Two years ago I made an initial attempt to ride the Stagecoach 400 in 2021 as a solo bikepacking trip. I made it five days in but abandoned the desert due to temperatures well over 100 degrees; after living and biking for years in triple digit heat, I didn't have the desire to experience Anza-Borrego under those temps. Instead, I twisted the route into a spiral and made my own tract around the San Diego area. But, the beauty and diversity of the route hung heavily in my mind. All I wanted to do was show Janna how incredible of a route it was. Mountains, Deserts, Ocean. Truly, a spectacular tour of SoCal spread. We thought about doing it last year over Spring Break, but the blizzard conditions that hit the route that year made it unpalatable. So Spring Break came this year. The temperatures warmed up enough to beat back the worst of winter on high but abate the onset of summer heat down low. Perfect. I planned out the route deciding to start the ride in San Diego which afforded easier opportunities to park the car as well as a push to get the desert done first before it had any more chance to heat up. That, and we loved Idyllwild as the optimal trail town to take a zero-day in during a mid-route rest day. Janna agreed. After a rough and tough end to quarter 3 of the school year, we were hankering for some backcountry adventure to shake the hold that work had on both of our constant waking thoughts. The Stagecoach 400 ended up delivering on everything...(Continue Reading)
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