There are numerous reasons and motives that draw us to mountain biking. The adrenaline rush, adventure, travel, fitness, community, and many more. Long before I moved to the Pacific Northwest my bike was always a vehicle for far-flung explorations and adventures. No shuttle runs, no laps, no lift-assisted days at a bike park … just pedaling and exploring. Often times these were over non-mountain biking trails as we followed jeep roads, cattle trails, and other mixed use trails.

Now based out of Portland it is easy to hit up the same menu of trails on weekends … laps at Sandy Ridge, Post Canyon, lapping around Whoopdee, hitting Little Maui and Little Moab at Syncline, and more. While these are a blast there are times I need to ditch the bike and just explore … on foot.

With coffee of course.

I had it all planned out. A family hike, a new trail (to us), and all of the essentials to make trailside coffee. Coffee (check). Grinder (check). Water (check). Scale (check). GSI Java Drip for pourovers (check). Coffee mug (check). Camera to document our excursion (check).

Looks good right?

But … I forgot my Jetboil to heat the water (slaps forehead).

While I pride myself in always being prepared (I have several years of being a hiking and mountain biking guide to thank for that … and an OCD personality) I still end up on occasion forgetting things. I thankfully have never arrived at a trailhead without my biking shoes or front wheel, but I have left without extra layers.

While it was a bummer not to make coffee on our hike we still had a great time exploring new (to us) terrain. Not that it was a difficult or gallant hike, it was just what we needed. To get outside, laugh, and make memories. For coffee we stopped in Hood River at Kickstand Kitchen and loved every minute of our adventure.

Even the best adventures and outings don’t go as planned, but sometimes they end up being the most memorable.