Nothing says “one final push of summer” like a 95-degree Labor Day weekend in the high desert.

Flowy singletrack and alpine lakes make the High Cascades overnighter an epic culmination of all of Bend’s highlights — and its perfectly centered location between my home on the Oregon Coast and Amanda’s in Boise made it the perfect pit-stop for a long weekend adventure.

This is our first bikepacking trip together, but not our first adventure. Back in college in San Diego, we learned to skate, surf, and climb — all under the cover of the Southern California sun.

We both live in the Pacific Northwest and often drive back and forth from Oregon to Boise. Mountain biking has become the downhill transportation method of choice these days, so it seemed fitting that we plan a debut trip for this new shared hobby.

We rolled into a brewery parking lot at 7 p.m. on Friday, looked over the route and final pack lists over beers, and then headed out to find some dispersed camping for the night. It was early to bed, then an early morning waking with the sun for coffee and packing.

It’s Amanda’s second bikepacking trip, and she scored a complete setup of loaner bike bags from Idaho Women’s Bikepacking — a group of women providing community and education for women new to bikepacking adventures.

My setup is a bit more seasoned, and I pull out my bags — still dusty from my last trip — and start putting things in familiar places. My sleep system goes up front in my handlebar bag (sleeping bag and pad). I also manage to fit my stove in there, and I strap a Big Agnes bikepacking tent over the top. The Marin Pine Mountain easily fits it all, and it’s becoming a familiar companion for these overnighters.

A spare tube, tools, and camera go in the frame pack. Extra layers go in the seat pack (easier to access than the handlebar bag), and snacks go in the downtube bag (conveniently fitting four beers, in case anyone is curious). Hydration packets and some easier-to-grab snacks go up front in my feed bag. My dehydrated dinner pack fits snugly in my CamelBak backpack, which holds 2.5 out of my 4.5 total liters of water.

Water is the primary concern today because we’re starting down low in the valley, and the morning temperatures are already up to nearly 80° F. We’ll be climbing all day, hopefully outrunning the heat, but the first water resupply is a long way off, rather significantly since we adjusted our starting point back about ten miles from the route’s usual start.

The day starts with some slow uphill on some of Bend’s classic, close-to-town single track. We’re on and off the bikes for the first few hours, navigating the dense trail network and letting day riders cruise by our fully loaded bikes. While it’s a slower climb, the downhill sections are already feeling more fun while fully loaded, and sinking into berms feels even flowier than usual, with extra weight to throw into the turns.

As the day goes on, the sightings of other riders become more sparse. We’re getting further away from town, gaining elevation bit by bit.

We ran out of water sometime around mile 25, and the mile marker on our map that said “year-round stream” felt like a mirage that never got closer. The final push up those last five miles of climbing was a tough one, but we got a second wind after we spent an hour filtering water and washing off the dust in an ice-cold stream.

The final bit of riding for the day took us through high alpine meadows with volcanic views all around. We cruised up and down forest roads in golden hour until we decided on a scenic spot to end the day, crack a beer, and get some well-deserved rest.

The sunset seemed earlier tonight than it has in a while, and we’re reminded that this really is the end of summer. It’s shorter days from here on out, and we’re grateful to have squeezed in this adventure between our busy schedules and state lines.

The next day, on our mostly downhill ride, we talked about bikes, hikes, and climbs and how incredible it is that our bodies are capable of so much. These trips are a special kind of happy place—the kind where I get to push myself, suffer a little, and celebrate the effort. On the note of celebration, Bend sent us off with one final evening of brewery-hopping before we took an early morning drive back home in our respective directions, already scheming our next big ride.

'Til next time (and next summer) – happy riding!