Stories from the Inaugural East Idaho Epic

Intro by Jonathan Black, photos by various participants

The legend of the origins of this route begins with Kevin Emery deciding to ride his bike from his home in Eastern Idaho to Logan, Utah, and back again on a route packed full of unknowns. In doing so, he discovered an abundance of remote roads through classic Western landscapes, beautiful mountains, geothermal hot springs, Oregon Trail history, ghost towns, and charming little cafes.

The following winter, Kevin decided to convert his ride into a bikepacking route and host an annual bikepacking event. He ran it for a few years before rebranding to “Fitzgerald’s-Joyride” for 2022 and 2023. In 2019, I rolled out with the group from the start at Fitzgerald’s bike shop in Idaho Falls, Idaho, but I only rode for a day, as I had business out of state the following Monday. That year, the group struggled with where to leave their cars and where to sleep the night before the event. Several riders slept in campers and vans at the bike shop parking lot, but since this is in the middle of the commercial district on a noisy Friday night, they didn’t sleep well. This event captured my imagination; it was in my hometown, and I was hooked.

The following year, I called Kevin and offered to have riders camp at my little horse ranch just a couple quiet miles away from the start. This became the tradition beginning in 2020 and is one of the things that sets this ride apart from so many other bikepacking events—everyone camps together, getting to know each other and building community the night before the ride. I have ridden and completed this event in 2020, 2021, and 2022. During the winter after the 2023 event, Kevin reached out to me, saying he was a bit burnt out, and he offered to have me take over race director duties and put my personal stamp on the event. I heartily accepted.

With that, the inaugural East Idaho Epic was born, a 430-mile gravel ride through the backroads of South Eastern Idaho and Western Wyoming with 30,000 feet of climbing. I had a couple of changes in mind. First, rather than riding to Logan, Utah, I pushed the route into western Wyoming. This change is more remote, has more climbing, and features far more stunning scenery. Second, I moved the date back by several weeks to de-conflict with the Smoke ‘n’ Fire event in Boise. This change allowed riders to participate in both events rather than having to choose one or the other. Third, to be more inclusive to beginners, I created a short version, the “East Idaho Endeavor,” which shared most of the same trail as the Epic but cut off 10,000 feet of climbing and 170 miles of riding.

The Endeavor remains a legit stunning and challenging ride, with 260 miles of gravel and 20,000 feet of climbing, but it cuts out the new Wyoming section. Furthermore, riders can choose either route and don’t have to make that call until mile 199. If riders turn left, they choose the Endeavor. If they turn right, they choose the Epic. Several of us (including me) set out intending to ride the full Epic, but due to a variety of issues, we turned left and finished the Endeavor. Having this option proved popular and gave beginners the confidence to start, knowing there was a way to cut back on the commitment if needed and still get a time-stamp and completion rather than a full scratch.

As for the timing, “Sept-ober,” as we locals call the riding season of September and October, is the best time of the year to ride in Eastern Idaho—cool crisp mornings, cobalt blue skies, sunny warm days, and autumn colors abound. Late September is past mosquito and smoke season and is absolutely lovely. We had perfect weather, brilliant autumn leaves, and very little wind. The only wind I had was tailwinds! I had to pinch myself to ensure I wasn’t dreaming.

The route begins in Idaho Falls, then travels 100 miles through rolling hills, the Blackfoot River Gorge, mountain passes, and the historic ghost town of Chesterfield before dropping into Lava Hot Springs—a tourist town with naturally no sulfur geothermal hot springs and first opportunity for resupply. The first 100 miles are famously brutal, but if riders can make that, they can finish the entire route. Leaving Lava, I rode to the top of a 7,000-foot mountain and slept under the stars, with a glorious view of the Milky Way and no moon at all to wash out the sparkles. I left camp early and caught up with the Idaho Falls riders in Niter, Idaho, at the Bailey’s Market for coffee and camaraderie.

We climbed to 8,300 feet before dropping into Soda Springs, another resupply town notable for its carbon-pressured geyser, shooting 80 feet into the air every hour at about mile 165. The naturally carbonated spring water is potable, and the Shoshone People have been drinking from these magical springs for thousands of years. My wife, Catherine, is a board member of the Idaho Humanities Council. On the board with her is Randy L’Teton, a Shoshone woman famous for having posed as the model for the Sacagawea dollar (she is the only living person on USA currency!). Catherine and I had the pleasure of spending a weekend with Randy in late May 2024, who regaled us with stories of Shoshone history in the area and the magical and medicinal properties of the Soda Springs.

Departing Soda Springs, tailwinds carried me to Blackfoot Reservoir, and at mile 199, I turned left and chose to ride the Endeavor option. I had some professional commitments waiting for me and decided the responsible thing was to go the shorter route. I slept just a few hours at the Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters before riding through the night to finish at about 9 a.m. on Monday in about 50 hours. I then spent the next few days welcoming the remaining riders and celebrating their adventures.

I could not be more pleased with the outcome of my inaugural year as race director of the East Idaho Epic. I look forward to seeing you all next year!

Words by Danni Coffman

The inaugural East Idaho Epic, a new 430-mile route that climbs 30,000 feet, began September 28, 2024, next to a new baseball field near Race Director Jonathan Black’s home in Idaho Falls, Idaho. The night before, although it was the end of an exhausting week and I was not feeling very social, I met up for dinner with some other racers. Bikepack racing is not only a niche sport but one that sees few women participating. Indeed, the races in Idaho Falls that preceded the Epic only attracted one to three women per year. So, imagine my surprise and delight when a long table at a restaurant in the historic district of Idaho Falls held a dozen women, all racing the next day.

Of 28 people on the start list, 14 were men, 12 were women, and there was also a duo team of non-binary riders. This group of rad riders ranged from age 20-something to 71. Women from Idaho Women’s Bikepacking, an organization started by racer Laura Heiner to get more women to line up at races, made a great showing. It was a privilege to meet and ride with this group of women, mainly from Boise, Idaho, about 300 miles from Idaho Falls. Most racers camped at Black’s horse ranch that night, telling adventure stories around the campfire and sharing their “bikepacking super-power.”

The race itself was phenomenal. The race begins in the rolling ranchlands of East Idaho, descends through canyons illuminated by fall colors, passes through historical old towns, and climbs through mountains in western Wyoming. Resupply was somewhat scarce, roughly every 100 miles, but this added to the adventure and strategy required. Most of the road surface, with some minor exceptions, was what 71-year-old racer Linda Gryczan described as “champagne gravel,” which allowed the riders to cover a significant distance each day. There was still enough challenging garbage road to make me glad I was rolling 2.2″ tires.

Most riders in the 430-mile Epic finished within seven hours of each other, in the three-and-a-half to four-day range, except for winners Paula Simerly and Ryan Kirkham, who rolled into the finish together in just minutes under three days. During their final push, they rode without sleeping from 7 a.m. Monday to 7 a.m. Tuesday.

This event also offered a shorter option, called the East Idaho Endeavor, 260-mile route with 20,000 feet of climbing, sharing much of the trail with Epic. The Endeavor option allowed bikepacking beginners or racers with a limited amount of time to ride. Having this option contributed to the high participation by women who are new to the sport. Endeavor winners Ben Jackson completed the route in one day and eight hours, and Jennifer Biondi in two days and 16 hours.

This event had everything. Amazing scenery, wonderful people, enjoyable bike riding, pleasant climbing, and autumn colors. The East Idaho Epic (or Endeavor) is definitely worth the trip to Idaho Falls.

To learn more about the East Idaho Epic, head to the event Facebook group.

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