Trip Report: Warm Lake Wanderer
I awoke at 5am on the last day of June, loaded bikes onto my car, filled my coffee mug, and began the two-ish hour drive from Boise to Cascade, Idaho and the start of the Warm Lake Wanderer bikepacking route. Third time’s the charm, right?
I’d attempted this trip twice before, thwarted once by a foot of snow and again by a scheduling snafu. But this time - I had a good feeling about this time. The forecast was as clear as my schedule and the bikes were ready to go. I’d spent the past few months compiling gear, making adjustments to my bike, and recovering from an injury, so I was itching to finally go do the activity I’d been dreaming about for a while.
Logistically, the Warm Lake Wanderer is simple - an 85-mile loop with abundant camping options and water along the way - plus a hot spring(!) My riding partner was a first-time bike packer so I figured this was the perfect overnighter to introduce her to this niche sport. And indeed it was. I don’t want to speak for her, but I think she’s hooked.
Day One
We parked at the Warm Lake Lodge, made a few final adjustments to our rigs, applied some Chamois Butt’r (a must), and chugged some electrolytes. There’s no technical riding along this route, but it does start with a heart-pumping five-mile climb on pavement.
We took it slow and really leaned into the “Wanderer” part of this route name. That’s one of my favorite parts about bikepacking - slowing down and stopping along the way to dunk my head in a waterfall or appreciate a really cool rock up close. There’s no rush when you have all day to just pedal, eat, and sleep.
Among the million trucks towing ATVs and RVs, we crossed paths with one other pair of bike packers, which was lovely. We leapfrogged with them for a while and stopped to admire what each other had brought for lunch. Wildlife sightings along the way included one deer, three marmots, and a million butterflies.
We pedaled 65 miles on day one. After the summit of that first five-mile climb, the road turns to dirt and everything is pretty cruisy all the way to the town of Yellow Pine. Google tells me the population of Yellow Pine is just over 300, but it feels just shy of 30. We bought French fries and cold water from a restaurant called The Corner and talked with the waitress there, who was from a small town not far from my own hometown in Southern Vermont. Small world, indeed.
The fifteen-mile stretch from Yellow Pine along the Salmon River to the next turn was the highlight of the whole trip for me. I don’t think I stopped smiling the entire time. It felt like my bike pedaled itself along the idyllic and perfectly packed dirt road. The river glistened in the sun and there was something new and beautiful to look at around every bend. We stopped to soak our legs and cool off in the water before making the turn toward 16-mile hot springs.
Making Camp
The road turned back to pavement for the last 12 or so miles of our day. Finding a spot to camp was tough because so many people were out, but we were able to tuck ourselves into a
small corner right by the water and just a stone’s throw from the hot springs. We cooled off in the river again before our stomachs told us it was time for dinner.
Backpacker’s Pantry hooked me up with some freeze-dried meals to try on this trip and I’d been dreaming about their Pad Thai with Chicken for the past 7 miles (at least). It didn’t disappoint - super filling, a little spicy, and very flavorful. The two-serving pouch packs 41g of protein and 820 calories - just the ticket after a long day in the saddle.
I’m always looking for great gear and supplies to take on adventures and I’m definitely adding Backpacker’s Pantry to my list of go-to nutrition sources. They offer meal options for all sorts of diets (which is great for me since I’m allergic to gluten) and they use sustainably sourced ingredients. One of the coolest things I learned is that their facility in Boulder, CO is 100% solar powered! Anyway, dinner was excellent, and sleep quickly followed.
Day Two
Day two began with a 6am soak in the hot springs. We had it to ourselves and watched several American Dippers bobbing in the water nearby. We took our time with making coffee and enjoying breakfast (Backpacker’s Pantry Rocky Mountain Scramble) by the river. I’m pretty sure a sunrise hot spring session followed by coffee is the best way to start a day, so I was in a great mood as we packed up for the 20-mile pedal back to the car.
There were a few long climbs along the way, but the views were so rewarding I didn’t really notice. Even better, only one person we encountered was grumpy. “These roads weren’t built off of bicycle taxes!” he yelled from the seat of his side-by-side. Whatever! Everything was so lush and green and the temperature was cool - nothing could get me down.
Back at the car, we cheers’ed with an ice cold sparkling water. We’d been gone less than 48 hours but it felt so refreshing and rejuvenating. You don’t need a lot of time to have a grand adventure.
Gear Notes
I rode my Cannondale Topstone Carbon 4 gravel bike with an Apidura backcountry saddle pack, Ortlieb frame pack, and Revelate Designs Mag-Tank top tube bag. I used dry bags and straps to carry my sleep system on my handlebars, which worked just fine on this route.
I learned a few things along the way, such as don’t overload your seat pack, and when you have a water bottle on your down tube, look before drinking. I almost drank a rock that had made its way into the mouthpiece of my bottle!