Trailey Kelly West

In this episode, I chat with Jessica Alexander about bikepacking!

Jessica Alexander is an active Xennial woman from Austin, TX who has competed over ten years in triathlon (including 2 Ironmans!), road cycling races and-most recently-cyclocross and gravel. She claims that she does bike messenger and delivery work for "fun and exercise" and tries to volunteer with children's bike programs at least two times a month. She is an active member of Ruckus Racing and Team Snacks and has been bikepacking all over the World over the past 3 years; including Switzerland, Belgium, Arkansas and a good majority of Texas!

In this episode, she talks about an upcoming trip in Arkansas, how she got into bikepacking, and gives us lots of tips and tricks for beginners.

You can follow Jessica on Instagram @jealexphoto!

Here are some other links you might find useful that we discussed in the episode:

https://bikepacking.com/

https://www.hipcamp.com/

And here is the link to Jessica's quick guide of bikepacking to McKinney Falls State Park: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRHDOngQNVbCpJIVmCksox0o1FSTh2HnFXnZKil57Hf4H-6F7cE1BATRYeQkR8cAAe2vmW5zdMFuTjU/pub

Join us to learn the starter skills you need to get started backpacking! In this audio recording of our "intro to Backpacking" Webinar, we go over LNT, planning a trip, choosing a campsite, camp kitchen, personal hygiene, and packing your backpack.

If you would like to follow along with our slide show, you can view the presentation here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vSzQoPR1DBZXtzp6SIKi1FmtwAxRFsHHQzr8WszSqvmZ6ohIhbBvqKovL06mYHVmQFcJmvk3dWThv1_/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000

This loop is fairly flat and easy. It's a little longer than our first hike. There are a few hills and there is a creek crossing. Usually the creek is low, and you will not have to get your feet wet. However, if there has been a lot of rain, we do not recommend hiking this trail, as the creek will be higher and the trail gets very muddy. Areas of this park are also an off-leash dog area, and there are quite a few equestrian trails, so be prepared to see dogs and horses. During this hike, I talk a lot about the history of Onion Creek. I used resources on TPWD's Website, NPS's Website, some articles from the Austin American Statesman, and Brian Beattie from "Friends of Onion Creek" 

Trailhead: https://goo.gl/maps/7oFLKRCYLcYmQxR6A

Strava Route: http://www.strava.com/routes/2735349333644476676



Resources:

https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/mckinney-falls

https://www.nps.gov/elte/index.htm

https://www.statesman.com/article/20110121/news/301219796

https://www.facebook.com/groups/friendsofonioncreek

For this interview, we join Mary Poppins to talk about her recent through hike of the Colorado Trail. For those of ya'll who aren't familiar with the trail, it is a 486 mile trail that runs from Watertown Canyon to Durango. Through the interview, we talk about her previous hiking and backpacking experiences, some of her favorite things from the trail, and what she's up to in the future. She has a really inspiring story that we think all of y'all should hear!

BETA VIRTUAL HIKE!! This loop is short and sweet! It takes you up and down one of the most popular sections of the Barton Creek Greenbelt. It travels from the trailhead at the Flats on Homedale Drive to Gus Fruh back to the Flats and out to the trailhead. It is 2.75 miles long with 193 ft of elevation gain. We rate the trail as easy and suitable for most individuals, but some sections can be steep and rocky. During the hike, we go over the history of the greenbelt and share our knowledge of some of the other cool things you might see out on the trail!

Here is the address to the trailhead: 2010 Homedale Dr, Austin, TX 78704

Here is the link to the Strava Route: http://www.strava.com/routes/27895629

This is a short introduction to what we will be doing with the Trailey Podcast series - which is sharing virtual hikes and interviewing women and non-binary persons who are doing things in the outdoor world.

We talk about some guidelines to follow while doing our virtual hikes. You will need to download the Strava app and create a profile before going on any hikes.

Check out LNT.org for more ways to reduce your impact.