Imagine putting 75 enthusiastic bikepackers together in the woods in Georgia, with no cell phone service or internet, for a weekend of nothing but riding bikes and talking about bikepacking. That’s what happened from October 4-6 at the third annual Bikepacking Summit, held at Mulberry Gap Mountain Bike Getaway in Ellijay, Georgia. And it was amazing.
It’s hard to put into words how special the mood was, how free-flowing the knowledge and good vibes were, how clearly the whole event showcased the great people and energy of the bikepacking community. It felt kind of like a Woodstock for bikepackers, but we had toilets and great food, full of shared enthusiasm and good energy. All the details, from the venue to the presentations, were totally dialed and everything just clicked. The event website promised three days of “riding, storytelling, and community building,” and it delivered all that and more.
On a personal level I am so thankful to have participated. I left feeling a renewed energy for adventure and bikepacking, and I know I’ll be processing everything I learned and experienced for a long time to come.
In the middle of all this, I was able to record six interviews for the Bikes or Death Podcast. I’ll be releasing them one per week over the next couple months, and I’m so excited to share the stories of these amazing humans with you.
In the meantime, here’s the official Bikes or Death recap of the 2019 Bikepacking Summit.
The Venue: Mulberry Gap Mountain Bike Getaway
A great venue is definitely key to setting the right mood for an event like this, and the Mulberry Gap Mountain Bike Getaway really nailed it.
It’s one thing to look at the pictures of a place online. It’s another to drive to that place as you get off a major interstate onto a lesser one, which turns to a county road, which after miles and miles becomes a forest road. At this point you’ve lost cell service and your lifeline to the digital world and everything that comes with it. So now you’re really taking in the terrain and scenery. You’re on gravel roads in a national forest and climbing as you make your way deeper into the trees. At this point you’re starting to wonder “where the hell am I going?”
You’re going to Mulberry Gap Mountain Bike Getaway, which happens to be a mtb and bikepacking oasis smack dab in the depths of a national forest. Their slogan is “Just Bring your Bike.” This isn’t just a marketing bit, they really mean it. From lodging to home cooked meals by grandma herself, the details are all taken care of. They even have shuttles to and from routes.
The business is family owned and operated and they welcome each guest as a member of their family. You feel like they aren’t just serving you, they’re welcoming you into their home and they are happy you’re there. This homey atmosphere really set the mood for the special weekend that unfolded.
You can learn more about the story behind Mulberry Gap on my interview with co-owner Kate Gates, who stole a few minutes away from her incredibly busy weekend to talk with me during the summit.
Neil and Lindsay: Bikepacking Mom and Dad
Big congratulations to the summit organizers, Neil and Lindsay Beltchenko, on such a successful event! In addition to organizing the Bikepacking Summit, these two are well known as creators of bikepacker.com and deeply involved members of the bikepacking community.
In addition to all the skill and experience needed to run such a smooth event, Neil and Lindsay put a ton of their personal passion and kindness into the weekend as well. It felt like they played the role of bikepacking “mom and dad” to each and every one of us. Thanks to them we all felt welcomed and taken care of as we enjoyed this magical weekend they created for us.
Bikepacking Overnighter Kickoff
What better way to kick off a bikepacking summit than with a group bikepacking trip? From Thursday afternoon through Friday a bunch of us loaded up our bikes, set off into the woods around Mulberry Gap, and got to know each other by riding bikes and camping together.
There were a few different route options available for different levels and preferences, but the idea was that each group was a “no drop” ride where no one would be left behind. In the end we all met at the same place, shared the same campfire, and drank the same beer. Good conversations were had and many stories were told. The mood definitely foreshadowed one of the best aspects of the weekend to come: the focus on building an inclusive and genuine community around bikepacking.
Presentations
The presentations and the energy they carried were really the core of the weekend. It was truly eye opening to hear so many knowledgeable and passionate presenters sharing their experience. I was impressed by how we can all be out there doing basically the same thing – riding our bikes – yet taking away from it such diverse insights and perspectives.
Joe Cruz set the stage in a powerful way with his opening presentation on Overcoming Fear. His thoughtfulness and intensity really set the mood and reverberated throughout the rest of the weekend. There were very few dry eyes in the room when he finished.
Charly Aurelia’s Wilderness First Aid presentation started with him sending us, on our bikes, to a destination in the forest. We found him there, circled around him sitting cross-legged on the forest floor, and listened to him teach wilderness first aid in a way none of us had ever experienced before. Though we only had time to cover the tip of the iceberg, Charly’s informed and enthusiastic talk inspired many of us to consider further WFA training. He helped us see clearly that as people who recreate outdoors in remote places, we have an obligation to ourselves, our family and our friends to learn these skills.
Lael Wilcox gave a presentation on packing that I’m sure was a goldmine of useful information. Sadly, I personally had to miss it because I was recording an interview at the time. With Lael’s deep experience in ultralight bikepack racing and her engaging style, I’m sure everyone who attended came away with some great packing tips for their next bikepacking adventure.
Rue Kaladyte wrapped up Saturday’s presentations with a stunning show of photos from the Silk Road Mountain Race. Her talk really drove home the amount of work she and her team put into capturing that event, including the impressive magnitude of the logistics she personally coordinated.
Rue’s presentation was made even more special by the outpouring of support she received from the audience. As a relative newcomer to the bikepacking scene, and after the drama at the Tour Divide this year, it can’t have been easy for her to stand up in that room full of strangers. But the applause and support she received made it clear that she was among friends, and friends who are grateful for her contributions to the bikepacking community. Later in the weekend I was able to record a fantastic podcast with both Rue and Lael, so stay tuned!
Pepper Cook kicked off Sunday with her presentation on solo bikepacking and industry inclusivity. Instead of highlighting conflict, she focused on positive examples of inclusivity done right. Her talk opened a genuine and productive dialog on the topic, and I can’t wait to share more of her insights and approach on a future podcast we have in the works.
Greg Hardy taught a course on building an alcohol stove using a beer can. I had to miss this one too since I was recording an episode. However, Greg has promised to teach me next time we go bikepacking, which I hope is soon.
After all the presentations, Joe Cruz – whose powerful presentation on overcoming fear opened the itinerary on Saturday – was asked to share his thoughts. Despite being put on the spot, he completely nailed it with an eloquent summary of what makes bikepacking such a powerful activity for many of us, and what we could all take away from this wonderful weekend. Fittingly, he opened the discussion up to the audience for a heartfelt and genuine discussion, and we closed the weekend very similarly to how we opened it.
In addition to the formal presentations, the presenters were always available during the rest of the weekend and welcomed questions and conversation at any time. Getting to rub shoulders and exchange stories with such knowledgeable people was definitely a special part of the weekend. I was impressed by how down to earth they all were, just normal people excited to talk about bikepacking and learn from others around them.
Other Highlights
Despite the packed schedule, there was still time for a group ride led by Lael Wilcox with sponsorship from Wahoo and Komoot. I would have loved to join, but sadly was off recording another podcast. I’m sure it was a great ride and it would have been a cool experience to go on a bike ride with Lael.
Another highlight was the party on Saturday evening, complete with beer, a bonfire, and live music from Possum & the Bear Band. At one point they opened the stage to any of us who wanted to come up and try our skills at their unique instruments. So that’s how a bunch of us ended up playing honkytonk music on washboards, buckets, and strings in the Georgia backwoods on a Saturday night.
Wrap Up
I feel very fortunate to have been a part of this Bikepacking Summit. The things I learned and the people I met with help shape me and my future for the better. There is something very special about putting that many people who share a common passion in the remote location of Mulberry Gap where you are forced to unplug. It’s a very present thing, everyone is there, everyone is present and open to the experiences and the emotions of the weekend. The place set the stage, but the Belchinkos wrote the script, and the presenters acted their parts with passion that reverberated throughout the weekend.
I hope through the podcast format you will get a taste of the event, the vibes, and the people. I hope to see you there next year!
Podcasts
I recorded 6 podcasts with some of the awesome folks at the Bikepacking Summit, and I’ll be releasing them over the coming weeks. I’ll update this list as new ones are released. For now, check out the first two in the Bikepacking Summit Podcast Series:
While I was at the Bikepacking Summit I was able to grab a lot of great folks for a chat. The setting was perfect for some great bikepacking chats under the canopy of the towering trees.
