What's your next ride going to be?

[Irulan]

"The List" refers to our list and our list only. We (and our pals) have favorite trails we repeat and new ones we want to try.

Only time we use guides/tour companies is when we want to do 5-6 day trips waaay in the backcountry and don't want to spend our time doing all the planning, shopping, cooking, hauling, cleaning, etc. I can just pack my clothes, my bike, tent and a sleeping bag and show up. Everybody gets to ride every day, except for the guide who is paid to haul the water, the food, the stoves, the groover, the gear, etc., etc., etc. I do way too much planning and coordinating of excurions the rest of the year to want to do this for a truly remote backcountry trip. We do these trips once a year or less; we haul around a box of books and maps the rest of the time.

Where do you go biking that someone's required to haul a groover? I thought that was only **required** on permitted rivers. Or do they haul it just to make it nicer for the peeps? ( no digging catholes)

I've heard so much good and bad about outfitted trips- they can be wonderful, or, that it only takes one mismatch personallity wise, or ability wise or an ignorant guide to make a trip really unpleasant. I'm certainly biased: we've been outfitting ourselves on private whitewater trips for 15+ years, and DH is a former river guide who's borne the worst of obnoxious customers.

I'm also a cheapskate at heart, I don't think I could ever pay anyone to do what I am capable of doing for myself. We also have all the gear, which can make a huge difference too. About four years ago, we got invited on a permit for the Tatshenshini/Alsek River in Alaska... the whole trip cost our family of four less than what you would have paid an outfitter for one person.

This is just about how we choose do it - I know plenty of folks who just want a vacation and do not want to have to deal with logisitics, gear, and all the other details.

irulan