Connecting rugged doubletrack and 4×4 roads, the Great Rift Dirt Tour is a backcountry ride through Craters of the Moon Monument and Preserve, showcasing some of the last remote and least developed country still accessible by bicycle. Riders will pass through the vast grasslands of the Idaho sagebrush steppe on the Columbia Plateau, skirt expansive lava flows, meander forgotten roads, and travel deep into the remote Idaho high desert for a unique perspective of the seldom-traveled Craters of the Moon and Great Rift Backcountry through the Snake River Plain.
Earlier this June, Bikepacking Roots Community Steward Aaron Couch organized and hosted the second annual “Rally on the Rift.” This five-day community adventure ride traverses the remote and rugged Great Rift Dirt Tour, a 285-mile route through South-Central Idaho’s Craters of the Moon National Preserve and Monument.
This event is a fully self-supported ride, requiring participants to have the route, self-navigation skills, and the proper gear to sustain themselves through the challenging landscape. Riders are encouraged to travel at their own pace, starting and ending each day as they please, and to stay for the post-ride gathering and campout to share stories and camaraderie after several days of solitude. The goal is to remove any pressure to keep up or slow down, while providing opportunities for camping together and pairing up with others who share similar paces or adventure goals. In other words, it’s about embracing the solitude and serendipity of bikepacking!
This year, a diverse group of six riders joined the adventure, bringing a wide range of skills, backgrounds, and bike setups—from fully rigid frames with dropbars and 3″ tires, to hardtails, to full-suspension bikes and with long-travel front forks. This variety once again showcased the beauty of bikepacking: there’s no “right” or “wrong” way to do it.
Most riders adhered to the four- to five-day schedule, often camping in the same spots despite spreading out during the day. As always, the region’s weather posed a greater challenge than any route statistic could predict. With limited opportunities for shelter, riders faced high winds and intense sun on the open Snake River Plains. Additionally, the terrain was slow and bumpy through the lava flows and dirt double-track of the Sagebrush Steppe.
Despite these challenges, spirits remained high, and everyone finished within the intended timeframe without any major mechanical issues or injuries—a success in its own right!
Although all participants were self-supported, they received some invaluable assistance from the Idaho Bikepacking Community. Erin at The Trail Head Bicycles (@thetrailheadbicycles) in Hailey took her Tuesday to drive into the Preserve and drop off 10 gallons of water, providing a huge help on day one before riders continued to Sand Butte Dry Camp. Don, another Bikepacking Roots Community Steward and the man behind Dark Sky Bikepacking (@darkskybikepacking), showed up on Friday (day 3) to greet riders with good vibes, a big smile, and plenty of cold drinks on a hot, windy afternoon. Jeremiah with Teton Bike WRXS (@tetonbikewrxs) traveled from Teton Valley to meet the group at the finish of Kings Bowl on Sunday (day 5), grilling delicious brats, camping overnight, and making breakfast in the morning before everyone parted ways.
Erin, Don, and Jeremiah made incredible commitments and sacrifices to support and grow the Idaho Bikepacking Community. All Rally on the Rift participants greatly appreciated their generous help and support.
For more information on the Great Rift Dirt Tour, follow @GreatRiftDirtTour and check out the Great Rift Dirt Tour in our Community Routes Library and on Aaron’s website, Destination Reroute.
Photos by Aaron Couch