moonslug bikepacking trip

join us for a few days of bicycling between san francisco and san jose. we’ll be riding at a relaxed pace, with lots of time for stopping to enjoy the adventure along the way. no drop, and we’ll coordinate closer to the date for shared utilities like cooking and bike tools.

• friday, june 13th -> tuesday june 17th
• start: conservatory of flowers, san francisco
• end: diridon caltrain station, san jose
• 190 miles, ~14k feet of climbing

itinerary

date	from	to	distance (mi)	elevation gain (ft)	route notes
13	san francisco	half moon bay	33	2,235	coastal views, planet of the apes detour
14	half moon bay	portola redwoods sp	42	4,530	stage road, big climb up tunitas creek, remote redwoods, no services
15	portola redwoods sp	henry cowell redwoods sp	55	3,745	gravel section back to pescadero, mostly coastal to santa cruz
16	manresa state beach	manresa state beach	??	??	rest/play/beach day, unplanned
17	manresa state beach	san jose diridon station	52	4,337	mountain charlie road, mixed traffic & bike paths
	total		190 mi	13,943ft

camping

• half moon bay and portola state park have first come first serve hike and bike sites
• normally other bikepackers are really chill and fun to camp with and accomodating too
• manresa state beach requires reservations, i’ve gotten both nights reserved (site number #5)

weather

rough estimates for high/lows each night:

• june 13th - half moon bay 60/50f
• june 14th - portola - 80/50f
• june 15th - manresa - 66/51f
• june 16th - manresa - 66/51f
• june 17th - san jose - 75/57f

pack list

🧍 individual packing list

riding gear

• bike (tuned and trail-ready)
• helmet
• sunglasses
• cycling shoes or comfortable flat shoes
• padded shorts or chamois
• lightweight riding jersey or shirt
• windbreaker or light rain shell
• bike lights
• water bottles / hydration system (2–3l capacity)
• handlebar / frame / seat / backpack storage
• swimsuit
• navigation device or phone with offline maps

camping gear

• tent, bivy, or hammock + rainfly
• sleeping bag (rated for ~40–50°f)
• sleeping pad
• pillow or stuff sack/jacket you can use
• headlamp
• camp clothes (long sleeves/pants)
• lightweight puffy or fleece
• beanie and warm socks (for sleeping)

toiletries & personal items

• toothbrush + toothpaste
• sunscreen
• bug spray (mosquitoes at camp!)
• lip balm with spf
• wet wipes / camp towel
• medications
• earplugs
• contacts/glasses
• id, insurance card, cash/card
• power bank (10,000 mah+)
• charging cables

bike repair kit

• multitool
• spare tube(s)
• patch kit
• pump
• tire levers
• chain lube
• zip ties

food & cooking (if self-catering)

• mug/spork
• snacks (bars, jerky, trail mix)
• freeze-dried meals / dinners
• electrolyte mix
• coffee/tea setup

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👥 group packing list

shared camp gear

• stove + fuel canisters (jetboil, pocketrocket, etc.)
• shared cook pot
• biodegradable soap + sponge
• group food ingredients / condiments
• trash bags / ziplocs for pack-out
• first aid kit (bandages, moleskin, meds, etc.)
• water filter / purifier

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