Preparations for a Bikepacking Adventure

**** This page is subject to updates *****
This year has been extremely frustrating. With most international travel all but canceled, due to COVID-19 quarantines and a high infection rate, I needed to come up with something that seemed reasonable responsible, while giving me a sense of accomplishment.
I've lived in Minnesota for 20 years now and have never left the cities. So I decided that this would be the year to do so, except not by car but by bike. It may seem quite a bit ambitious but if successful, it will give me a great sense of not only seeing the state I call home, but also a great accomplishment of having done it by bicycle.
The plan is to spend the first 3 weeks of September (well, almost 3 weeks) to journey through the heart of North/Central Minnesota.
Proposed Route:
My proposed route will take me 700 miles through the heart of the state.
St Paul - Minneapolis - St Cloud - Rice - Little Falls - Brainerd - Nisswa - Pequot Lakes - Backus - Hackensack - Walker - Laporte - Itasca State Park & Headwaters of the Mississippi River - Bemidji - Chippewa National Forrest - Leech Lake - Grand Rapids - Hibbing - Eveleth - Beaver Bay - Split Rock - Gooseberry Falls - Duluth - Sturgeon Lake - Hinkley - Minneapolis - St Paul
This is only a tentative plan, as I needed to ensure I would have enough time to not only bike the entire distance but also give me time to explore. I have mapped it out but have 4 additional days that could be used as "free" days, adjusting to the will of my body. There are a couple of long days, at > 80 mile days, so having the extra days built in will be good. Plus, I've already built in rest days to the trip. The additional days will likely be used along the coast of Lake Superior.
Date | Starting | Ending | Mileage |
---|---|---|---|
04-Sept | St. Paul, MN | Rice, MN | 93 mi / 147 km |
05-Sept | Rice, MN | Nisswa, MN | 69 mi / 111 km |
06-Sept | Nisswa, MN | Hackensack, MN | 34 mi / 55 km |
07-Sept | Hackensack, MN | Lake Itsasca, MN | 62 mi / 100 km |
08-Sept | Lake Itasca Rest Day | ||
09-Sept | Lake Itasca, MN | Cass Lake, MN | 55 mi / 88 km |
10-Sept | Cass Lake, MN | Nashwauk, MN | 90 mi / 145 km |
11-Sept | Nashwauk, MN | Toimi, MN | 89 mi / 143 km |
12-Sept | Toimi, MN | Split Rock | 34 mi / 55 km |
13-Sept | Split Rock | Rest Day | |
14-Sept | Split Rock | Rest Day | |
15-Sept | Split Rock | Gooseberry Falls | 8 mi / 13 km |
16-Sept | Goosberry Falls | Rest Day | |
17-Sept | Gooseberry Falls | Moose Lake, MN | 87 mi / 140 km |
18-Sept | Moose Lake, MN | St. Paul, MN | 114 mi / 183 km |
19-Sept | |||
20-Sept | |||
21-Sept | |||
22-Sept | |||
735 mi / 1182 km |

Gear List:
Bike & Packs: | Camp Gear: |
* Giant Escape 2 XL * Axiom Seymour Oceanwave P35+ Panniers * Axiom Seymour Oceanwave P7 Handlebar bag * Blackburn Outpost Frame Bag, L * Axiom Journey Rack | * Tent * NEMO Tensor Sleeping Pad * Pillow * Sleeping bag * Pack Towel, quick drying |
Clothing, Riding: | Clothing, Casual: |
* Pearl Izumi bib shorts * Pearl Izumi jersey (x2) * Pearl Izumi gloves | * Shorts * Shorts, casual * T-shirt (x2) * Casual Shirt * Underwear (x3) * Socks (x3) * Thermal leggings * Long sleeved thermal shirt * Raincoat * Reflective Safety Vest |
Camera Gear: | Miscellaneous: |
* Canon 6D Mark II * Canon 24-70 f/2.8L mark II * Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L mark II * Canon 1.4x extender mark III * UV & Polarizing Filters * PolarPro Quartzline, 6-stop, Neutral Denstiy Filter * Sunpak Tripod | * Minnesota Paper bike route map |