By Carol Corbin
Cover photo courtesy of Derrick Knowles
Honestly, the musical genre barely registered when Out There Outdoors publisher Derrick Knowles invited me and several other riders to bikepack from Spokane to Medical Lake, Washington, for the 2024 Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival in August. It takes very little for me to say “yes” to bikepacking, and since my weekend was free, it was a no-brainer. But the promise of a homegrown, small-town feel with some of the best bluegrass bands around added to the appeal. And I discovered that a music festival has some great perks as a bikepacking destination.
The Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival in Medical Lake, WA, has welcomed musicians and fans from across the U.S. since 2022. World-class bluegrass music is offered at this modest but memorable festival, with camping fees that spoke to my dirtbag heart. The festival’s proximity to Spokane’s urban core promised a pleasant, scenic pedal to buzzing Medical Lake Waterfront Park.
While it would be easy enough to load up the bikes with gear and pedal straight to Medical Lake, there are enough scenic options between downtown Spokane and the lakefront to encourage gravel-centric bikepacking routes through the West Plains and around nearby lakes. Our bikepacking route from Spokane took us south on the Fish Lake Trail, then west through Cheney and Four Lakes, popular areas for gravel biking in Eastern Washington. While spending hours on Ride with GPS finding the best routes isn’t my cup of tea, I’m grateful to have lots of adventure buddies who love this aspect of trip planning and always find interesting, challenging, beautiful routes to take.
Approaching Silver Lake from the east was sobering, as evidence of the 2023 catastrophic wildfires greeted us. Though many homes are being rebuilt, the blackened trees and scorched earth were a stark contrast to the sparkling lake. It’s easy to pedal along, spinning out about the increasing impact that wildfires are having on our beautiful, pedalable home.
With four riders, lots of gear, and plenty of time, we took snack and drink breaks and paused to enjoy wildflowers. I’m assuming the others waited patiently for me to catch up. While much of the weight on my bike was vital camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, festival chair), I needn’t have packed so much food. The best part of bikepacking to a music festival was discovering the diverse food trucks at the venue—an unexpected culinary bonus after a long ride. From Feast World Kitchen’s tofu pad thai to a truck selling hot coffee in the morning, my freeze-dried meals just couldn’t stack up, so they stayed packed away. Since Medical Lake is a delightfully small town with wide streets, it wouldn’t have been hard to pedal into town for a bite or beverage if needed.
Live bluegrass music filled the air all day, from regional acts and local players in the afternoon to national headliners in the evening. The Saturday night headliners, New Dangerfield, were introduced by the festival organizer who calmly assured the audience that in 22 years, they’d never been rained out … even as the inevitable thunderclouds that follow me everywhere gathered on the horizon and rumbled over the rolling hills. My travel companions glared at me as they pulled out their rain jackets. But, I did warn them.
Knowing at least some rain was on the way, our cozy campsite right on the water’s edge was secured with rain flies zipped and bags packed away. We kicked back, enjoyed the music, and watched festival staff and volunteers scramble to right the canopy sheltering the sound system as gusts of wind brought the storm ever closer. The musicians, professional performers, carried on with their set, bringing the audience to their feet with toe-tapping tunes and classic sounds of Appalachia.
Most people camping for the weekend were using trailers and RVs, but those of us sleeping in tents were relieved when Mother Nature left just a few drops and carried the thunder and lightning north instead of raining on our parade. The next morning, as we packed to leave, I was pleased to see musicians young and old gathering at picnic tables and under trees for a series of music workshops—generations sharing their art and carrying on the language of string-based bluegrass for new audiences to discover.
Pedaling away from the bustle of the campground reminded me that bikepacking truly is my favorite way to adventure. The freedom of circumventing crowded parking lots and lines of vehicles, carrying everything I need on my bike, pedaling until I’m tired, then sleeping, then pedaling again, is my perfect adventure. Sharing conversation, suffering, and camaraderie with others turning pedals with (or usually far ahead of) me—there’s just nothing like it.
The 2024 Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival (August 8–10 in Medical Lake, WA) is just one of many bikeable music festivals in the Inland Northwest. The region boasts a lineup of events for various genres, schedules, camping experiences, and price points. These festivals are well-supported, with camping, restrooms, concessions, and other comfort amenities. They offer community and something to look forward to during your miles of pedaling—and they’re typically close enough to “somewhere” that you can access an easy exit strategy if things go sideways.
If bikepacking has been on your “want to try” list, find a fun, local festival, pull whatever bike you have out of the garage for a quick tune-up (at least lube the chain and pump up the tires), throw a tent and a sleeping bag in a backpack or some panniers, and get out there—bikepacking to festivals is the perfect blend of adventure, music, and outdoor culture.
Carol Corbin is looking for ways to monetize the rain that follows her on all her outdoor adventures, having recently achieved international notoriety by breaking an unseasonable dry spell with four days of biking in England.
