Bikepacking Bachelor
A few words and a few more photos from a bikepacking bachelor party in Idaho
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I don’t claim to have a lot of experience attending bachelor parties, but I’d say I have a pretty firm grasp on the concept. A thirsty group of fellas head down to Vegas, Cancun, or perhaps Costa Rica (if they’re feeling sporty), they party hard and make vows to always remain bros.
Sure, that may be a generalization, but there’s nothing wrong with a good old fashioned, stereotypical bachelor party. Partying is partying and it sparks joy for a large part of the population. I can’t say I wasn’t once enthralled. But, these days I get more excited about movement, adventure and experience, ideally paired together. So, when a group chat popped up one afternoon and my good friend Kevin put the idea of an Idaho bikepacking bachelor party into the universe, I was giddy with excitement.
Over the course of several months, plans were hatched, travel booked, and bikes acquired. The rough and dirty: we would leave Salt Lake after work on Thursday and drive to Sun Valley to meet up with our esteemed bachelor, Jake. From there we would bike 150 miles to Boise along gravel roads over three days. To sweeten the deal, Taylor was on the injured list and agreed to drive the truck and crew us along the way. Even sweeter? Over a dozen hot springs were littered along the route, providing endless soaking for sore muscles.
Natural hot tubs and a truck full of beer? Maybe this was more akin to the classic bachelor party experience after all. The only thing missing? Strippers. But more on that later. Maybe.
*Editor’s Note: From here on out, hot springs will be referred to as clubs.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. But this was Idaho so I documented the hell out of the it.
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It was a frosty September morning when we left our Sun Valley AirBNB and drove to acquire a few more essentials and locate the jumping off point. Difficult questions like “do we leave the Tiki bar?” and “is one bottle of water enough?” were made easier with the presence of a support vehicles. We were living luxury.
The first club we took the bachelor to was Frenchmans, right outside of Ketchum and a perfect pace-setting distraction. This wasn’t going to be a fast ride. This was about slowing it down, taking frequent breaks, finding the best road-side attractions and living the good life.
But, that didn’t mean it was easy. After Frenchmans we continued on pristine gravel, climbing slowly until hitting a grunt of a little hill. The infamous burnt forests outside of Sun Valley created an impressive corridor as we pedaled along Warm Springs Creek.
Admittedly, a few hours into spinning at medium effort, I professed my adoration for the nimble steed I was fortunate enough to borrow for the trip. Amanda had been outfitted with a beautiful Why Cycles bike, allowing me to use her uber-light Specialized. In the weeks leading up to the trip, I debated bringing my full suspension, convinced it would allow for solid training, strong effort, and fun descents . Looking back, I would have been miserable. Maybe there is something to be said about this gravel bike thing.
After topping out on our first mountain pass we raised highfives, snacked, donned helmets, and began a ripping ride down Carrie Creek Rd. Our group had reservations at club Worswick, where a VIP lounge was waiting with bottle (can) service courtesy of Busch.
After about an hour of indulging, we were ready to keep the party rolling and went down the street to Preis, where the bouncer assured us an intimate experience.
Club Preis. Intimate.
After a very full first day, our crew found a place to rest outside of the final stop of the evening–Smoky Bar Store. Half general store, half bar, Smoky Bar Store had everything one might expect on a Friday night in the middle of Idaho’s Sawtooth National Forest.
The best part about this bachelor party? It was three days long! Sleeping under the stars in the crisp fall air, it was hard to imagine wanting to be anywhere else.
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Day two began with blueberry pancakes and french-press coffee. A slow start eventually led us to the biking portion of the morning and we meandered along rushing waters. Soon, we found the crux of the trip and endured some hike-a-bike along the South Fork of the Boise, where landslides had washed out and completely closed the road in several places. The silver lining– we had the place to ourselves and it was a mighty fine place.
After staying away from most of the clubs on our second day, day three boasted a heavy lineup of distractions and good times. Roadside springs appeared every few miles, demanding cold-water raw crossings and resignation of attempts to stay on schedule.
However, we were eventually forced to increase our speed and log some miles. Jake had a flight to catch and we had some hills to climb.
As we wound our way towards Boise, the river swelled, traffic increased and dirt turned to pavement. We weren’t ready to get back to real life but knew it was time.
Pedaling through sun-drenched foothills, we rocketed toward the truck and the final meeting point of the trip. Sweaty and tired, we reflected back on 150 miles of hot springs and dirt, content with life and ready for the next chapter. We all knew that soon enough, we would be back in Idaho, bikepacking through the woods and surely celebrating something.
Cheers to you, Jake. All the best to you and Kait in your happy, wonderful life.