Who doesn’t love bikepacking? The journey of simply you and your bike, out within the wilderness, discovering new locations. For Katie and Andrew Strempke, it is a lifestyle. However with races and occasions being canceled because of the pandemic, they wished to do one thing completely different. That is their story about being the primary bikepackers to “yo-yo” the Colorado Path — 539 miles every means, with some required climbing, in simply 17 days on a single pace.
The Colorado Path is taken into account a world-class long-distance path and is likely one of the longest and most rewarding bikepacking routes within the U.S. It begins southwest of Denver and winds its means as much as Durango, flowing by means of eight mountain ranges, six nationwide forests and 6 wilderness areas. The path rises and falls dramatically with steep and rocky climbs and harmful descents. Bicycles are allowed on this climbing path however are required to detour round every of the wilderness areas. The document on a motorbike is slightly below 4 days, however usually it takes 8 to 18 days to complete this path — a technique. “It’s for positive one in every of my favourite routes I’ve ever ridden. It’s actually difficult, nevertheless it’s lovely the entire time. That mixture is actually distinctive,” says Katie with a giant smile on her face.
The Thought Involves Life
Katie and her husband Andrew, who’s a former mechanical engineer at Garmin, like to take their bikepacking to the intense. Take their experience throughout the U.S. from San Francisco to Yorktown, Virginia, for instance, or the Nice Divide Mountain Bike Route that leads from Canada to Mexico. This time they wished to do one thing completely different. Though a few of their buddies needed to abandon their try to “yo-yo” the intense Colorado Path, they had been impressed by the thought. “We had been enthusiastic about it. Going up the path, flip round on the finish and doing the entire path once more in the other way. Nobody had carried out this earlier than, and this was the time for any individual to do it. We did some longer excursions earlier than, however the Colorado Path is a single-track climbing path that you simply’re allowed to experience bikes on, which makes it loads slower going. But additionally extra enjoyable and way more partaking! The views are nonstop. You’re at all times looking over mountain ranges; it’s breathtaking.”
They determined to go for it and even spiced it up by utilizing a single pace as an alternative of a geared bike. This would possibly sound loopy, however they’d some good causes for it. “It’s lighter and that’s a giant benefit, as a result of you must hike and carry your bike very often on this path. At the very least, that’s what we expect, however most would disagree,” laughs Andrew. “We similar to single speeds, and we used a straightforward and really gentle gear for this journey, 32-22. Some steep elements might need been doable with a geared bike, however with a single pace you must stroll. Each time that you simply stroll, it’s type of a restoration since you’re transferring your physique in another way. You’re not within the saddle all day lengthy, you’re continually on and off, which for an extended experience actually helps. It took us 17 days for the yo-yo, so it might need helped to keep away from some accidents within the knees and the notorious saddle sores.”
Prepared, Set, Let’s Go
The elevation on the Colorado Path ranges from about 5,500’ as much as 13,271’, so you possibly can think about it’s arduous to train in skinny air. That’s why they spent a number of weeks in Colorado to get used to the altitude, however even then it was nonetheless very arduous in response to Andrew. “The occasions once you’re up close to 12,000’ and the path is steep, you’re simply pushing your bike with very sluggish footsteps. Something greater than a sluggish stroll will get you out of breath. You’re simply slowly climbing together with your bike, making regular progress — that’s what it’s all about. You simply must maintain transferring.”
They began on the identical time in Denver however as a result of Andrew was going sooner to start with, they rode individually the primary few days. And being the pioneers of this yo-yo race, they’d to determine what labored greatest. With the intention to make it to the end, they determined to stay to their vitamin and relaxation plan: eat about 250 energy per hour and have at the least 6 hours of sleep per night time. Once they had been awake, they tried to maneuver as a lot as doable. At most they stopped for 4 hours per day to eat or change garments, however for the remainder of the time they had been transferring.
Exhausting, More durable, Hardest
Due to the snowfall in that area, the path is just open throughout the hotter months of the 12 months. However even then you possibly can anticipate a number of rain, hail and thunderstorms. Appears like enjoyable, proper? And on day 4, they had been certainly getting in heavy rain and climate. “Yeah, we had a foul climate window for a number of days. Often, climate modifications in a short time over there. You’ve a rainstorm within the mountains for a couple of minutes after which it clears off. However we’ve had some unseasonable rain, like inches of rain that’s not widespread over there,” says Andrew.
This made their path even tougher. Not solely mentally, but in addition bodily. They had been soaked on a regular basis, not capable of dry their garments and it sucked the entire power from their our bodies. It was very tempting to surrender and go residence, however Katie had the appropriate mindset from the beginning: She wished to make it to the top. “To have the ability to carry on going, I did some psychological preparation beforehand,” Katie explains. “The 12 months earlier than I didn’t end the Colorado Path. So I used to be telling myself that it doesn’t matter what, I used to be going to complete this path. If I’d have a foul day, it could have been simple to give up. However that is what I mentioned I used to be going to do, so I needed to stick by means of this.”
The unhealthy climate affected Andrew mentally greater than Katie, and he was having a tough time motivating himself to push arduous throughout the day and experience late into the night time. He was dropping some focus and was slowing down. The climate was entering into him, and at some point he wished to hunt shelter in a rest room home in Spring Creek Go till the rain was over. Within the meantime, Katie was nonetheless using within the rain: “I’ve a mantra that I take advantage of: progress over consolation. I ask myself, ‘is it is a actual motive to not maintain going, or is it simply troublesome?’ If I maintain going, I get stronger for the following time. Versus quitting for causes which can be simply in your head.”
It simply so occurred that Katie determined to get some relaxation in that very same bathroom home in the midst of the night time! They had been pleased to see one another and determined to stay collectively after that. However then issues acquired worse with much more rain within the following days. They had been chilly, drained and exhausted after they arrived in Silverton. All the things was closed, however thankfully they discovered a room in a resort. They took the following day to get well, however after that they encountered plenty of rain and thunderstorms once more. As a substitute of being demoralized by the unhealthy climate, they continued with their journey. Katie admits that it was mentally harder than bodily, and Andrew agrees. “It might sound that it’s bodily arduous, however with extra relaxation and meals, you possibly can get well. The human physique is fairly wonderful. Mentally figuring out that helps loads as properly. You understand you possibly can fall asleep and proceed tomorrow. Having that constructive psychological perspective is the distinction, I believe.”
Keep Linked to the Inhabited World
Though the Colorado Path is properly signposted, a GPS system is suggested. They each used a Garmin Edge® 1030 Plus GPS bike pc for all the path. “That was particularly useful on these detours across the wilderness areas the place you must experience on the street. These aren’t marked. We had it in battery save mode, so it solely pops up when there’s a flip. We turned BLUETOOTH® off, so then it has about 50-plus hours you possibly can experience earlier than you must cost it once more.” To ensure they had been nonetheless capable of keep in contact with family and friends on the distant path, they used their inReach® mini satellite tv for pc communicator1. That got here in useful when Katie’s telephone broke on the third day of their journey. “With the inReach mini I may nonetheless attain out to my household and Andrew to allow them to know that it was simply my telephone that was damaged and that I used to be nonetheless OK. So I may carry on going and they didn’t have to fret.” In addition they used it for monitoring on trackleaders.com so household and buddies may comply with their progress.
Though they hardly met any individuals on the distant path, they did encounter some harmful wildlife. Katie noticed some mountain lions, for instance. “Yeah, that was a bit scary. I used to be climbing with my bike up a hill, and so they got here excessive of it. They noticed me after which break up up. Somewhat bit later I heard a sound behind me, and I used to be so scared as a result of I assumed it was a mountain lion coming again for me. However thankfully it was only a mountain biker who got here up behind me, however he scared me so unhealthy!” Andrew instantly added one other scary second: “On one other day once we had been collectively at night time, we came visiting a hill and had been fairly positive there was a bear. We began to make some noise after which heard different bears working by means of the woods. For the remainder of the night time, we had been using alongside and making noise. Usually, they’ll go away you alone. However it may be eerie to experience by means of the woods at night time since you begin to see eyes in every single place!”
As soon as they reached the official finish level of the Colorado path in Durango, fortunately the climate modified. This made the way in which again to the beginning level in Denver much more bearable. “Moreover, it was mentally simpler as a result of we’ve already been to those locations on the primary half of the experience,” explains Andrew. “It’s all recent in your reminiscence. Ah, we’re again at this cross already and so forth. And we knew we may do it — you’ve carried out a technique and all you must do is to get again. You’ve already crossed all that terrain. And the path close to Durango is generally extra distant and harder, so once you’re getting nearer to Denver you go down in elevation and in problem as properly. We knew that day-after-day it could be somewhat simpler than the day earlier than. And also you begin to hit extra cities, so you possibly can resupply or eat a pizza! Heat meals is then one thing that basically retains you going.” As soon as they completed the yo-yo collectively in simply 17 days, they headed residence. Drained however pleased and glad — they did one thing that nobody had ever carried out earlier than. In August 2021, Katie accomplished the Colorado path once more and, imagine it or not, Andrew as soon as once more tried to experience the yo-yo. He succeeded and even broke the document by finishing his journey in simply 13 days, 10 hours and 50 minutes. We marvel what’s subsequent for this adventurous couple!
Watch the video under to see Staff Stempke in motion.
1Energetic satellite tv for pc subscription required. Some jurisdictions regulate or prohibit the usage of satellite tv for pc communication units. It’s the duty of the consumer to know and comply with all relevant legal guidelines within the jurisdictions the place the system is meant for use.
The Bluetooth phrase mark and logos are registered logos owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Garmin is below license.
