Pennsylvania

Helena (she/her, Warriors Mark, PA) is a central Pennsylvania native who is happiest traversing landscapes by bike, boat, foot, or ski and makes moving outside daily a non-negotiable part of her lifestyle. She believes that backyard adventures are just as important as the epic ones, and is passionate about getting more people outdoors in whatever way they can. Helena has worked for the Pennsylvania Environmental Council for the past six years, where she does GIS and map-making in addition to managing a variety of projects related to trails and outdoor recreation. She is also a writer and previously, she worked at Dirt Rag Magazine and still does some freelance work on occasion. 

North Carolina

Greg Hardy (he/him, Asheville, NC) is the owner of Rockgeist (rockgeist.com), a small business dedicated to manufacturing bikepacking gear and expanding the boundaries of your bicycle travel. In addition to selling great gear, Rockgeist has curated a route library (https://rockgeist.com/routes/) that focuses on short and accessible East Coast bikepacking routes. They also have a Bikepacking Rental Gear Library to support new bikepackers in the Southeast.

California

Gregg (he/him, Thousand Oaks, CA) is an ITT holder for the Tour de Los Padres and 2021 winner of Stagecoach 400. He’s also the first finisher & current FKT holder of the New Colo route. Greg is a co-creator and Steward of the Escape LA bikepacking route, along with Justin Shafer. The route was inspired by tens of thousands of miles logged while training for bikepacking adventures in other locales.

Washington DC

(he/him, Washington, DC) As a child, learning to ride a bicycle meant freedom to explore my surroundings. As an adult, pedaling through a forest is a great way to recapture this feeling. Plus, it’s just fun! I created and maintain C&O Canal Byways (https://canalbyways.com/), a collection of routes ranging from a few miles to 500+ miles that intersect the C&O Canal but primarily feature more adventurous terrain. For the last few years, I have been specializing in routes that are possible without car for riders who can get to Amtrak or other regional transit. I enjoy all aspects of creating routes, including poring over maps, scouting and refining a route, seeing a place in different seasons of the year, hearing feedback from other riders, and spending hours thinking about each little choice that defines the route. Route creation is both a rewarding personal experience and a way to share that experience with riders who might otherwise stick to the comfort of the most well-traveled roads and trails.

I enjoy all aspects of creating routes, including poring over maps, scouting and refining a route, seeing a place in different seasons of the year, hearing feedback from other riders, and spending hours thinking about each little choice that defines the route. Route creation is both a rewarding personal experience and a way to share that experience with riders who might otherwise stick to the comfort of the most well-traveled roads and trails.

Forrest (he/him, Grand Canyon, AZ) is a high school science teacher at the only pre-K-12 public school located in a National Park at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. He is passionate about (a) education and teaching, (b) biodiversity, environmental science, and evolution, and (c) outdoor adventuring. Forrest is devoted to getting students into the outdoors and helping them learn science deeply. He’s built a strong love for Arizona – a topophilia enriched by bikepacking and backpacking around the state. He’s created and published the Capes of the Canyon (South and North Rims), El Lobo Lupus, Gold to Grand Loop, and House Rock Wrap bikepacking routes.

Everett Ó Cillín (they/them, Eugene, OR) is a curator, organizer, and adventure cyclist that sees bikepacking as an immersive platform for creating conversations and collaborative projects that explore our relationships with social and physical landscapes. A co-founder of the Radical Adventure Riders, Board Member with the Oregon Timber Trail Alliance, and WeGotNext Ambassador, Everett seeks to foster community and connection through bike travel and stewardship. They seek out the narrative in the landscape, routing exhibitions and expeditions that connect people, places, and ideas. You can find their essays on art and cycling in Adventure Cyclist Magazine and The Bikepacking Journal.[

California

Emily Elliott (she/her) hails from Redlands, California. A community planning consultant by profession and a geographer by education, Emily has an affinity for route making, advocating for active transportation, and sharing the stoke of bikes. In partnership with community stakeholders, she established and stewards the Ranchita Rambler, a route and annual event for cyclists to cut their teeth on bikepacking and self-sufficiency while simultaneously promoting low-impact tourism and economic development in rural communities. Nestled at the foot of the San Bernardino mountains and within easy reach of the Mojave and Colorado deserts, Emily enjoys scouting and documenting routes from Sunday-funday rides to ‘more than you can chew’ adventures. Emily has dabbled in ultra-endurance, xc, and road racing, but has found the most joy and fulfillment in simply sharing the trail with friends (or her dog) and riding for the sake of fun. Having enjoyed the support of others in cycling, she’s excited to pay it forward by joining Bikepacking Roots to showcase inland southern California and welcome newcomers of all identities.

Don (he/him, Hailey, ID) started his bike adventures on a green Huffy Cheater Slick outfitted with a cotton sleeping bag, fishing pole and Green Hornet lunch box, Twinkies included. “I have been described as a little crazy, with an inordinate amount of exuberance. I’ve ridden and raced many places, guided many rivers, fought many fires, built many trails, crashed and burned many times and can’t wait to explore today. I hope to meet you out there somewhere.” Don is the creator of Dark Sky Bikepacking, a bike packing adventure hub based in Hailey, Idaho next to Central Idaho’s Dark Sky Reserve

Virginia

I’ve been developing hiking and cycling routes for over 15 years, a passion and career path that I fell into while living in the Middle East after an extended period of international travel. After a decade overseas, I returned to my hometown in Virginia and began exploring the area by bicycle, seeking roads that stretched farther into the vast public lands and forests in the region. In 2017, I toured the Great Divide, which sparked the idea to start mapping a similar route across Virginia to highlight the great riding in my backyard and create an experience that would connect diverse communities across the state.

(he/him, Iowa City, IA) I am the leader/organizer of a local community cycling club called The Gravel Scouts. We go on a handful of overnight trips annually, and all of those routes are curated by me. In addition to overnights, we have shorter weekly rides and longer weekend rides. I have lived in Iowa City for 19 years and in Eastern Iowa for nearly 35 years. Most of my riding is out my back door. My brother Matt Mason gave me the encouragement to put Iowa on the Bikepacking map, and my good friend and photographer David Greedy is always willing to scout the route with me.