Radical Adventure Riders Go to Gravel Camp

Gravel Camp started as a far-fetched dream of a scheme. The concept was a weekend of adventure cycling, friendship, and time outside, but also so much more. We dreamed of a space for nourishment, growth, and joy that marginalized queer and BIPOC folks need. We schemed to create a weekend to reclaim our bodies, our shape in the world, and to build roots in nature and community.

It’s lofty language for a summer camp but that’s intentional; finding joy in the outdoors as a marginalized person is a radical act, hence our group’s name “Radical Adventure Riders”. RAR was founded in 2017 as a movement toward racial equity and gender-inclusivity in cycling. We dreamed that Gravel Camp could be a continuation of that legacy.

It was a bold idea. The RAR Front Range chapter had only just celebrated its first birthday and its first-ever season of backcountry bikepacking trips (two of which were canceled: one for fire and one for snow) when one of our founders, Jess Arehart, suggested we host a camp. The small-but-mighty core team of volunteers was enthusiastic but also anxious. Could we really afford an event of that scale? Even if we somehow found the money, could we honestly manage the logistics to host dozens of people?

Our first stroke of good luck came in the form of a venue. High Trails Outdoor Education Center is an absolute dream location that hosts spectacular programming for children throughout the year. Their director, Cassidy Dickson, came on our very first bikepacking trip in 2024 and enjoyed the community so much that she wanted to find a way to foster it. When we asked about potentially hosting a camp at High Trails, Cassidy was thrilled. We found a free weekend, and Gravel Camp started to feel real for the first time.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 15

By the time August 15 arrived, the whole core team was neck-deep in Gravel Camp. Schedule planning, meal planning, goody-bag packing, welcome-packet creation, sign painting, counselor coordination… until there was nothing left to do but show up. We made spreadsheets for our spreadsheets, packed our cars to the brim, and finally made the trek to High Trails.

That Friday night, folks gradually started to trickle in, picking up packets and goody bags, signing up for the raffle, printing DIY Gravel Camp swag (using stamps artfully carved by Al Secreto), settling into their bunks, and chatting with fellow campers. Around 8 p.m., we all meandered over to Hessler Hall for the Opening Ceremony. Jess started us off on a serious note to reconnect to why we had all traveled to Florissant for the weekend.

“When we’re heartbroken and frustrated with the world, that’s when we turn to our friends, our bikes, and time outside to find ways to process the big pain and move through it. To remember that we CAN move through it, and remember how strong, beautiful and powerful our bodies are. This is the feeling that we hope to share with you at Camp.

We founded a RAR chapter in the Front Range in 2023 because we felt like something in our Front Range bike world was missing. I’m sure we’re all too familiar with the “beginner” rides that have huge climbs, “no-drop rides” not actually being no-drop, and people generally just viewing riding as a competitive endeavor or total sufferfest…

…We wanted to bring a chapter here because in a place where there are a million group rides to choose from (and a few bright spots like Queer +, Femmes and Thems, Black Girls do Bike and others), we still felt like there were not enough spaces that are welcoming and fun for women, trans, and non-binary cyclists, and even fewer that specifically focused on adventure cycling.”

She then walked through the guiding principles of RAR, ground rules, and an overview of the weekend to come. Cassidy carried on the conversation with a safety talk and then led us into ice-breakers. The phrase “ice-breakers” tends to send a corporate-flavored shiver down the spine, but it was honestly a blast. We ran around the room, stealing water bottles, trading places, and finding out exactly how many people sleep with or without socks on. It was easy to see how Cassidy became such a beloved leader in the High Trails community.

Then the evening launched into community events. Some folks relaxed in bunks, some went to bed early, some started on food prep for the next day, and a group led by Eunice Wang gathered around the Central Campfire to read poetry — a tradition of vulnerability from Al’s See You Next Tuesday ride out of Colorado Springs. Eventually, the night came to a close and everyone settled into bed, excited for the weekend to come.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 16

The next morning, we dove into activities (right after a healthy portion of GF/DF Swedish pancakes). We hosted both a Mild and Spicy ride as well as a Gravel 101 clinic led by the incredible Kat Steele from Fort Follies. We can’t remember who brought the glitter gel but it was nearly empty by the time the groups split up to start the day.

The Mild ride ended up with a bigger climb than intended due to a navigational mishap, but the group pushed through some type-2 fun, made the best of it, and really earned their lunch. In preparation for punchy hills, the Spicy ride took a nice long break at Granite Canyon General Store, where folks compared snacks (notably, head-sized Rice Krispie treats) and admired each other’s bikes. Meanwhile, Kat introduced riders to the magic of bike-body separation, braking, shifting, cornering, and the importance of situational awareness.

Eventually, everyone made it back to the cafeteria for pasta/quinoa salad. Al led a lunchtime clinic to talk about how to Fuel for Rides. As an ultra-cyclist, Al has needed to focus on food to optimize race times. There may have been mention of adding olive oil and chia seeds straight into a water bottle as a cheaper alternative to pre-packaged goo.

After lunch, we launched into the first round of clinics. In the Interbarn, our resident bike mechanic extraordinaire – Oly Abbate – helped folks get hands-on practice fixing common bike problems like flat tires and broken chains. Across the camp in Hessler, campers learned about Cycling First Aid. Unfortunately, nurse Renee Stacho got sick just before camp, so our resident medic – Jenny Bell – stepped in to present her slides and demo a wilderness first aid-style initial assessment.

Just as soon as the first round of clinics wrapped up and everyone started to ask about naptime/coffee, we launched into round two. Alyssa Gonzales from Treehouse Cyclery, one of our original founders, presented Bikepacking 101: how to pick a route, how to pick a bike (spoiler alert: start with what you have), how to pack a bike, and what to pack. We love this clinic as a way of helping folks get started on their adventure cycling journey (and potential lifelong obsession with unique teeny bike bags). For folks with a bit of experience already under their belt, Jenny and Al presented Bikepacking 201: Expeditions. This clinic was all about what changes when going from a weekend of adventure cycling to a longer trip: self-care, packing, logistics, rest days, the works. Despite the collective exhaustion from a packed day, people stayed engaged through the afternoon clinics and asked fantastic questions about weather, snacks, and solo travel.

Then came time for tacos and the raffle. What more could we want for an evening? Tables filled as everyone shared stories from the day and piled meat/soyrizo and seemingly never-ending tortilla chips onto their plates. When yet another pot of coffee emptied (shoutout to Abby Henry for bringing good coffee), when the mini-Cokes were plundered, when folks cracked open a relaxing round of Fat Tire and Lightstrike, Jess called everyone’s attention to the raffle.

Despite being one of our shortest events, the raffle was one of our most complex in terms of logistics. We worked with a long list of fabulous brands, sending round after round of emails (shoutout to Alyssa G and Jess). Getting it all shipped and organized ahead of camp was no small feat either. But in the end, it was absolutely worth it. Brand after spectacular brand stepped in to provide for Gravel Camp:

• Swift Industries donated saddle bags for the raffle plus gear straps for everyone
• MoosePacks donated colorful bikepacking accessory bags
• Chamois Butt’r donated full-size anti-chafing creams and t-shirts for the raffle, plus anti-chafing cream samples for every rider
• Ombraz donated clear and tinted armless sunglasses
• Bivo donated several insulated water bottles
• Ripton donated a $100 gift card for clothing
• The Feed gave hats and bags for the raffle, plus bottles for every participant
• Send Bars gave GF/DF snack bars for everyone
• Ron’s Bikes donated gorgeous bandanas

For many riders in our community, accessing such high-quality products can be challenging. It was a magical experience to watch so many folks walk away with new gear. In the end, brands were so wonderfully generous that every single camper was able to go home with something from the raffle.

After that, we settled into another evening of community fun. Some folks hung by the campfire telling stories. Some folks huddled in the cafeteria to watch “Lael Rides around the World”, a brilliant documentary shot by Rue Kaladyte to capture Lael Wilcox’s recent world record for circumnavigation of the Earth by bicycle (Fun fact: Lael responded to our Instagram story about movie night and, as bikepacking nerds, our volunteers fangirled hard. “So cool! Way to go!” – Lael Wilcox).

After movie night ended, most people headed to their bunks, but a few eager campers stayed up to keep the party going. Liv (@livtheadventurer) DJ’d a dance party in Hessler Hall. With a cooler full of Fat Tire and Pink Pony Club blasting at full volume, it was an insanely fun finale to a truly jam-packed day.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 17

Most folks took a relaxed start to the last day of Gravel Camp, either sleeping in or stretching in a yoga class taught by the talented Monica Cardenas. A few intrepid riders sought an even longer route than the previous day and left early on a Spicy ride down Eleven Mile Canyon.

Not long afterwards, folks circled up for the Mild Ride and a Singletrack Skills clinic led by Kat. The terrain around High Trails is admittedly quite hilly, so once again the Mild Ride encountered steep hike-a-bike hills. Still, the entire crew had a great attitude and balanced the big climbs with lots of breaks to snack and take in the wide expanse of mountain views. Back at camp, Kat shared strategies for technical climbing, descending, and cornering, then took the whole group on a loop around camp to demo trail features. Singletrack can be intimidating but Kat gave everyone encouragement to push themselves and skills to be confident in trying. The room was full of big grins when everyone finally came back together for a lunch of sandwiches, salad, and leftovers.

While Jess took bike portraits of anyone wanting to commemorate camp, Al once again taught a clinic during lunch – this time telling campers to bring their food along and try to eat while riding. Taking a moving snack break can look silly, balancing the bike while digging for food, but it’s a powerful skill which saves a shocking amount of time during rides. Al brought Oreos, fruit snacks, and granola bars, then led people and their new mountain of snacks in a zany loop around the cafeteria, dodging obstacles, shoving food in their mouths, and giggling amid the shenanigans.

Then came time for the last round of clinics. Oly led Mechanic’s Office Hours as an opportunity for anyone to ask questions about their bike in a judgment-free zone. Jenny led a clinic for route planning, where participants brought their laptops and stepped through the process together to design bikepacking routes from scratch.

Before we knew it, the day was over and it was time to start packing up.

REFLECTIONS

Looking back on Gravel Camp, it’s incredible to think that our little RAR team pulled it off. Did we mention that on top of everything else, our fearless leader Jess was eight months pregnant when Gravel Camp rolled around? Talk about grit. There were little hurdles with last-minute counselor cancellations, navigation, trips to the grocery store (Jenny forgot how much people like to eat, especially meat), and administering bandages, but all things considered it was smooth. We were utterly exhausted, but we made it.

Of course, that’s not really an accident. Our team was painstakingly organized leading up to the event, especially Jess and Linds Evans. They thought through each tiny detail of the camper experience. They were often behind-the-scenes managing both little and not-so-little logistics, from tracking down extension cords to staying by the radio ready to drive the SAG wagon to helping Cassidy with the mountains of food preparation and dishes.

Gravel Camp was a lot, but it was worth it. It’s hard to express the special energy created by this event. This weekend was a team of friendly and supportive people intent on making the most of the summer camp vibes. People were encouraged to try new things knowing there was a safety net. People learned new skills from others in their community. We shared past stories and wrote new ones together.

Jess was right in saying that our RAR chapter was created because we felt like something in our Front Range bike world was missing. In Gravel Camp, it feels like we may have found it.

We are so appreciative of the volunteers and sponsors who made the dream of a scheme into a real event. We’re especially grateful for New Belgium Brewing for awarding us a Bicycle Advocacy Grant, without which we never would have been able to make this event so accessible and successful. This was such a wild adventure.