Yesterday my roommate Claire and I braved the summer San Francisco rain to hit the Marin Headlands for a campout.
I was able to secure a last minute reservation at Haypress campground in the Marin Headlands, a location I’d never been to.
Through the tunnel on the way to the Visitor’s Center to pick up our permit.
She seems to be enjoying herself despite the weather.
Claire borrowed a very nice Bridgestone MB2 modified by Aaron G for his girlfriend Mary. I outfitted the bike for this trip with the ol’ “Bag strapped to the bars” and my Carousel Design Works seatbag. Her jacket is my back up rain shell (glad I have spare stuff!)
What bike camping trip would be complete without a gigantic ice cream cone?
or getting assaulted while riding through a pack of geese!
Fully Loaded
Tennessee Valley Road on our way to camp.
Almost there!
Claire was in the French equivalent of girl scouts for 10 years growing up, so had no problem figuring out the tent.
Just a minor peg adjustment!
She’s much better than me at holding still for an 8 second exposure.
ISO 100, 50 seconds, f/1.7
Real coffee with breakfast via MSR Mugmate, the best solution I’ve found besides instant coffee.
Claire loves food! (she tells me all the time.)
Leaving Haypress campground on the dirt.
On our way back through Sausalito we stopped for coffee, and I saw this bike in an otherwise empty storefront. Renovo makes bicycle frames in Portland, Oregon from wood, and weatherproofs them inside and out so that they will last a very long time. They are opening a storefront on the main drag in Sausalito according to their website. This appears to be one of their touring models. Their website has some interesting information, but I’m undecided so far.
This was another great trip! Does anybody else have a good story about their first bicycle camping trip?
Very interesting looking “stew.” What ingredients did you use? Pretty gourmet for a bike tour!
Lots of the following: Eggs, Sausage and Pepper Jack cheese! It’s a bicycle super meal!
A new Renovo is what I lust for. I have been drooling over for the last 2 1/2 years. But, alas, being of limited funds, it hasn’t happened — so far. I’d have to unload one of my 4 other bikes to make room for the Renovo when it happens. I saw these first at Seattle’s bicycle trade show in 2010. http://www.renovobikes.com. Boy, are they gorgeous. You think wood fenders are cool on an old 1950 bike like my 3-speed Raleigh Lenton Tourist bike? Try computer engineered and computer guided tooling to produce an ash or other hardwood framed bike with contrasting inlays; then with all the modern components transplanted into it. To my mind these are the finest and most aesthetic road sailing yachts ever produced. But then, I’m a fanatic of sorts, I suppose, when it comes to dream rides. Or, any bike for that matter.
Super awesome trip Daniel! Love following your trips and bike love. Looks like Claire was in good hands on her first trip
hi, daniel
what egg dish are you cooking there and how long did it cook? i don’t see a caption for the photo. thanks & i really enjoy your blog (via grant posting about it on the riv site).
david
David,
Super simple. Step one, cook two large sausages in trangia skillet and then cut them into big chunks. Step two, crack about 6 eggs into skillet, and cook about halfway. Step three, add some big slices of pepper jack cheese and wait for everything to melt/cook! I may have to add a recipe section for the Trangia, I use it enough!
perfect. please do add that recipe list. thanks!
I recommend 5 Lipitor tablets for dessert!
TiTANIUM french press, bro. All your coffee woes are solved.
Been there, done that! I’ve got one I’ll sell you cheap!
The best solution, I think by far, is pairing a melitta drip cone coffee maker with a gold filter.
I bring those two things, and an insulated kleen kanteen, and just make the coffee right in the KK.
It makes a decent brew, every single time.
Daniel, you’re officially in charge of breakfast for the Himalayas!
Go Claire!
Awesome Kissy Face riding out of the tunnel Claire!
How many people besides Claire and I have you taken on their first bike camping trips? Changing lives.
Me too! Daniel convinced me to join him on the Pacific coast trail from SF to SD. Started an obsession.
My first bike camping trip was in in 2007 a big overnight adventure around Mt Hood that included very little sleep in a day use area because sprinklers kept going off. It was so much fun! Pictures from the first trip:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41335973@N00/sets/72157615006576577/
A few years back several forest service roads in the Cascades were damaged by floods and subsequently closed to motor vehicles. Several of them have been repaired and re-opened to cars but some have remain closed. We’ve been using one of the closed roads for family bike camping. We ride the road to what used to be a car campground. Even though there are facilities (tables, outhouses, established fire rings) it has a wilderness feel ’cause it’s overgrown and not many people go there. The kids have loved the couple trips we’ve been on so far. It has me looking forward to doing bigger trips when they get a little older.
No write up from the first trip (last year) but here’s a blog of our 2nd trip that we did a week ago… http://seattlesmitty.blogspot.com/2011/06/suiattle-kidspedition-2011.html
I might have to invest in one of those MSR mug mates. I usually just bring bags of black tea.
awesome.
great trip. love the blog.
I’m a fresh bike comuter myself. and maybe will risk on further bike family adventures.
Best wishes and keep on riding!
From far far Portugal
Nuno
Thanks Nuno, glad to hear from you!