I went on a rapid, semi-local bikepacking trip with two parents of young children this weekend. In order to squeeze the trip into their busy family lives, we left at 3:30 PM, arrived at camp at sundown, and left camp at 5:30 AM. We rolled back at our cars a scant 15 hours after we left them. The experience challenged my self-conceptions as a cyclist/bikepacker. I like to think of myself as someone who rides fast and stays on the move. But I felt rushed as we barely paused on the whole trip (I realized how often I usually stop for photos). Meals for my friends were sourced from Stewart's on the way to and back from camp. They didn't exactly jog around the shop selecting food, but their movements were certainly urgent. In contrast, I take special pleasure in cooking at camp and rarely purchase meals when on a bikepacking trip (leisurely coffee at cafe's excepted!). But I had a great trip and especially enjoyed bikepacking with other people for a change.
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