Overnight Bike Camping with Russ & Laura – UPDATED

Thanks to everyone who pitched in their two cents and helped us figure out where and when to lead an overnight bike camping trip out of Austin. We have settled upon all the details and hope that you will all be able to join us!

When: Monday, April 12 – leaving at 7pm

What: A self-supported bike ride to McKinney Falls State Park, followed by stories around a campfire! Sleep out in this warm spring weather, then ride back in the morning.

How: First, send us an email (pathlesspedaled at gmail dot com) to tell us that you’ll be joining us. Then, meet us in the parking lot of Freewheeling Bicycles, next to the Good Bike Cafe (corner of 24th & San Gabriel). We will be there around 6pm, so look for us when you roll up. The ride will leave at 7pm sharp, so please plan accordingly.

Bring: You, your bike, and your own gear. Remember that we will be camping, so please come prepared with sleeping bag, pad, tent, or other preferred camping gear. (If you still need a rack or panniers, remember that Freewheeling will continue to provide a discount on these items through this week.)

Food: Because this is such a quick trip, we’ve decided that it makes the most sense for everyone to figure out and carry their own food. Consider eating a meal before we leave (either before meeting us, or pick something up at Good Bike!), and packing only light snacks for evening and something for breakfast.

Cost: $5 entry fee into the state park + a portion of the tent site fees ($16 per site, hopefully split between 4 or more people)

Fun: We hope to get to McKinney Falls by around 8:30pm, which will leave us plenty of time for a campfire and stories! Feel free to bring a beverage of your choice, snacks, a musical instrument, etc.

Getting Back: Because this trip is during the work week, we want to make sure that folks feel they can leave as early as they need, in order to get to work or school on time. We’re going to put together a cue sheet to help you get back, in case you’re unfamiliar with that part of town. If you’d like to ride back with us, we’ll plan to roll out of camp around 10am.

Questions: If you have any questions about gear, route, timing, whether you’ll encounter a bear, or anything else, shoot us an email (pathlesspedaled at gmail dot com).

Remember: We need to know how many people to expect, so please please please tell us that you’ll be coming!

S24O with Russ & Laura

Hey Austin peoples!

We’ve been hinting about leading a S24O trip out of Austin, for folks interested in experiencing a bike trip without having to do too much planning. Now… we just need to nail down the details!

Originally, we had thought that we would leave on Saturday, April 10 and return Sunday, April 11. But… it turns out that it’s Spring… and Texans like to go camping in the Spring… and all the reservable campgrounds are booked solid for that night.

Which leaves us with two options, and we thought we’d put it up for a vote…

1. We keep the April 10-11 date, but head for Emma Long Metropolitan Park. Emma Long is a first-come, first-served park, so there would be no guarantee that we would actually wind up with a campsite (unless someone wanted to volunteer to head out there early and hold some space for us). But, this would allow us to keep the original date.

2. We move the date to Monday night, April 12 (return Tuesday morning, April 13), and head to McKinney Falls State Park. We can reserve at McKinney, and not many people will be camping on a Monday anyway. It would also end up being a shorter length trip (a true S24O, if you will), and we would probably leave in the early evening and return in the morning.

So… if you’re interested in joining us on this trip, please chime in with your opinion… Should we go on April 10 to Emma Long? or Should we go on April 12 to McKinney Falls?

Many thanks in advance! As soon as we pick a destination, we’ll nail down all the rest of the details.