the site we were on is reserved for the next few nights. We assure him we’re on our way and he gives us more insights to help make our final day very enjoyable. He also asks if we are on e-bikes (this is becoming a trend and while I have no issue with e-bikes, it’s wild that people assume a bike is an e-bike anymore).
We head out on a wonderful snowmobile trail before turning onto logging roads. We stop for lunch on the side of the road with a beautiful view of Katahdin. The logging road starts to be more two-track and then devolves further into an overgrown mess of rocks, moss, and thick leaves.
The final push was definitely a workout, as we’re tired from the previous day’s hike a bike and the uncertain terrain added a layer of challenge in just finding the right line of least resistance. Eventually we get to just overgrown two-track again, and blast through the knee-high foliage on our wide tires with a small gravity assist.
Suddenly, we pop out of the woods into a swamp and lo, Mount Katahdin in all her glory.
A few more miles to get back to the gatehouse at Baxter State Park and then a few miles on the road to get back to camp for a well-earned dinner.
final thoughts
As I write this, I am still amazed and astounded at the adventures I’ve had with just one or two other girl friends in the wilderness. This trip in particular was spectacular, in that I’ve now seen all facets of Maine – and I love them all. I haven’t been on my bike since an overnight in July (oops, forgot to write about that one) and yet, I felt strong, capable, and fully present in the moment. thanks strength training!
and also – FAT BIKEPACKING IS AMAZING. omg, I did not know how much I’ve been missing by not doing lower total miles in rustic locations on my fat bike. I am fully addicted to when I can go fatbikepacking again. Maybe it’s just my bomb-ass Surly Wednesday, but I had a B L A S T!!
I also am reminded that bringing a spare kit is crucial. Everything I was wearing on Saturday was soaked through and we did not have the means to get everything completely dry. If I didn’t have a second set of riding shorts, shirt, and a sunhoodie, days 2 and 3 would have been fighting hypothermia and hoping my clothing dried out. It wasn’t that warm this past weekend – only in the low-60s and breezy.
My parting advice? Plan the trip and just do it. Don’t wait for when you have the right gear or the right bags or the coolest route. If you’re psyched about something, make it happen! Find a friend, talk to locals, and have an incredible, S Tier time.
Pedaling felt effortless. The sun was warm on my face, and the road was remarkably quiet. My brain was playing the Pina Colada song on loop, and I couldn’t help but feel completely at peace.
I haven’t been on a bikepacking trip since I got home from the Northwoods 600. There are a variety of reasons – some I’ve chronicled here and some I haven’t. Time seems to keep moving; our relationships evolve.
The bikepacking overnight I planned to attend back in April was canceled due to weather, which was fine because I’ve done the riding bikes in the chilly rain and it’s not fun. So last weekend when I looked at the weather (it looked great – high of 70*F and low of 50*F overnight) and checked the local campground (literally one site left) …. I booked it. Perfect for a quick adventure.
Friday was a complete washout – well over an inch of rain in 24 hours – so I decided to leave on Saturday and stick to roads instead of incorporating a few rustic trails. Leaving after lunch on Saturday meant an unhurried start to the adventure. I stopped by a gas station to pick up a beverage for dinner and continued along, arriving at camp a few hours later. I convinced the ranger to bring me a bundle of firewood.
When it’s been a minute, it’s easy to forget what it’s like to haul everything for the weekend. Those first few pedals take a bit more power to get going, but once the tires roll, they feel effortless.
It wasn’t lost on me that my mom’s birthday would have been Friday, and Mother’s Day is Sunday (and my dad’s birthday). Getting away gave me space to think, heal, and be responsible only for myself. But truly, getting outside, setting up camp, relaxing with dinner by a campfire, retiring to read before getting some sleep—this is living.
I definitely wished I had a friend or two along for the trip, but I’m learning we can’t always wait for the stars to align. We all have our own lives separate from our friendships and adventures. When adventure calls, sometimes you just have to heed the call.
Anyway, the weather was perfect, and loading up the bike and heading out to camp for a night felt really good.
Gear Thoughts
I have the original Revelate Designs Nano Pannier, and they are fantastic for short trips where I’m not bringing a lot. Revelate recently introduced the revamped nano panniers and the Pannier Pod. I already have two Dopp bags, so I picked up two of the pannier pods, thinking they would be solid for organizing my nano panniers. They only hold 12L total, so good organizing practices are key.
I had my doubts about if they would hold anything substantial – and I was totally wrong. I was able to put my sleep attire, unders, socks, and a spare shirt and shorts in one; the other held layers.
Made it super easy to stay organized and pack in everything I wanted to bring.
Also, there is no right or wrong in bikepacking in terms of the amount of gear. Sure, there are people who can live in the same clothing for weeks on end and carry only a toothbrush, but there are also people who prefer to be comfortable and not have to put on every single thing they brought to stay warm at night. The only person you’re hurting is yourself by having to haul all that stuff around.
One of my Non-Negotiable Nice To Haves is my Helinox chair. Any collapsible chair will work – but having a place to sit that isn’t a rock, a log, or the ground is tops. I also bring a full (non-shower) toiletries set – body cleanser wipes, face cleanser wipes, witch hazel wipes, deodorant, tooth brush & toothpaste, saline nasal spray and allergy meds. My clothing might not be super fresh,but I like to feel like I’m decently clean despite irregular showers.
Anyway, it’s great to be back on the bike and going on adventures. This trip felt very important to do as a reintroduction to an activity I love but have shelved for the past 18 months. I have a few more trips planned this year that I’m really excited about.
wife. mother. awesome girl. 