In Tucson we’re always looking for nearby options to escape the heat. I keep a close eye on Arizona routes, scouring Bikepacking Roots, Bikepacking.com, and Dirty Freehub for any new additions. Last year a friend sent me a link to El Lobo Lupus, “the Alps of Arizona”. The route was designed by a high school…
Storm clouds are building as I write this. It just thundered, or a jet passed overhead. This is an exciting time of year for those of us in the desert, as hopes of a monsoon start to build. Cross your fingers. We’re bringing you another collection of gear, events, and stories from around the internet,…
Happy Spring! Despite hitting 100F earlier than any previous year, moderately cool temps seem to be hanging around a little longer, and there’s nothing bad about that. You know what is bad? Tariffs. This month, we have a collection of all the usual fun stuff from around the bike world, with a focus on tariffs…
Our first bikepacking trip of the year is always an exciting one and feels long overdue. For most, it’s the first time in a while since we’ve dusted off the bags, the tent, and all the odds and ends of an overnighter. Winter in the Southwest is a lovely time of year for day rides,…
Hello and welcome to the 2025 Campfire news roundup! Given that we’ve already had a couple of 80F+ days, “winter” suddenly feels like the wrong season for the title. But alas, it’s the desert. We hope everyone has had a great start to the year so far, and we’re excited to share our first series…
For the past few years Campfire has alternated between a couple of routes for our Intermediate Bikepacking trips. We are fortunate to be able to offer one of the more accessible beginner routes thanks to the 100+ miles of paved multi-user path that runs the lengths of our two major river beds (better known as…
We’ve figured out the logistics, updated the calendar and we’re ready to get you stoked to join us for some southern Arizona adventures. Feb. 14th to 16th:Advanced 2 Nighter – Black Canyon Trail We’re really excited for a new to us route and to get our “Spring” bikepacking season rolling. We’ll be heading up toward Phoenix to ride…
It’s always a little tricky selecting the focus for these roundups. There’s never a shortage of unique stories or interesting pieces of new gear to write about. Yet, the close of another year feels like it merits something a bit more introspective or thought-provoking – something that feels settling, calming, and reassuring as we’re all…
Last week I would have been writing with a glass of ice water on my desk, but with the recent drop in temps, there’s a mug of hot chocolate instead. Fall is finally here. We’ve got some refreshing stories and gear to share to celebrate the changing of the seasons. Hope you enjoy, and thanks…
It’s time for another roundup, and this one has a little bit of everything. From Lebron James, to an amphibious bike canoe, recipes for eating better while on tour, and also some tips for how to stay safe and smart while on tour in wildfire season. Leading off, from BIKEPACKING.COM, we take a look at…
Dang, half the year gone already and summer in full swing! We’ve been feeling the heat here in Tucson but have luckily been hit with an early monsoon, albeit during our Swift Campout a couple of weeks ago. If you’re looking for some reading material to pass a hot afternoon, then we’ve got you covered…
Last weekend I found myself in the little lake front convenience store at Parker Canyon Lake after enjoying some paddle-boarding with my family. The question of what this little store is actually stocked with has come up multiple times in the past few years. The thing is that this store is about a mile descent…
It’s hard to call this a Spring news roundup seeing as how those of us in the desert are already enjoying consistent 90-degree highs. While many folks in the Northern Hemisphere are still thawing out, we’re looking to get in as much riding as we can before it uncomfortably warms up. Whatever the case may…
It’s our first news roundup of the year (Happy 2024!), and we’re excited to bring you a pretty rad collection of stories, events, and gear that’s peeked our interest so far this year. The theme starts off with some unique long-distance travel stories and then narrows down to events closer to home. When you’re done…
February can be a tricky month for a weekend bikepacking trip. As I write this on a Sunday afternoon in the later part of the month, the temperature sits at a pleasant 75F. The last few years, however, our advanced trip that we usually schedule for this time of year has been met with incredibly…
We thought we were done for 2023, but in the spirit of tallies and tidy wrap ups, we’ve got one last collection to share with you. Read on below for our Campfire recap where we reminisce on our events, trips, and shop happenings this past year, along with the usual collection of inspiring stories and…
While most folks are sharing their Spotify Most Played from the past 12 months, we’re sharing our last news roundup of 2023 with a collection of intriguing, entertaining, and maybe inspiring news from the past couple of months. Read (and watch) on for a mini adventure race in Athens, Greece, a book chronicling the life…
It’s tiresome to still be writing about the heat, but this Summer was a doozy. For those of us in Tucson and the surrounding Sonoran Desert, we’re coming out of one of the drier monsoons of the last 50 years, logging 15 more 100F+ degree days than normal. Much of Arizona and the country at…
Summer has finally started to subside here in the Sonoran Desert, and my morning cups of coffee are starting to make sense and do their job of warming me up instead of inducing sweat at 7AM. The transition felt like it would never happen, but it’s here, and it’s glorious. Speaking of glorious, we’re stoked…
We’re back for a Summer roundup of bikepacking news, and as always, we’re excited to share with you a collection of stories and other tidbits that caught our attention. June and July are full of endurance racing in the Northern Hemisphere, and with the Tour Divide being the big draw, we decided to cast a…
Southern Arizona is well known as a cycling mecca. Hundreds of miles of singletrack and dirt roads lay within thousands of acres of public land ripe for day rides and overnight exploring. In the few short years I’ve lived here, the now iconic San Rafael Valley outside of Patagonia has gone from a ranching road…
Welcome back to another news roundup! In this Spring edition we’re excited to share a smattering of films, inspiring and interesting reportage, gear, and upcoming events right here in Tucson. We’ll keep the intro short this time. Read on for our favorite tidbits from the last couple months, and if you’d like to see more…
It’s never easy to pair down the list of exciting, entertaining, and inspiring bits of news to share for these roundups, and the past couple months have made it extra challenging. The list was especially long this time around, but we’re excited to bring you a paired down version featuring a hilarious and heart-warming film…
The Sky Islands Odyssey is a special route for us here at Campfire. In 2022, we rode the East Loop as the advanced option in our backpacking series, a trip that saw temperatures well below freezing and eternal wind. A few weeks later, we supported Sarah Swallow’s Ruta del Jefe event by providing repairs, service,…
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