Escape Adventures

Just north of San Francisco, the winding Russian River meets the dramatic Pacific coastline, shaping a world all of its own. Our cycling tour experiences this romantic landscape; quilted with a colorful patchwork of old growth redwoods, fruitful vineyards, historic towns, and beautiful gardens.

From Napa to Sonoma, the old wine country ways and grace are still very much the lay of the land. The richness of the region is evident as we roll over orchard-covered hills and wind through giant redwood forests. A mild maritime breeze carries with it the fruitful aroma of the vineyards where the freshest organic produce is grown for our dinner table.

We sample the distinctive flavors of the county’s diverse regions at charming multi-generational family vineyards and farms; unwinding off the bike at old world-style hotels and spas.

You can customize your cycling experience on tour: in the moment. Nonetheless, whether you choose to move at a relaxing pace or a more athletic tempo, this tour will satisfy your inner hunger. At the same time scrumptious lodging and farm-to-table meals will undoubtedly exceed your expectations.

Less ice, more true wilderness. While big swathes of North America deals with snow and icy roads, we consider our great fortune: to enjoy exemplary outdoor wintertime adventure in the heart of the Mojave Desert, from Death Valley National Park to Red Rock Canyon.

Roam America’s largest national park outside Alaska: 3,373,063-acre Death Valley National Park. Despite its rather foreboding name, Death Valley represents a stellar trekking destination. Hikers and bikers, climbers to rock hounds come to marvel at Spring’s astounding wildflower blooms, not to mention the mild temperatures of fall and winter. Outdoorspeople will relish no less than 3,000-square miles of headspace, while cyclists find enviable elbowroom afforded by 350-miles of road and trails. (A full 91% of Death Valley is designated wilderness.)

We cycle across the big valley floor, stopping to visit historic sites, most of them accessed by 1930s-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) roads. Almost immediately we come to appreciate a very subtle legacy of the CCC: the bygone wisdom seen in roads built to respect, rather than conquer the landscape.

From slick Kevlar tires to thick Vibram soles, we navigate around and visually inhale sunbaked foothills, knolls, and stacks of boulders etched in yellow clay, rose and tan. These fantastic landscape features would serve as the backdrop for the first Star Wars film, Death Valley standing in for the planet Tatooine.

Each day in this storied place—contemplating 20-mule team wagons, Death Valley Scotty, the lost 49ers—you wake up in unfettered horizon. The evenings are given over to serious unwinding—“Prickly Pear margaritas, anyone?”—wrapped in great theatre: watching the two-mile high, 60-mile long Panamint Mountains, the valley’s defining range to the West, transition from shades of cool blue to a deep, purple bruise as the evening light drops away. In the other direction, the Amargosa range to the east is nothing less than radiant, bathed in bronze tones.

We are the authentic conscience of adventure outfitters: our desert West trips represent the standard by which others judge. Or aspire to. Reflexively, when you experience these lands by mountain bike, led by people who have a deep connection to Red Rock and Death Valley, you’ll quickly learn this is not a place to be endured, but rather a world-class outdoor recreation destination.

Along the valley floor, our tour opens on mountain bikes as we ride through the Bridger-Teton National Forest and across open Bull Moose and bison ranges. With no foothills, the Grand Teton Mountains rise sharply from the valley floor. In the distance, the unmistakable whistle of elk pierces the silence. Along our journey, we encounter the area’s numerous natural attractions, including Old Faithful and Yellowstone Lake. At the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone we gaze upon a magnificent waterfall which plunges over a 500-foot striated cliff into a mist-veiled valley.

As we ride alongside the Gros Ventre and Wind River mountain ranges we pedal past tributaries of the Snake River. Here we raft the rapids and experience this big western wilderness in a whole new way. We take a ferry across majestic Jenny Lake, hike up Cascade Canyon located in the heart of the Tetons, and test out our skills on the rock with a beginner rock climbing adventure.

This unique multi-sport adventure focuses on the best outdoor adventures the Tetons have to offer. Additionally, we give you the option to complete each day from either a beautiful camping setting or casual inns tour. Either way, we know you will enjoy!

New Mexico: a Cyclist’s Land of Enchantment. Tucked way back into the broad shoulder of the New Mexico Rockies looms a mountain biker’s paradise. Still largely undiscovered in an all-knowing Data Age, some of the best trails in all the Western Hemisphere are also some of the least frequented, by virtue of their isolation. Get ready to be floored by our mountain bike journey through New Mexico’s highest range country, more than 10,000-feet ASL (above sea level). Be one of the very few to drift over these majestic High Plains in the archaeological epicenter of the Southwest, past the heritage sites of Aztec, Zuni and 1400-year old Pueblo culture.

Our highly exclusive New Mexico Rockies singletrack tour is headlined by a long-time local favorite, the South Boundary Trail. At the southern edge of The Rockies, we drop in at a rarefied 8600-ft and ascend to 11,000. We close out in the charming, culturally rich community of Taos. Looking east, we take in the visually arresting Cimarron range, the scope and heft of its numerous 11,000-ft. peaks. Glancing south, where Utes once gathered to connect with the Great Spirit, Franciscan Friars to Kit Carson found the light: the Angel Fire. Angel Fire is Named for a dawn and dusk phenomenon. A splash of brilliant orange light created by the morning sun occurs and seems to dance across the tree covered slopes. Not unlike The Northern Lights, Angel Fire verges on the supernatural, a vision of the divine. Now fold that experience into buffed out trails that are unparalleled, truly world-class, the match of any from Patagonia to The Pacific Northwest.

Headed north, we transition from High Desert expanses to sweep over glorious alpine trails above the 500-acre Red River ski and mountain bike park. An unbelievable ride up to Lost Lake lends breathtaking views into Wheeler Peaks Wilderness. Our wrap-up ride rolls from the Northside Ski Resort to the summit of Frazer Mountain, among New Mexico’s highest points at 12, 200-ft.

Downtime is enriched by visits and warm interactions within the small communities between trailheads, melting pots of Old European ethnicities and Far West tribes. Superb New Mexican cuisine highlights every stop. Tailored to the seasoned mountain biker keen for something really different, this tour offers deep insight into regional history as well as an off the beaten mountain bike map destination. No, it wouldn’t surprise us if you had the sacred Zia sun symbol tattooed on your ankle soon after.

Jackson Hole and Yellowstone. It is the striking visage of the Grand Tetons—named by a 19thcentury French fur trapper, no less—that sets it apart from the rest of the Rocky Mountains. First, in the highest, sky-scraping thrust—an abrupt 7000-ft jut above Jackson Hole—that peers over a no less impressive supporting cast. So sharply serrated, the sub-peaks evoke a Great White shark’s lower jaw stretched atop a high plateau.

Only 40-miles long by ten-miles wide, this relatively small segment of the Rockies is also the youngest. Unlike other ranges in the Rockies, the Tetons have not been around long enough to acquire the foothills, or softer lines shaped by centuries of erosion. The Grand Teton National Park and adjoining National Forest protect this unique geographical feature, which peaks out at 13,770 feet; not to mention the wildlife, wildly lush subalpine meadows, and rich recreation opportunities we savor.

Each glorious morning, set against the dramatic Tetons, we stage an Upper Rockies tour: spanning three states, inhaling peaks, surging past cirques; beneath enormous, yawning canyons only to circumnavigate glacial lakes. Through an 18-million acre big mountain ecosystem, rich in bear, moose, wolf and elk, we’ll sweep across Yellowstone into The Bridger-Teton National Forest: crossing the Snake River and reveling in such American West icons as Old Faithful.

In our downtime, we might even indulge in a contemporaneous deconstruction of Yogi Bear and his purple bowtie wearing bear cub sidekick, Boo-Boo, if not the subtext and social hierarchy around Jellystone national Park…

It is the striking visage of the Grand Tetons that sets it apart from the rest of the Rocky Mountains. First, in the highest, sky-scraping thrust—an abrupt 7000-ft jut above Jackson Hole—that peers over a no less impressive supporting cast. So sharply serrated, the sub-peaks evoke a Great White shark’s lower jaw stretched atop a high plateau. Only 40-miles long by ten-miles wide, this relatively small segment of the Rockies is also the youngest. Unlike other ranges in the Rockies, the Tetons have not been around long enough to acquire the foothills, or softer lines shaped by centuries of erosion. The Grand Teton National Park and adjoining National Forest protect this unique geographical feature, which peaks out at 13,770 feet; not to mention the wildlife, wildly lush subalpine meadows, and rich recreation opportunities we savor.

Our mountain bike tour hugs four distinct regions around cowboy-artsy Jackson Hole and the surrounding Teton Range. On the valley floor, in the “hole” surrounded by mountains, we ride the rolling prairie trails of Antelope Flats. To the east, we loop around through the Red Hills/Gros Ventre area on the Ditch Creek Trail. From here, directly across the valley and south of the Teton Mountains, we can see the Munger Trails. And to the west, on the Idaho side of the Tetons, we enjoy the 600-acre Grand Targhee Resort in Alta, Wyoming, descending purpose-built singletrack for an afternoon. The first DH-specific destination in the Tetons, the Grand Targhee’s 70-miles of multi-use trails spans gentle-banked cruising to tighter, XC singletrack to more challenging trails. Lift access delivers 2200-vertical feet of downhill riding.

Each glorious morning, set against the dramatic Tetons, we’ll traverse peaks, cirques, U-shaped canyons and glacial lakes. Sweeping through big mountain ecosystems, we’ll pass Ticklegrass to Tufted Hair Grasses; crossing moose, elk, Pika and Yellow Bellied Marmot habitat, among others. More experienced mountain bikers will thrill to the Tetons inspiring elevations and dynamic trails!

Canvassing no less than four superb Arkansas State Parks, including Hot Springs National Park, our five-day stage shades more than 200-miles, predominantly on scenic roads; sweeping through Lake Ouachita, Lake Greeson, DeGray Lake and Lake Hamilton, as well as the Little Missouri wild and scenic river.

At Hot Springs National Park, we interpret and soak up our nation’s first federal preserve: established by president Andrew Jackson a full 40-years before Yellowstone became our first national park. At the nearby 100-year old Ohio Club, we enjoy a smart cocktail in the jazz-blues club where Al Jolson and Mae West headlined.

Though the draw has always been the healing, rejuvenating waters—143-degree thermal—trust our gut, Memphis has nothing on Hot Springs. From Stubby’s to the iconic McClard’s (Bill Clinton’s favorite BBQ joint), we come away with a great regional taste served up graciously by the area’s famous pitmasters.

An incredibly diverse succession of terrain, from glacial plains to volcanic blast zones; exalted mountain ridges, rainforests, woodlands to lava flows frozen in time, all come to define this Northwest road cycling epic. And keep your eye out for emus.

From the site of our country’s single most amazing eruption, Mount St. Helen’s, we range further into the Cascade Range, into the heart of Pacific Northwest’s ring of fire. Sweeping into Mount Rainier National Park, we behold the highest peak in the Cascades, 14,114-ft. Rainier, both a Washington State icon if not a sacred place, known as Tahoma or Tacoma to the Coast Salish people.

On scenic roads, historic highways, over visually enthralling bridges, our tour winds up atop the breathtaking Columbia River Gorge; then pays homage to Oregon’s most prominent landmark, 11, 249-ft Mt. Hood. Notwithstanding its twelve snowfields and glaciers, Mt. Hood is every bit as noteworthy or vital for the active stratovolcano beneath it.

Bicycling Magazine named our Lake Tahoe/Sierras mountain bike tour as one of the “Fifty Best Trips on the Planet!”  We see it simply as mastery of craft coupled with an extraordinary High Country landscape. Or, our gold standard set to mountain biking Gold Country.

This five-day epic gets underway with a shuttle to Lake Tahoe State Park and Spooner Lake. Our first days’ ride ranges through waves of stunning wildflower meadows, gliding into Aspen-covered hills and vibrantly dabbed upslope. From that colorful introduction to The Sierra, we transition straight into a masterpiece: the Flume Trail, critically hailed as one of the premier rides in The West.

The following two days we up the tempo and vary the terrain. Sweeping through the tall forests that cradle Lake Tahoe on fast singletrack, we drop into a host of hidden lakes, ultimately hooking up with the dazzling Tahoe Rim Trail.  Yes, you’ve definitely found fat tire Eden.

One day we’re carving Mt. Watson’s tastiest trails, thoroughly enjoying an all-day revel of descents.  The next, it’s a more tranquil and meditative half-day out of the saddle, immersing ourselves as John Muir would: with a hike to Tahoe’s shoreline.

Now let’s dive into the details. A number of these signature routes rise above 7,000 feet. Reflexively a peak climb of this caliber requires healthy lungs. Rest assured, the incomparable qualities that define the Tahoe Lost  Sierra singletrack, set against stunning Alpine backdrops make the effort all the more rewarding.

What happens here stays here. It’s a sure bet that most people’s Las Vegas-moment probably didn’t include an immersion in the wilds. Or extend to some go-big outdoor adventure. But we’re playing a strong hand. In the know Las Vegans quietly gush over the 100-miles of singletrack, matched by stunning desert scenery that characterizes Red Rock National Conservation Area. Our backyard treasure lends both head-clearing if not thorough lung expansion. Ultra forgiving, almost elegantly buffed trails present the perfect fit for those new to the sport. Care to take it up a notch? Adding extra distance, or a full house of difficulty options equals major payoff to those of a singletrack mind.