In very early 2018, I decided to go on a bike-packing trip. I was granted a sabbatical for the fall 2018 and spring 2019 semesters and thought this would be a great way to do something different and kick off my sabbatical in a unique way. I needed space, exploration, a challenge, and time in nature. The sabbatical allowed me to take such a trip.
This was an idea I conceived of 2 years prior after the end of a 4-year relationship. I felt I needed an adventure. Something new and challenging to help me transition into my new life. I sat on this idea, thinking and researching before acting on it in 2018. Sometimes, ideas need time to gestate before they can be realized. I was ready to make this idea reality.
A 10-year friendship ended abruptly in December 2017. I was in a relationship that was just not working for me (a different relationship than the one that ended in 2016). My uncle nearly died in February 2018 after collapsing and spending the night on the floor of his home. I was teaching full time and volunteering large amounts of energy to lead the Science Fair Mentoring Project on the side. It was a passion project and required a lot of my time and energy. I was tired, burned, and needed some space in my life. I really wanted to feel alive. I needed to shake things up and go on an adventure. I enjoyed cycling and had participated in many organized rides with friends, including a few days of RAGBRAI. We had also biked many of the local Rails to Trails located throughout Minnesota. I strongly felt this needed to be a solo trip where I carried my daily supplies on my bike. I needed the challenge of being completely self-sufficient on this trip. Inspired by Wild, I decided a bike-packing trip was the thing for me.
Map of the entire trip from Crow Wing State Park to Bemidji State Park. Obtained from Google Maps.
After some research, I decided to bike the Paul Bunyan Trail (PBT). The Paul Bunyan Trail is a paved Rails to Trails path that runs from Crow Wing State Park to Lake Bemidji State Park in northern Minnesota. It rolls for approximately 120 miles through a national forest, along glassy lakes, and through scenic towns in the magical place Minnesotans refer to as “Up North.” The first stretch of asphalt was laid on the PBT in 1992, with the construction of new trail extending to July 2014. The trail intersects with the Heartland Trail in Walker, MN, and connects to the Blue Ox Trail north of Lake Bemidji State Park. These combined trails are one of the most extensive Rails to Trails systems in the US. Extensions and improvements of the trail are made continuously.
I spent hours watching hiking and bike packing videos to see what gear others used and how to pack my bike with the items I needed for the trip. I researched gear options and purchased what I would need for the journey. I planned my daily routes based on where I could stay and how far I thought I could travel with all my gear. I tried different hiker meals and snack ideas to stay fueled on the journey. I decided to keep my rides between 30 and 45 miles each day. This would keep me from wearing out too fast and allow time to stop and explore the towns along the way. I also figured out how to return to my car after reaching Bemidji. A B&B just north of Walker also offered a shuttle service to pick me up at Bemidji State Park and deliver me back to my car at Crow Wing State Park. This made it much easier to enjoy the ride.
Example of how I packed my gear on my bike for the trip.
I talked to Jon at the local bike shop for some help learning basic bike maintenance. Rich, a law enforcement instructor at the college where I teach, taught me some basic self-defense moves and how to use the body alarm, pepper spray, and taser disguised as a flashlight I had purchased for the trip. This trip became the beacon of light that helped me survive that winter. Winters can be hard in Minnesota and having something to plan and look forward to is essential to keeping your sanity.
As the supplies I ordered arrived, I began collecting them in my third bedroom and practiced using them. First, I set up the 2-person tent, sleeping pad, and bag I ordered. Next, I began organizing my gear into the drybags I purchased. Then, I tried different ways of packing my gear in my bike bags and packing all the bags and my tent on my bike until I had a balanced configuration I could manage.
I was mindful of the amount of gear I was taking. Every piece of equipment would add to the energy it would take to peddle the trail. I decided it was good to take a practice ride with my gear.
In early summer 2018, I biked the Shooting Star Trail from Austin to LeRoy and camped overnight at Lake Louise State Park to better understand what I needed and how this was going to work. I packed my bags with gear and loaded them on my bike. I tried to take only the equipment I would use on my PBT trip. The 32 miles from my home to Lake Louise State Park was the perfect trial run. It covered approximately the same number of miles I planned to travel on the PBT in a day. I learned that I needed to work on my leg strength to carry my bike’s approximately 35 pounds of gear. The trip also helped me shake down the gear I would need, get a better sense of how to pack my bike, and practice using my equipment on a camping trip. I also began to think about how else I could use my gear to meet expected and unexpected needs that came up along the way. For example, I packed my tent to access the rain fly quickly in case I needed shelter from a storm. I also became aware of other needs I would have to meet on my trip – places to camp, food to eat, water to drink, and other supplies that I may need along the way. I began to see the world as a toolbox rather than needing to pack everything I could possibly require on my bike. I was learning a new way to think and move in the world, which takes time and practice.
Bike-packing trial run at Lake Louise State Park in LeRoy, Minnesota.
Me at RAGBRAI 2018.
I also spent a lot of time cycling to condition myself for the trip. Some of my girlfriends and I road three days of RAGBRAI in July 2018. It was great practice for my trip up the PBT. We biked from Onawa, IA to Ames, IA, a total of 178.3 miles. This trip helped me build both physical and mental strength for my trip up the PBT. While I didn’t have to carry all my gear with me on RAGBRAI (we had an RV carry that for us), I did have some basic repair gear, snacks, and water with me on my bike. I knew if I could do the full three days of RAGBRAI, in the hot Iowa July sun and longer routes than I would have on the PBT, I would be fine. I developed strategies to help me power through when I wanted to quit. I learned to stretch every time I stop to keep my muscles from cramping. It was also practiced just enjoying the ride and being where I am, something I am not skilled at. I am a planner, always thinking about what’s next and preparing for it. While this is a great skill to have, it’s not a one-fits-all solution to life.
Something was freeing and exhilarating about preparing for the trip. My college degree trained me to be analytical and conduct research when making a plan. I am also a very organized person, which helped me pack and load gear on my bike. The preparation allowed me to use my strongest skills. I also started developing new skills and strengthening others – improvisation, creativity, confidence, and mental and physical strength. I had to really know my rhythm and needs on this journey to work to meet them. It was a lesson in now and next.
After a summer of cycling; packing, unpacking, and repacking my gear; a camping trip along the Root River Trail; and a lot of soul searching, I set off on my pilgrimage on September 9, 2018. I biked the 15-mile short route of the St. Paul Classic and then headed north for my trip up the Paul Bunyan Trail.
It was the start of a fantastic journey!
After finishing the short route of the St. Paul Classic on September 9, 2018.
References
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. (2022). Paul Bunyan State Trail. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_trails/paul_bunyan/index.html
Paul Bunayn Trail. (2020). Paul Bunyan Trail History – Past, Present, Future. Paul Bunyan Trail. https://www.paulbunyantrail.com/past-present-future/
TrailLink. Paul Bunyan State Trail Itinerary. TrailLink. https://www.traillink.com/trail-itinerary/paul-bunyan-state-trail/
This blog is part of an arch that began with a discussion on pilgrimage and the book Wild.
Click HERE to read part 2 of my trip up the PBT.
Click HERE to read part 3 of my trip up the PBT.
I also wrote about the feeling of arriving at the end of this amazing trip.