It doesn’t snow often here, so when it does, it’s a treat to go riding in it. The roads are mostly empty of cars, especially out in the unpaved areas. All the old familiar routes look and feel different. Heading out west on Oak/Jim Christal is a wonderful gateway to a network of gravel roads.
What’s it like to sell all your belongings, quit your day jobs, and tour the US by bike for the last 9 months?
Come to Dan’s Silverleaf, Tuesday at 6PM, and ask Russ and Laura on the back porch over a pint of beer. You can support them by giving them a place to sleep for 2 nights, snacks, cash, simple conversation about life and plan-less adventuring, and buying Laura’s hand-hammered copper headbadges:
Several Dentonites headed to Ft Worth last week to see their bike tour presentation, and we were amazed that over 100 excited, supportive people showed up to learn, chat, and cheer them on.
Russ and Laura are heading to Denton on Monday to tour our little heaven. I can imagine showing them Recycled Books, Beth Marie’s, SE Denton, Taco Lady, Querencia’s new shop, etc.
Russ and Laura are seeking a place to stay for Monday and Tuesday nights, so if you can put them up, please send them a message ASAP.
That’s “Ess two four oh”, in case you thought the last digit was a zero.
An S24O is a “Sub 24 hour Overnight” bike camping trip, and the term was coined by Grant Petersen, of Rivendell Bicycle fame.
If you have to work for a living and don’t have summers off, bike camping is easier to fit in, and the easiest way of all is with Sub-24 Hour Overnight (S24O) trips. You leave on your bike in the late afternoon or evening, ride to your campsite in a few hours, camp, sleep, and ride home the next morning. It’s that simple, and that’s the beauty of it. You can fit it in. It requires almost no planning or time commitment.
For this S24O, we rode from central Denton out to Ray Roberts, and we camped in the Isle Du Bois campground. That campground has nice, large, secluded campsites which border the lake. You can walk 30 feet and be in the water, which feels exquisite during the summer. Our route was about 17 miles each way, and it’s fairly flat with a climb up the lake dam near the park. One of our campers climbed it just fine on a single speed mountain bike, so it can’t be that bad.
The route out there is beautiful, and once you get north of Loop 288, the city unwinds into grassy fields and a wide shoulder to ride on.
nice, WIDE shoulder
I think packing for bikecamping is easier than packing for car camping, because you can’t haul as much on a bike, and it’s harder to endlessly capitulate over which shoes to bring (and then end up bringing all the choices). Since you’ll only be out for a day or so, you won’t need a cooler or much cookware. We usually bring a burrito for one easy meal, and I usually pack a sandwich for a simple, no-cook breakfast. The simple comforts/needs are the most appreciated. As always, we made Bookish coffee in the morning, just like at home, ground by hand.
Zassenhaus turkish coffee mill, unbreakable french press
Isle Du Bois campsites at Ray Roberts are not directly accessible by car, so they’re quiet, easily accessible by bike/foot, and you won’t have headlights/sound interrupting your quiet camp experience. Except for occasional trolling fishing boats and buzzing recreational watercraft, it’s pretty quiet. Even in the dead of summer, the water is refreshingly cool, so bring swimming clothes.
I liked our route, which used the northern half of the Greenbelt trail. Wide tires are nice for this kind of riding (I use 28c-35c), but our friend Cooper came along with us on skinny road tires and did just fine.
At a minimum, you’ll need a rear rack to carry some stuff: tent, sleeping pad, food, clothes. A front rack is also nice, because it can even out the load and make the bike easier to handle than if unevenly loaded.
After a long mid-morning swim, we packed up and rolled out. Efficient bike camping generates minimal trash which can be easily hauled out.
On the return ride on the Greenbelt, we stopped at the Old Mckinney bridge. It’s a 100+ year old dilapidated structure, but the main concrete piers tower over the shallow creek. I think the sign said that Bonnie and Clyde had used it as an escape route, but I can’t find any mention of that in historical text.
There’s a gas station on the return route, in case you need water, snacks, or a pear tree.
Today’s Denton Record Chronicle mentions that a blackberry farm in Sanger is now open for summer.
Duck Creek Blackberry Farm, 5037 Duck Creek Road in Sanger, has opened for the season, offering pick-your-own blackberries through late July.
This is the fifth year the farm has been in operation. To check days and hours of operation and availability of berries, visit www.duckcreekblackberries.com
The website states that they’re open 7-10AM on Saturdays, but that they usually sell out by 9AM.
At about 15 miles, this sounds like a great early morning country ride. Maybe there’s a nice cafe in Sanger to get lunch after picking berries? If we start riding at 6AM, I’d guess we could be there around 7 to 7:30.
Bike Denton 