A PBJ Bikepacking Route in the Bay Area

I love it when a plan comes together... but sometimes it's even more fun when a plan falls apart. 

Recently our friend John Watson from The Radavist came to visit the Bay Area and we hatched a plan to take a leisurely two-night tour. After texting route options to each other for weeks leading up to John's arrival, Adam and I finally settled on a tried-and-true classic route that would launch from our front door at Sklar HQ and explore some of the furthest foggy coastal reaches of West Marin.

Get Ready

John rolled into town and we got to work converting our PBJs into touring mode by strapping on bags and arranging our gear. My new custom full-size frame bag from Rogue Panda had just arrived the day prior, and it fit perfectly. I wanted a rear rack for my pre-production steel PBJ, so Adam mitered, bent, and brazed together some steel tubing to craft a prototype PBJ rack in just a few hours (you'll hear more about this prototype soon, so stay tuned). On the front SimWorks rack, I installed a Wald 1392 basket and an Outer Shell Rack Bag. It was nice to see my Performance Basket Jammer in bike camping mode since it had been primarily a rigid mountain bike so far. 

We loaded up our trio of PBJs with everything we'd need for several nights outdoors. We would be riding near markets and water sources, so we packed light.  The hardest part was figuring out how to stay warm and dry in the constantly-fluctuating weather in early spring in the Bay. Rain was in the forecast, so we did our best to be prepared, but we also agreed that we could cut the tour short if we ended up in a rainstorm. 

Day One

 We launched from Sklar HQ in the beautiful Mission District of San Francisco. Kyle, our neighbor at Outer Shell, rolled out with us. We stopped at Cafe Bunn Mi in the Inner Richmond for banh mi and ate our sandos while enjoying a killer view of the majestic Golden Gate Bridge. We crossed into Marin County and made our way to Mill Valley, where we got dinner to go at the market, said goodbye to Kyle, and then climbed up Old Railroad Grade to the charming West Point Inn. We cracked jokes and made frequent stops to eat salted licorice, take photos, and gaze at the stunning skyline. We found a site nearby, set up camp, and ate our boxed dinners. As the sun set and the fog rolled in, we enjoyed a spectacular view of the entire Bay and the ocean stretching out to the horizon. The air became wet and I slipped into my bivy. I always sleep best when I'm under the stars.

Day Two

John prepared coffee for all of us and we ate the oatmeal bars that I'd baked. Chris McNally had joined our camp in the nighttime after I'd gone to sleep, so his arrival was a welcome surprise in the morning. Now our party had four PBJs – two custom titanium models and two production steel models. We set off for Bolinas Ridge with a fun descent down a narrow trail through the blooming manzanita. We rode our loaded touring mountain bikes along Ridgecrest and waved at all of the packs of serious roadies pacelining the Seven Sisters. Bolinas Ridge was a redwood dream and the descent down Randall Trail made us whoop and holler. Eventually we arrived at Point Reyes, where we enjoyed a decadent late lunch of pizza, oysters, and rosé. It's fun to be a dirty bike camper in a fancy place. 

By this point, the storm clouds were looming and the forecast showed a heavy rainstorm in our immediate future. We decided to cut our route short by a day. We hightailed it to Fairfax via the Cross Marin Trail, which is a treasure – it's a blessing to ride in an area where car-free pathways like the CMT have been championed for decades. We made it to Fairfax and enjoyed the Tamarancho trails before we arrived at our final destination: a friend's backyard in Fairfax. Dark clouds gathered overhead, but we didn't pay any mind – Adam, John, and I hopped in the hot tub and soaked our sore legs. I set up my bivy under a tarp just in time for the rain to start falling. The skies wept all night.

Day Three

The rain didn't cease all morning. We rode to a warm and inviting bakery for breakfast and then caught the Larkspur ferry back to SF. As we returned to the Mission District, the blue skies returned. We had been out on our bikes for just over 48 hours, but it was as good as leaving for a longer tour. We felt revived. 

A good bike tour takes a bit of planning and forethought. I usually feel like less than 24 hours isn't enough of a getaway considering all the work that's involved. But a 48+ hour mini-tour is perfect – it feel right to fall into the natural rhythm of sleeping at sundown and waking up with the sunrise. Even though we had to cut our trip short due to the heavy rain, I'm still smiling from the experience of riding bikes with my friends for a few days.

I'm glad my PBJ is a trusty touring bike and I'm looking forward to more mini-tours all spring and summer! 

All photos by Adam Sklar. Shot with a Mamiya 6 on Ilford HP4 film.

Check out John Watson's report about this trip on The Radavist.

Here's our original route: