Bike Camping

Bike camping at 12,000 feet, high above Silverton in Colorado's lovely San Juans

Water, water everywhere, but never a drop to drink — unless you take a purifier

Picking out the right campsite is perhaps your most important decision once you leave the trailhead. If possible, make a scouting trip a few days or weeks prior in order to judge how much time it will take to reach camp. The whole idea (at least my idea) behind bike camping is NOT to pull 50 pounds of gear for five hours along 20 miles of single-track. To drag that third wheel into an area late in the day when you're tired and hungry, and then still have to set up camp in a hurry can be a real, well . . . a real drag. Look for a home base that will be easy to get to. Save the long trails for riding without the extra weight.

Try Logging Roads

Frequently, logging roads that have fallen into disuse lead somewhere suitable, even though they look like they beckon into oblivion. After some practice, you will develop a feel for where they are probably going to wind up. Think like a logger and you'll be more successful at finding that perfect little wildlife opening — formerly a staging area for logging equipment — tucked neatly away at the base of an upland bowl.

With mountains all around except for the approach, a site like this can offer a microclimate of moderation. Up on the ridgeline, the wind may be howling and bending branches, but down in the shelter provided by the thick tree cover, it can be bearable, if not enjoyable. The disadvantage of a spot down low is that there are no commanding views. But that's what the long bike adventures out of camp are for — to reach those special spots topside.

Stay Near a Water Source

Another key element in selecting a great campsite is water. A nearby water source makes the trip with the trailer much easier since you do not have to lug in your stay's worth of liquid. Instead, if all you have to do is walk over to a creek and pump it through a filter or put it in a pan and boil it, your energy and trailer space can be used for better things, like an extra bag of cookies. Plus, falling to sleep with the sound of a creek gurgling nearby ranks among life's sweetest rewards.

But camping along a creek raises other issues. Obviously, you would like to pitch a tent or spread a bedroll on a close-to-level piece of ground. However, such a place on the banks of a mountain creek could lie within a flash flood zone. Before turning in for the evening, make sure the spot where you fall asleep is in no danger of being flooded. Check for any debris that may be lodged in nearby trees. If you find any, that is not a good sign. Don't feel you are secure just because the sky overhead is clear. A flash flood can be caused by the conditions upstream — sometimes many miles away. It would be more than disconcerting to awaken to the sound of that cute little creek turning into a torrent. It could be downright dangerous.