The Last 9 Miles Almost Didn't Happen | Eisenhower State Park Bikepacking

72 miles. Solo. No rain jacket. Storms are on the radar. The plan was simple — ride from Carrollton to Eisenhower State Park in Denison, Texas. Through the suburbs, out past McKinney, into the wide open farm country of North Texas, all the way up to Lake Texoma. Simple. Until it wasn't. The first half lulled me into thinking this was going to be one of those clean, perfect rides. Old commute roads I know by heart, a gravel detour through trails that are disappearing fast under new development, wide shoulders, and light wind. Even stopped to watch a turtle hold up traffic on a back road outside McKinney. North Texas being North Texas. Then the real ride started. Tex-Mex and a cold beer in Van Alstyne — the kind of fuel stop that feels earned. Then back out into the heat, into the crosswind, into the grind. Farm roads stretching north with nothing but sky ahead. The legs are talking back. And then — the rear tire. Slow leak. Plugged it. Still going down. Plugged it again. Couldn't seal it — probably a staple, double puncture, the worst kind. Tubed it on the side of the road with Sherman still 9 miles in front of me and camp nowhere in sight. Heavy rear wheel. Wind in my face. Joe is already at camp, probably trying to catch some fish. I rode that last stretch on pure stubbornness. Made camp just as the storm moved in. Tent up with minutes to spare. Rain hammered the cliffs above Lake Texoma — and then, out of nowhere, a full double rainbow stretched across the horizon. Standing on the edge of those cliffs, soaked and wrecked, watching that thing light up the sky. Worth every flat tire. Worth every mile. Morning brought a flooded tent, little sleep, and a Pop-Tart with the icing welded to the wrapper. But the coffee was hot, and the road home was calling. This is the real thing. Not every ride is clean. Not every plan survives contact with the pavement. But you solve the problems, you keep moving north, and sometimes the road hands you something you couldn't have planned if you tried. Bike: 2021 Trek Checkpoint SL 5 — Texas Locomotive Route: Carrollton to Eisenhower State Park, Denison, TX — 72 miles   / strava   Camera: GoPro, Sony ZV-1, DJI Neo 2 #bikepacking #cycletouring #texascycling #adventurecycling #bikepackinglife #ridewithjakeb #eisenhowerstatepark #getoutexplorejustbreathe 0NE NIGHT BIKE AND CAMPING GEAR Apidura Expedition 17L Saddle Pack 15 oz https://www.apidura.com/shop/expediti... Bontrager Farley Triangle Frame Bag(Discontinued) https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/eq... Trek Adventure Top Tube Bag https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/eq... Ellum Bag Works Hitchhiker Feed Bag https://ellumbagworks.com/products/hi... SLEEP SYSTEM Alpkit Soloist XL 2 lbs 14.5 oz https://alpkit.com/products/soloist Nemo Quasar 3D Insulated Air Pad(Discontinued) 1 lb 8.9 oz https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advi... Kammok Firebelly 30° Down Quilt(Discontinued) 2 lbs 2.5 oz https://kammok.com/products/firebelly... Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Pillow(Discontuned) 3.7 oz https://seatosummit.com/products/aero... COOK & WATER MSR PocketRocket 2 Stove 2.6 oz https://cascadedesigns.com TOAKS Titanium 750ml Pot 3.6 oz (w/lid) https://www.toaksoutdoor.com Sea to Summit Frontier UL Long Handle Spork 0.4 oz Sea to Summit Frontier Ultralight Collapsible Cup 1.9 oz https://seatosummit.com GSI Outdoors Ultralight Java Drip Coffee Maker CAMP ESSENTIALS Black Diamond Spot 400-R Rechargeable Headlamp 2.6 oz https://blackdiamondequipment.com Infinitylab InstantGo 5000 Power Bank 5.6 oz https://www.rei.com/product/228677/in... Anker 20,000mAh 87W Power Bank 15.5 oz https://www.anker.com UCO Titan Stormproof Match Kit https://ucogear.com/ Nomadix Mini Towel 4 oz Nomadix Ultralight Towel 8 oz https://www.nomadix.co/ TOOLS & REPAIR Spare Tube/Tire Levers Chain Quick Links (x2) Patch Kit/Valve Core Tool Tubeless setup/Nitrile Gloves Trek Pro BITS Multi-Tool https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/eq... Bontrager Air Rush Elite CO₂ Inflator https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/eq... Fanttik X11 ACE Electric Pump 13 oz (weighed) https://fanttik.com/products/fanttik-...