It was a fun idea and an easy way to get an introduction to mountain bike packing. Randy has done a few overnights on his mountain bike and has all the gear and some to spare to attach necessary overnight gear to the bike.
The ride in was short at just over three miles. The tree farm is a popular place for riders so we wanted to get a late start to avoid most or all the traffic. We expected to see at least one group of night riders since it was a Friday night.
The plan went like this: Friday morning before work I dug out my summer sleeping bag, sleeping pad, a cook pot, headlamp, bike clothes, camp clothes, and my hydration pack. After work, I packed my sleeping bag, pad, and camp clothes in a seatpost bag that sticks out like a fat black sausage. I stuffed a summer puffy jacket, shell, leg warmers, the bear bag hanger, a cup, packable plates, and our breakfast tortillas in my hydration bag with 3L of water, since there is no water source at our intended camp. Randy packed his sleeping bag and pad in a similar seat post bag, the tent in handlebar straps, and a biolite stove that runs on burning small sticks, a cook pot for boiling water, a frying pan for the breakfast tortillas, a bottle of wine, camp clothes, and 3L of water. I'm not sure how all that stuff was packed but he also has small panniers and a frame pack.
We arrived at the trailhead around 7:30 p.m. and were geared up by 7:45. The ride was short but uphill and my bike was noticeably heavier with even the small amount of camping stuff. Randy had just returned the previous weekend from a 4-day bike pack that obviously included 4 days worth of food plus the appropriate number of beverages for each evening. I'm having a hard time imagining how heavy the bike would be with all that.
Anyway, we arrived at camp at sunset. The view to the northwest overlooking Skagit Bay, the north end of Camano Island, Fidalgo Island, and a bunch of other features in the Puget Sound was gorgeous. We quickly set up the tent, which was fresh from the store — usually not recommended to first set up a tent at camp; it's wiser to set it up at home but we were confidant we'd prevail. And we did.
The monument conveniently has smooth rocks with carved out places for your buns to rest. We poured wine and took in the view. The stars started to come out. We decided we better hang the bear bag, which entails flinging a weighted line high enough in the branches and far enough away from the tree truck to dissuade critters from pilfering grub, toothpaste, sunscreen, and any other fragrant item. This activity is often the evening's entertainment. The process went surprisingly smoothly — only had to be attempted twice.
We had the rest of the evening to watch the stars and drink our wine. A deer visited our camp but we didn't see any other mountain bikers. The only word of caution is that there really aren't any level tent spots out in the open so I woke up several times, either against the edge or down in the bottom of the tent. I was warm enough but it wasn't my best night of sleep in a tent.
In the morning, Randy gathered up sticks for the biolite and boiled water for coffee. Via is an excellent morning beverage that requires no fuss, no muss and tastes pretty good. We had the stuffed breakfast tortillas from Haggens. Everything is precooked so all those require is a little butter in the frying pan to brown on both sides. As a post-breakfast digestive I gathered a few nettle tops and made tea, which is very high in Vitamin C and other nutrients, tastes like green tea. The leaves taste like boiled spinach, even if a bit furry.
We packed up, picked up our stuff and rode out, meeting only a pair of morning mountain bikers on the way in. Negotiating the downhill single track trails on a slightly heavier bike wasn't a big deal at all. I'm not a terribly technical rider and the tree farm trails were perfect my first bike pack. It had been a beautiful night and very pleasant ride both ways.
Here are the photos.