The southwestern desert threw everything it had at us as we cycled Segment 9 of the Western Wildlands bikepacking route (WWR). Heat, dehydration, thorns, overgrown trails, steep mountains, tarantulas, barbed wire and even rain were among the challenges we faced on the road south of Globe Arizona. Along the way we relished the beauty of desert mountain vistas, sun-baked river valleys, unfamiliar plants and animals, and the Wild West enthusiasm of a town called Tombstone. Then, after 2,800 miles (4,500 km) of cycling, we celebrated with a high-five. We reached the US border with Mexico!

There’s much more to Arizona than saguaro studded deserts and the Grand Canyon. Segment 8 of the Western Wildlands Bikepacking Route (WWR) took us through cool pine forests, remote volcanic fields, and along the 200-mile cliffs of the Mogollon Rim. As we cycled across these lesser-known landscapes, we found ourselves endlessly surprised and charmed by the beauty and diversity of the state. It’s no wonder that this segment of the WWR is the one most likely to leave cyclists exclaiming, “I didn’t know Arizona was like this!”

Many places which have very little water are the same places that have the deepest, most awesome canyons carved by rivers. On Section 7 of the Western Wildlands Bikepacking Route (WWR), we were challenged by cycling across arid lands with no access to water for several days. As a reward, we cycled to the Grand Canyon - a mile deep and up to 18 miles wide. But that was only one of several stunning canyons, most of which are less visited by tourists. They’re also the domain of one of North America’s rarest and largest birds - the California Condor.

No, this blog isn’t about Scarlet O’Hara descending the staircase at Tara in her ball gown. Over the course of 7 days, we cycled from the heights of North America’s highest timbered plateau, down a series of pink, white and vermillion cliffs. It’s a geologic Grand Staircase spanning more than 600 million years of Earth’s history. And it’s a magnificent backdrop for cycling the Western Wildlands Bikepacking Route.

From the first mile, segment 7 of the Western Wildlands Bikepacking Route (WWR) will test your mettle. No other segment reaches the same heights (11,000 ft above sea level) or spends as much time at high altitudes. We were now spending days threading our way along high plateaus, with stunning vistas that stretched far into the distance. There are alpine meadows studded with aspens, and rocky cliffs with many ridge tops to cycle.

We’ve now traveled more than 1,600 miles (about 2600 km) on the Western Wildlands Bikepacking Route (WWR). That means we’ve passed the half-way point from Canada to Mexico. Leaving Idaho behind, we cycled back and forth across the Utah/Wyoming border through parched, sagebrush prairies and frontier towns. But this is the WWR. And before long we were back into the mountains, where we cycled over high ridges, through scenic groves of aspen and spruce on remote gravel roads.

We’ve left the northern Rocky Mountains behind, and entered a parched land dominated by the spirits of ancient volcanos. While we’re no longer climbing over big mountain passes, every cycling day brings new challenges. Baking sun, shorter-but-steeper hills, scarce water, and difficult road surfaces all add to the sense of wildness and adventure. But then you come upon a town with bubbling, carbonated springs, or a massive freshwater lake that seem like mirages in this arid land.

Forest fires continued to impact our cycling on the third segment of the Western Wildlands Bikepacking Route (WWR). Smoke from the fires shrouded the mountains, and several fires burned close to our path. Would we make it through or have to detour? Eventually, the forests gave way to wide open, sage-covered hills. The immediate danger of fire had passed, but the smoke still followed us southward.

We were tested both mentally and physically by the second leg of the Western Wildlands Bikepacking Route (WWR). Several long climbs over mountain passes, in record-setting heat, took us through quaint old mining towns in the heart of the Northern Rockies. But the big test was the “infamous” Magruder Corridor - three days of tough riding across a massive wilderness area. Were we up to the challenge? We were about to find out.

We’re finally cycling on the Western Wildlands Bikepacking Route. It wasn’t long before we were experiencing both the joys of the gorgeous Montana and Idaho backroads, as well as the tribulations of laboring up rugged mountain roads. But we eventually found our climbing legs, so that we can more easily tackle the region’s iconic mountain passes.

We’re off to Montana, to cycle the Western Wildlands Route (WWR). But first we have to get there. Along the way we stopped to sample some of America’s most iconic cycling paths: the Katy Trail (Missouri), the Mickelson Trail (South Dakota), and the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park. Like the prologue of a multi-stage cycling event, these stops both whetted our appetite for the WWR, and helped us prepare for the miles in the saddle to come.

The Western Wildlands Bikepacking Route will have us cycling off-pavement for over 2,250 miles (80% of the route). All that dirt has us re-thinking our bike touring gear list. The biggest change will be to the bicycles themselves, but we’ve also overhauled our bags, toolkit, and sleeping gear. We hope the changes will ensure we’re ready to tackle an extended, backcountry cycling trip.

We’re ready to get back out on the road, and decided to tackle the Western Wildlands Bikepacking Route. How hard can it be? Well… it’s shaping up to be the most rugged and wild cycling trip we’ve ever taken. But with some extra planning and precautions, the rough terrain, few services, remote wilderness, and potentially dangerous wildlife (did someone say, bears?) just add spice to the sense of adventure that lies ahead.