9/21 to 9/24/2017 – It is a real bummer not seeing one of your best buddies for 2 whole years.  So when that friend proposes meeting up to give a whirl at a quick bikepacking trip at classic mountain biking venue… you show up.  Dave planted the seed to meet up and ride the Maah Daah Hey in North Dakota early last summer, and we got pretty darn excited as the time grew closer.  We had a floating cast of folks who were thinking about coming along as well, but it ended up that only two additional riders showed up.  Those two great folks – Matt and Becca – were SUPER strong and excellent to have on the trip!

The key bit of information all of the Maah Daah Hey trail websites and bike shops mention is that when its raining, you don’t want to be there. The trails will turn into a thick slurry of clay, mud, and rocks that feels much like riding (or pushing) through cream cheese mixed with chunky peanut butter… And it rained.

We ended up getting to mosey along ~60 miles of singletrack, before peeling off and boogying further along dirt (mud) roads to attempt to continue, and then eventually to bail out back to the truck. We were out for three days and two nights of riding before being totally shut down by weather. The trails we rode were a blast, and we will certainly return! The photos ought to tell a better story: