In Bend, Oregon's early mornings, the calendar says one thing and the cold air temperature tells a different story. As we walked with Sarah Swallow through the Ponderosa Pines, the sun’s first light turned the frost on their needles into dew. She moved with purpose as the day began to thaw, past Junipers and Sagebrush that quietly line the Deschutes River Valley amidst the Blue Mountains, feeding off the beds of ash left long ago by an extinct volcano.

With the hood of her cycling winter jacket halfway up to protect her from a crisp bite of wind, the adventure cyclist and route maker spoke to us about the space she lives for: the one between departure and destination. Here’s some of what she finds when she’s out there.

When I ride, I strive to find my flow state where I am receptive, open, and focused on the moment. I’m ultra-present with myself and my needs, and by being proactive about meeting them. Sometimes the gravel ride gets rough, or I feel a little demoralized. In those situations, I know my mind is trying to sabotage my ride, so I get hyper-focused on my breathing, my pedal stroke, the sound of the gravel crunching beneath my tires, and the wind on my face.

I find that the simple act of being present in the moment tends to make me feel grateful for where I am and the adventure of gravel riding. I am choosing to do this after all. So, feeling gratitude tends to put things in perspective for me.

A route maker means building your route from scratch and testing it yourself. Perhaps you want to make a route in a certain location you are interested in or prefer a certain type of terrain or road/trail surface. Making your own route lets you cater to your preferences. But untested routes also have consequences and a certain level of risk and adventure.

These days there are more publicly available routes around the world than what I will be able to do in a lifetime. Following pre-established routes is great for folks new to bikepacking because it takes a certain level of unknown and route-finding navigation out of all the other stuff you have to worry about, like prepping for environmental conditions—packing winter cycling gear can be tricky, for instance. Not to mention organizing your life so you can go on a bike tour or just simply dealing with road conditions or your physical state on the route.

By following a pre-established route, you are more guaranteed to have a good time and finish, which is a great way to get into bikepacking/bike touring. Route-making requires more time to prepare and plan for and a lot of adaptability, flexibility, and an open mind. It’s usually a guaranteed adventure—whether good or bad, it’ll be memorable.