Frog Lake Loop Bikepacking Trip Recap with Oregon Field Guide

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Last week I rode the Frog Lake Loop Trail near Mount Hood with Kailey Kornhauser and a film crew from Oregon Field Guide. This 40 mile route might be my new favorite weekend route - it’s a perfect length for a short adventure, has an excellent challenge:reward ratio, and is good for a solo trip or group trip. Basically everything I look for in a bikepacking trip!

The logistics of this trip were pretty funny to coordinate - we started chatting with the team at Oregon Public Broadcasting in April. They saw our All Bodies on Bikes film and really wanted to do a follow-up episode on us. We initially planned to ride the Lower Deschutes River Trail but got foiled by gusty winds a few times. After a summer of many emails and rescheduling due to weather and production schedules, we finally landed on a weekend that worked for all of us.

The Frog Lake Loop, as developed and mapped out by Molly Sugar (thanks Molly!!) is designed to be ridden in two days. With a total distance of 40ish miles, each day is relatively short, allowing lots of time for exploring the gorgeous scenery, taking in the views, or adding fun little hikes or spur routes.

The first day is a lot of descending and goes fast! We didn’t really get riding until 11am (after an interview and packing the bikes) and made it to camp by 6pm. This was with multiple stops to shoot and film portions of the trail repeatedly. My point is - the riding isn’t hard or strenuous, especially on Day 1. Mainly nice gravel roads, a little bit of singletrack, a short hike-a-bike section on the Pacific Crest Trail, and a fun descent on new asphalt.

One highlight of Day 1 is Little Crater Lake. This strange geological formation is a super deep, spring-fed lake that is crystal clear blue. It’s about a half-mile off of the PCT, so if you’re on that trail, I highly recommend a quick detour to see this beauty.

The route takes you around Timothy Lake, which has an abundance of both reservable and dispersed camping options. We stayed at a reserved spot, but if I was doing the route again on my own, I would choose to stay at one of the dispersed camping spots right along the lake. We passed by a number of these and they looked absolutely stunning. (Disclaimer: we were there on a Monday/Tuesday, and they were nearly all empty. I have no idea if they get full other times of the summer.)

Gourmet breakfast care of the Oregon Field Guide team. Thanks Todd!

My favorite part of the ride was suprisingly Day 2. Kailey had warned me that most of the day would be climbing and she wasn’t wrong. We spent the first half of the day riding some of the most gorgeous, loamy, single track I’ve been on, which quickly led into a 2 hour climb. But somehow through all this gravel riding and racing I’ve been doing this summer I’ve come to enjoy and appreciate climbing. I found myself actually enjoying really some long, tough climbs that I previously would’ve been cursing.

Bizarre, but I’ll take it.

Before I knew it the camera crew was cheering us on as we approached the final descent of the trip. As we rounded the final bend, a gorgeous view of Mt. Hood came into view. We celebrated at the shore of Frog Lake for a while, reflecting on our trip.

Honestly, there’s not much I would change! I think I finally learned how to pack appropriately for a bikepacking trip - I wore literally every single piece of clothing I took, I ate nearly all my food, and didn’t have too much excess stuff. I’m going to call it a win!

My bikepacking setup

Here are some details of what I took:

Bicycle: Velo Orange Piolet

Tires: SimWorks SuperYummy 26 x 2.22 set up tubeless

Bags:

Ortlieb Handlebar Bag with Accessory Pack

Revelate Frame Bag & Feedbag

Ortlieb Seat Pack Saddle Bag

Camping Gear

Tent: Nemo Dragonfly Bikepacking Tent

Sleeping Bag: Nemo Forte Women’s 35 Degree Bag

Sleeping Pad: Nemo Flyer Insulated Pad - Regular Wide

All Loaded up and Ready to go!

Reflections on the Trip

It’s pretty amazing how far we’ve both come in a year - from our first trip together on the C2C trail to this trip. I’ve grown as an athlete, an ambassador, and as a businesswoman.

I think the industry has also grown a lot too. I’ll do a future post on this, but we’ve held over 10 All Bodies on Bikes events in less than a year, launched a website, and a community with over 5,000 strong.

I think it really hit home on this trip how big of an impact we’re having with the All Bodies on Bikes work. We ran into two different families on the trip who knew us - one at Little Crater Lake and another during a massive climb.

Meeting these families and hearing them talk about how they watched our film together as a family during lockdown with their 12 year old (and were now out bikepacking together) really hit home that ‘dang, our message is getting out there.’ So thank you all for your support, your encouragement, and I’ll be sure to link to the OPB segment when it’s released!

Land Acknowledgement

I’d like to acknowledge and thank the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, and the Cascades Tribe for allowing us to recreate on their traditional lands.

My Top 10 Essential Pieces of Cycling Gear

Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

It’s true, all you REALLY need is a bike, but for the best, most comfortable experience on a bike there are a few accessories that will improve your cycling life immensely. Most of these are under $50 and will make your ride safer, more comfortable and most importantly, more fun!

I’ve included links to my personal favorites but there are lots of great options out there. So, without further ado, my top 10 accessories for bike life!

1. A Quality Floor Pump

Park Tool Floor Pump

I really love this basic Park Tool PFP-8 Home Mechanic Floor Pump. It’s simple to use, works for both Presta and Shrader valves, has an easy to read gauge, and is relatively inexpensive at $43.95. I check my tire pressure before every ride, so this is literally my most essential tool.

buy here

2. A Feedbag (Handlebar Bag)

Revelate Designs Feedbag

Having easy access to snacks, your camera, water bottle, bear spray, inhaler, or whatever else you may need is key when you’re riding along. A feedbag attaches to your handlebar and stem and keeps all of your essentials right at your fingertips for quick access. I love this Revelate Designs Mountain Feedbag as it can be opened and closed with one hand, has a large inside pocket, multiple outside mesh pockets, and quickly attaches with velcro and a snap for secure attachment to multiple size bikes.

Buy here

3. Cycling Gloves

Pearl Izumi Attack Gloves

Simple and functional, these gloves help absorb road vibration and provide protection to your hands. These come in both half-finger length for warm days and full length for colder rides.

Buy here

4. Water Bottle

Radical adventure riders bottle

This one may seem obvious, but not all water bottles are created equal. I’m partial to the Purist bottle (and will soon have some in my shop) but until then, encourage you to support the Radical Adventure Riders or your local bike shop.

Buy here

5. Lock

Kryptonite Mini Ulock

Bike thieve suck. While nothing will totally prevent it, a good u-lock will at least deter/delay the theft a bit. I highly recommend the smallest u-lock you can get away with, as there is less room to get a tool in to pry the lock apart. Make sure you also register your bike on bikeindex.com as well!

Buy here

6. Raincoat / Raincape

Pearl Izumi wxb monsoon rain jacket

This is the first cycling specific rain jacket I’ve ever worn that actually fits! Coming in sizes from XS-3XL (which I wear) this jacket has tons of cool features - zip down armpit vents, reflective bits in all the right places, and generous length for riding. As a bonus, here’s a video of me being really excited about trying it on for the first time.

Buy here

7. A Rack & Panniers

Ortleib Classic Pannier

Ok, technically this is 2 pieces of gear, but having a quality rack and panniers will make all the difference if you decide to commute, bike camp, or grocery shop with your bike. I love these panniers - they’re waterproof, have replaceable parts and are super durable.

I don’t have a specific recommendation for a rack, as you’ll need one that is compatible with your bike. Chat with your local bike shop and see what they recommend!

Buy Here

8. Roadside Repair Kit (Tire Levers, Patch Kit & Hand Pump)

Pedro’s Tire Levers

Unless you’re running tubeless (and sometimes even then), flat tires are a fact of life. Remove your tires easily with these tire levers. $5 for a set.

Buy here

Patch Kit

Learn how to patch your tires. It’s quick, it’s sustainable, it’s easy.

Buy here

Leyzene Sport Drive Hand Pump

I love this pump because it has a flexible hose which makes attaching it to your tire valve easy. It also has attachments for both presta and Schrader valves, so it works for all your bikes!

Buy here

9. A Bell

Spurcycle Compact Bell

Loud with a clear sound, this bell is nice and compact and doesn’t take a ton of space on your handlebars.

Buy here

10. Lights

Lumina Micro 650 And Sabre 110 Combo

If you can afford it, I highly recommend a Dynamo lighting system, but second best is a strong front and rear light. I like these from Niterider because they’re USB Rechargeable and have multiple settings. Be sure to check your local laws as many places only allow solid front and rear lights (plus, blinking lights are blinding!!)

Buy here

Five Rookie Mistakes I Made at My First Gravel Race

I’m currently on a cross-country road trip from Seattle to Colorado for SBT GRVL, which means I have a lot of time to think. Turns out these western states - Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming - they’re really big. Like really big.

Steamboat Gravel will be my second gravel race, which I think technically still makes me a rookie, but after starting with Unbound Gravel, I definitely have some pieces of advice and wisdom to share. I’ve also been riding bikes for a long time and doing unsanctioned long distance gravel events for years.

Unbound Gravel was a ton of fun, but also a really hard ride and a great learning experience. Check out my previous post on that race here. I made all sorts of rookie mistakes during that ride that I hope not to repeat this weekend. I’m going to share them with you in the hopes that you won’t make the same mistakes either - whether you’re looking into doing your first gravel race or are just endurance riding curious.

1. Too much caffeine on race morning.

   I’m from Seattle and the rumors are true - we drink a lot of coffee, myself included. I typically start my day with 1 or 2 cups of drip coffee and then have another cup later in the afternoon, nothing wild. The drip coffee on offer where I was staying was a bit weak, so on my way to the starting line, I picked up an Iced Soy Latte in downtown Emporia, which I promptly spilled all over the street. Frustrated, I went to a different coffee shop and ordered a ‘double tall iced soy latte.’ When I got my drink, I should’ve noticed something was off, as it was super duper strong.

   Instead of 2 shots of espresso, there were 4! Ignoring my best judgement, I drank the whole thing. Big time mistake.

   I found myself jittery, nervous and my heart rate was through the roof. I was wearing a Wahoo Tickr heart rate monitor, and my resting heart rate is typically around 57 bpm. Siting down under the Shimano tent, my heart rate was at 120 bpm.

   Once I started riding, the effects of the caffeine lessened a bit and around mile 20, I felt normal. Typically, during a long ride, I’ll use GU Rocktane Gels that have caffeine in it for a pick-me-up, but during Unbound, I definitely avoided them.

   My plan for Steamboat is simple - make my own coffee and keep my routine as normal as possible. Take Shotblocks and GU Rocktane on the ride to refuel. Get an iced soy latte when the ride is over :)

2. Didn’t eat enough calories during the ride.

   If you follow me on Instagram, you might remember my ride prep for Unbound included making a ton of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, packing ‘real food’ and loading my pack up with all sorts of snacks. So you might be a little perplexed as to how I didn’t eat enough calories during the ride. Well, me too.

   I think it was the combination of too much caffeine that surpassed my appetite, nerves from the race, and 95 degree Kansas heat but I just did not have any hunger signals. So I didn’t eat. In fact, I found myself nauseous, which is never a good place to be, especially when riding 50 miles. No one wants to find themselves in bonk city.

   This time, no matter what my body is telling me, my plan is at least 100 calories every hour. Even if I don’t have an appetite - I can at least get down some m&ms or a gu packet.

3. Too many stops & too much time at each stop

   Ok, I’m not really going to beat myself up over this one, as I’m not a racer and don’t really intend to be. But, I do need to learn to be more efficient at the rest stops.

   Get in. Eat. Refill water bottles. Go.

   I have a really bad habit of chatting, hanging out, taking off my shoes, making an outfit change, etc…basically pretending like I’m on a bike tour instead of a race with a cutoff time. So my advice for you is to make sure you have a plan at the rest stops. Know what your priorities are - food, air in your tires, etc.

4. Wool socks are a bad idea in June.

   I’m a Pacific Northwestern kid, where wool socks are generally a good idea any time of year. Turns out that’s not the case everywhere, including Kansas in the middle of summer. My feet were so incredibly hot. Next time I’ll plan better, likely going with a lightweight sock from Pearl Izumi that’ll keep me cool and looking good.

5. My music was not on point.

   I didn't originally plan to ride with any music, so I didn’t have any playlists downloaded onto my phone. However, there came a point on my ride where I literally couldn’t see the end of the road in front of me, the headwinds were blowing 20 mph in my face, and I was in the pain cave. All I wanted was some good beats to keep my spirits up.

   This race, I’ve got at least 6 different playlists ready to go. I’ll ride with only one ear bud in to make sure I can hear everything that’s going on around me and still keep the music going.

So yeah, I’m not changing anything super drastically. Pretty much common sense, but hopefully you find it helpful if you’re about to embark on your first big gravel race or event! Let me know and good luck out there!

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