The Sheltowee Bikepacking Route - Kentucky Is More Than Horses & Bourbon

Рет қаралды 45,408

Күн бұрын

In April 2021, five friends set out to establish an official bikepacking route that follows as much of Kentucky's Long Trail - The Sheltowee Trace - as possible. Following the original inspiration of Josh Patton, Scott Hess and Wess Murphy, we spent 6 days camping, hiking and sometimes riding our bikes through some of the most rugged wilderness Kentucky has to offer. What came out of this trip was a lot of character, stories, new brake pads and ultimately a 300 mile bikepacking route from Morehead Kentucky to Northern Tennessee. The Sheltowee Bikepacking Route is a hidden gem, buried deep in the hollers of The Daniel Boone National Forest that requires a bit of stubbornness to link together some pristine, beautiful stretches of single track, tranquil gravel roads and a bit of black top to give your legs a rest. This film is our story, we hope you enjoy it!. Special thank you to Austin Render, Morehead-Rowan County Tourism, The Sheltowee Trail Association & Bikepacking.com for their stoke and support for this project.
The Team:
Austin Render
Mike Behrendt
Max Milburn
Neil Beltchenko
Andrew Opila
Photography & Footage by Andrew Opila & Neil Beltchenko
Film Produced & Edited by Andrew Opila (www.andrewopila.com)
Find the Sheltowee Bikepacking Route here: bikepacking.com/routes/shelto...
#Bikepacking #Sheltowee #More2Morehead

Пікірлер: 67

@BIKEPACKINGcom Жыл бұрын

Do you enjoy our videos, routes, and articles? Help sustain this resource by joining the Bikepacking Collective: bikepacking.com/join/?

@KentuckyCycling Жыл бұрын

KZfaq needs to add a love button. Nothing but respect to anyone who is able to complete this route.

@BIKEPACKINGcom Жыл бұрын

At least we can love your comment.

@Harrowder22 Жыл бұрын

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bc6RlM-YppiwkaM.html ;; Transiberica, a peculiar cycling race of almost 3,600km. by highways of the country, this exit of Bilbao. museum ; there are other videos of arrivals to the city in case , otros vídeos de la prueba aquí

@vicentemontania Жыл бұрын

Nice video, amazing colors and beutiful landscapes. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

@obikedog 8 күн бұрын

Unless a film crew wants to follow me and pay for my trip that's a trail I can safely say I'll never want to do. Looks like mild torture. But it was fun to watch you guys do it! With my vacation time I can think of a dozen trails and locals that will easily beat that for pure enjoyment while still challenging.

@yes-7018 Жыл бұрын

What a rad piece of film. Thanks for all the hard work in making this Opi and crew!

@njcranes Жыл бұрын

Awesome! Thanks

@mountsaintelias Жыл бұрын

Wowwww absolute legends. Way to go to that crew and filmmaker. Indeed, the most rewarding things in life are often the most challenging. Congrats gents!

@silverdesk72 Жыл бұрын

Great film. I’m ready to head south.

@breadbowls1897 Жыл бұрын

That peanut butter mud actually made me hungry. Should probably grab lunch. Great film! One of my favorites of y’all’s so far.

@BIKEPACKINGcom Жыл бұрын

LOL!

@grantmartin6094 Жыл бұрын

This is incredible! The laurel lake section is an absolute dream. I know from hiking that much of Sheltowee is hard enough to walk, let alone bike. 😅 Amazing video, thanks!!

@telepopepic Жыл бұрын

Taking the path less traveled is a beautiful thing. Thanks for the motivational Zen.

@ericpmoss Жыл бұрын

I know that weight and bulk is primary, but a folding Felco saw is the best manual branch cutter there is. Felco uses triangular cross section blades where the spine is thinner than the teeth, so it doesn't bind. Awesome.

@BIKEPACKINGcom Жыл бұрын

I’ve been looking at those actually, thanks for the endorsement.

@TeeRust15 Жыл бұрын

What a place. Very much enjoyed this.

@Chrisinvention Жыл бұрын

thanks for the one of the best narrated stories of the trail. well done.

@TR-wm3sg Жыл бұрын

Thanks for giving my oft maligned state some love

@EricStorms Жыл бұрын

Omg, though Dr. Phil was the narrator for a moment there! 😂

@GrahamFielder Жыл бұрын

Being from Kentucky this is so rad to see. Awesome film guys!

@dabaird12 Жыл бұрын

I've backpacks the trace and it is truly a jam. Thank you for sharing your adventure.

@turtlecrawford6468 Жыл бұрын

Now that's my kind of adventure. Very soon I'm gonna attempt to bikepack the Allegheny trail here in WV. Nice video!

@RobParker8 Жыл бұрын

Man, that looks super hard and very rewarding. Great clip! Thanks!

@dartmoorphotog449 Жыл бұрын

Epic trip and stunning storytelling! 👏👏👏

@billmaidment5623 Жыл бұрын

😮thanks for sharing and inspiring me. What a beautiful landscape and I appreciate that you showed both the easy and hard going.

@DavidKatz Жыл бұрын

Awesome work @andrew Oplia !

@AndrewOpila Жыл бұрын

Yo, thanks Dave!!

@mhilde7744 Жыл бұрын

Awesome trip and post! I really enjoyed that!👍

@cosmicadobo Жыл бұрын

Wow

@ghostflow9029 Жыл бұрын

Great video. Dying for more content like this

@omare_biketonature Жыл бұрын

My kind of fun 😅 Cheers!

@mountainsmoore3657 Жыл бұрын

That is a cool video about what looks like it was a great trip!

@mmau Жыл бұрын

Wonderful

@joshhicks8874 Жыл бұрын

Awesome film! Thanks for sharing 🤘

@BIKEPACKINGcom Жыл бұрын

Thanks Josh, Andrew did a killer job with this one.

@TheBane1979 Жыл бұрын

Great video. I completed a section hike of the Sheltowee this year and I enjoy mtn biking, I couldn’t imagine trying to bike it

@mihaylo_kovin Жыл бұрын

Very charming video

@DeniseLookingOut Жыл бұрын

The Sheltowee is brutal. But now I wanna give it a go.

@BIKEPACKINGcom Жыл бұрын

So rewarding!

@gregknipe8772 Жыл бұрын

great show. there is nothing easy about bike packing an -"easy route". this took commitment. at least the sleeping system was simple....

@gregknipe8772 Жыл бұрын

I hope you never do a show in my mnts.... ; ),

@snorristurluson9679 Жыл бұрын

That's my Thing !! You're so gifted there in US with this emty Landscapes what we don't have here in Middle Europe, i'm jealous for that.....

@BIKEPACKINGcom Жыл бұрын

Lots of that in the U.S. too, but we are lucky to have so much public lands, even though much of it is being sold as we speak.

@perrybentley6776 Жыл бұрын

So cool. I wanna do it. But probably back pack, not bike pack.

@ebhkkc1 Жыл бұрын

I love bikepacking and after completing the CT in 11 days, HIKE A BIKE sucks....I know it's fun to ride the unknown, but to much hike a bike makes it a no go for me..I want hard and climbing, just no hike anymore....love the video !!!!

@BIKEPACKINGcom Жыл бұрын

I think this is easier than the CT, no altitude, the hiking is known on the SBR (steps, narrow bridges, and so on), vs the CT you could likely pedal more, but altitude seems to really hurt those efforts. But either way, hiking is required on both.

@3.x_x.3 Жыл бұрын

from Japan I want to go on a trip like this😲

@Ride2Cast Жыл бұрын

I’ve done sections of this route, and it’s tough. Hardest part would probably be the navigation. I did it solo and it was tough, I had quite the experience… I would definitely suggest doing a solid route recon prior to getting after it ✌🏽

@BIKEPACKINGcom Жыл бұрын

That’s what we did, the route is dialed.

@olympic-gradelurker Жыл бұрын

Me and my group were going to attempt RRG earlier this year. But when we thought about it we really like our bikes and don't want to break them or ourselves just yet.

@BIKEPACKINGcom Жыл бұрын

pads, bearings, bushings and egos were the only things ruined in the making of this route. :)

@olympic-gradelurker Жыл бұрын

@@BIKEPACKINGcom 😖. This is why we switched over to Laurel Lake. Fun single track.

@tv10morehead Жыл бұрын

I have ridden the northern 35 miles or so since 1986 , building a 1x by 6 "Frankenbike" out of a old schwinn and I was less than 190lbs for several years on that 27x1&3/8 front knobby cyclocross tire, Dan L. saw it on a hill challenge he hit me with , AFTER I drilled out the steel 39T front chainring to bolt a clearance sale Nashbar sugino Cyloid 26T oval ring and with a 32x14T freewheel I could ride all but the middle switchback at Martin Branch, the upper straight of the 'eagle trail' now Trail to the stars & blacktop. Slow but I could beat the Cross Country Team back when the 'Twins" ran that down Wilson Ave section (blacktop helped me catch em) that is re-routed off down to Eagle Lake . Lots of Hike-A- bike yep in spots of 100 feet but what you go up you get to roll down it. ( if there's no trees down which I move what I can) The Saddles at LimeStone knob always a challenge climb eh Tim H. ? TOE CLIP POWER !! (passed him pushing a few years ago with my toe clips on one e of those, I have made all of them just not in the same ride, same direction) Don't get turned around on that last finger and back track like we did after a phone/ Strava glitched and I was too far ahead of the group. The "GOOSE POND" trail called Lake Overlook has a great fall ridgeline sectoin with Jumps and jumps downhill as well BUT during Persimmon time the bears AND Chiggars are out. Long Pants Permithium bug spray and maybe Bear spray is a good idea. Chiggars are worse than back in the 70s and 80s I believe due to a lack of fires burning things out to do a forest reset as natural events and even Original nations did, to reduce all the arachnids & tics.

@tv10morehead Жыл бұрын

Part of this perspective is coming out of the last 10 years traditional MTB "Cross Country" has been eclipsed by bike park & Ski Slope BMX motocross influences on Mt Biking : the wheel sizes and geometry has all been morphed by the crowd of flying jumping youtube stars. This starts out too critical and ends up selling it. Thanks for sharing. Retro Grouch riding TOE CLIPs still appreciated it uug ugg. Has that swinging bridge been fixed ? in the video? The One in Rowan has but it is a connector now due to the reroute past Amburgy Rocks.

@tv10morehead Жыл бұрын

I was gonna say parts of it are closed to bikes, (legally) and closed other than hikers even in the horse sections in winter, gets closed to protect from erosion. SO FAR the "Fingers" off of 946? (Amburgy Rocks road) have not been closed as far as I've known, those are built by/designed by younger cyclists (I helped but Rusty did way more ) , and you can skip out on the worst sections and take the Double Track which was the Sheltowee until 9 years ago? The Downhill to the Swinging bridge is great fun, don't miss it next time. There's other hidden / unofficial old logging road 'scars' that some locals keep open and unless policy has changed or changes anywhere there's a gate with "Foot Travel only" that included MTB , I would not risk using a E bike , might get took? & check in wet winter weather if anything's officially closed before riding. Some of the soil gets very slick where packed on single track especially , walking even can be tough. EVEN BEGINNERS can ride 'the fingers" other than the first section at the gate, just ride out the double track with a map of some sort. and there are places where Cell Signal and your Strava app might crash derrr so a paper map marked for North is always a good Idea and a compass and don't start too late in the day with no lights if you get too far out in the dark unprepared. (heard that too many times on the 'scanner' radio, and the cell phone battery is about to go from using it as a flash light, call out the RESCUE SQUAD oh wait they disbanded it ? Call out Bath Co. Rescue to help then ?

@rogerhart612 Жыл бұрын

Awesome video. I would love to do the ride. No excuse I live in Ohio. Question? How did all of you meet.

@iosebaart Жыл бұрын

Kentucky is more than horses and Bourbon, it's also FRIED CHICKEN!!

@mogulmayhem Жыл бұрын

Cue the Deliverance banjo player.

@coreyreeder3549 Жыл бұрын

Everything in life that is rewarding involves hard work. Yup. Just that.

@virgiansearwina9603 Жыл бұрын

can I cross it with vintage cantilever brakes? hahaha

@raulgutierrez3050 Жыл бұрын

Not sure a gravel bike could have pulled that off

@tink8952 Жыл бұрын

Edited too much. can't see a simple ride only ride.

@larsthorwald3338 Жыл бұрын

Bringing a bike to a hiking trail...dumb.

@BIKEPACKINGcom Жыл бұрын

We have been doing it for years, Arizona Trail, Colorado Trail... Yet we keep coming back for more. Dumb...maybe, rewarding...absolutely.

@tomg.542 Жыл бұрын

I have backpacked and bike packed and "ridden" the Colorado Trail. The way I see it, you are rolling/pushing and riding your backpack. No sore hips and way faster on the descents!

@pierrenoirat Жыл бұрын

I've been doing it for my entire life (am over 50) and - trust me - it's been a lllloooot of fun!