Bikepacking the High Cascades Overnighter || PNW || 75 Miles of mostly Singletrack!

I rode the High Cascades Overnighter bikepacking route on 7/24 - 7/25.
This is a fabulous route composed of almost entirely single track which takes you to beautiful alpine lakes and streams. I had my work cut out for me between the terrain and the heat.

Camp Notes:
Day 1: I started at Phils Trailhead, and camped at Little Lava Lake.
Day 2: Little Lava Lake back to Phils trailhead
If I were to do the route again, I would almost certainly stay at Little Lava Lake again.

Bike Setup:
- Ibis Ripmo AF (29er Full Suspension)
- Maxxis DHF in front and Maxxis Aggressor in rear(both 2.5 inch tires)
- No seatpost bag to maximize range on my dropper post

A hard tail with front suspension would be fine, but not as fun as a full suspension.
I have never ridden a true fat bike so I couldn't comment on how well it would work
A fully rigid bike... If that's all you've got, slap on some 2.8 and 3.0 tires and hold on! Totally doable, but if you've got something with some suspension take that!

Water Notes:
The temperature in Bend was mid 90's this weekend. So I carried a decent amount of water despite there being frequent resupplies.

Terrain Notes:
PREFACE: I am not a strong mountain biker and I am not super fit. I am...pretty average. If you aren't used to riding singletrack, be prepared to be traveling a lot slower. The trails in Bend can get pretty sandy, and while it isn't very technical, there are enough rocks and roots to slow you down, especially with a bike weighed down with gear.

My favorite riding was on day 2 along Tylers Traverse, though heading down the Windigo trail on day 1 was also very fun.


Route Details:
https://bikepacking.com/routes/high-c...

Thank you to Rob Knoth for putting together this route. It kicked my ass but I had a great time!