With 650 miles of pedaling and ski descents from seven Cascade summits in front of them, Wyatt Roscoe, Andy Cochrane and Stio Ambassador Charlie Hagen set off on a self-supported bike / ski tour from northern California through Oregon. With 200 pounds of dehydrated meals in bike trailers.
The first curveball came early, with COVID-19. Roscoe, Cochrane and Hagen wanted to respect the safety guidelines, and decided to do the entire trip self-supported, carrying their own gear and food in bike trailers that weighed 140 pounds each. Along the way they would filter all water, camp on the side of the road and were not able to accept gifts from strangers along the way. One day to climb each peak and one day to bike to the next one, with three contingency days for weather or sore legs. How bad could it be?
Along the way there were many lessons. Keep things slow and steady. There is very little water in the high desert. You never regret a swim. There’s no such thing as too many calories. The best decisions aren’t always the easiest. Type 2 and type 3 fun are hard to differentiate. And most importantly, the group is more important than any single person in it. Adventuring with friends can be tough. Everyone has different expectations and motivations and sometimes they don’t line up. But the most important thing to remember is that you’re all in it together.