Bikepacking the Warm Lake Wanderer

The urge to wander had grown a great deal stronger during the days leading up to this bike ride.

The intention I set before going into the weekend was to embrace the time spent outside. To slow down. To ground myself in the details.

What many do in two days, and some do in a single push, we rode over four days. Two midday rides bookended with a night ride climb to start and a slow morning slog to cap it off.

The idea? Slow down.

We swam in rivers. We chatted with locals. We cast our lines for fish.

The Warm Lake Wanderer is an 83ish mile loop through parts of Boise and Payette National Forests composed of pavement and gravel riding. You begin and end near Warm Lake just outside of Cascade, Idaho.

Looking out over Warm Lake after the first and biggest climb of the trip.

Travelling along rivers almost the entire way, you’re blessed with beautiful scenery of raptors and rushing waters, of burn areas and subsequent re-growth, of endless dirt roads and smiling faces, of massive valleys and a few snow-capped distant peaks.

One must try hard to have a bad time riding it the way we did. With a support vehicle lugging around the luxuries of an established camp kitchen, and carrying the tent, snacks and water were all we needed on our bikes.

With the factored-in down time, there was no rush. The only reason to get to camp was to break out the fishing sticks earlier, or take a dip in the river sooner, or bust open the paperback of the story burning a hole in your brain all day.

The joy I find with riding my bike is that while it can be an individual endeavor, it can also be a community-building venture. Both can happen when and where you like during a ride like this.

When I wanted time in my own space in the saddle, I would ride at my speed and turn my head to take in every new view. When I wanted community, I rode with others and shared the journey.

While I don’t aim to completely slow down all my adventures, I’m reminded of how good it feels and how much there is to appreciate.

Whether you enjoy the fast and light, the low and slow, or a mix of the two, we all share the love for adventure.

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