They say they’re building the longest singletrack mountain bike trail in the world. It’s called the Orogenesis Route and Bikepacking Roots is behind it. On the Bikepacking Roots website, its mission is clear: “Bikepacking Roots supports and advances bikepacking, the growth of a diverse bikepacking community, and access to and the conservation of the landscapes and public lands through which we ride”.
In case you didn’t know (I surely didn’t), Orogenesis is the geological process of mountain forming. It’s a process that more or less formed the western side of North America. So basically when two tectonic plates collide and push upward, forming our mountain ranges, and looking at the map of the trail (below)…the Sierra Nevadas in particular.
The trail looks like it will consist of
- 5029 miles
- 471,000 elevation gain
- 87% dirt
- 24 tiers
- 50+ indigenous territories
- 7 states
- 3 countries
The trail promises to wind you through and over “majestic peaks, bubbling streams, and solemn forests.” With the landscape “painting its story in front of your two wheels, whether you’re riding all 5000 miles, or just 5.”
The website states that “for every dollar you donate, they get ten”… that’s pretty awesome, and made possible by their “Mountain Builder Circle” that are matching every dollar donation tenfold! But they are only doing this until the end of September. You can do the math, I know… but if they can raise $20,000, they actually get $220,000…
You can join some of the companies below and donate to the cause here.
Check out the links below for more info and to stay abreast of any progress.
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Join the conversation in their Facebook Group