Swift Campout 2026 Recap

There is something to be said about spending time in nature with people you've just met but already know you'll like. As someone who recently relocated to Raleigh, NC from Phoenix, AZ, finding this kind of experience and community has been more difficult than I expected. So when I heard about the Solstice Bikepacking Trip hosted by the Greenway Gear Collective and The Bike Library I knew it was exactly the type of adventure I'd been looking for.

After a few weeks of prepping my gear and a couple last-minute trips to grab the items I forgot, I pulled up to The Bike Library with my bike loaded for a ~40 mile round-trip ride along the greenway to our group campsite near the Neuse River in Clayton. Everyone was already outside, standing next to their bike setups with bags strapped in ways that ranged from "very intentional" to "we'll see how that holds up." Conversations started themselves as we chatted about the trip, various bike gear, and the excitement ahead.

After a short group introduction and route overview, we filed out of the Bike Library and headed toward the Greenway, beginning our ~20-mile journey to camp.

Riding solo and riding in a group are two very different activities. When you're in a group moving through a 10-ft wide public greenway on the weekend, you share the path with joggers, dog walkers, families, and other cyclists. This requires a level of urban cycling communication that is easily picked up: "Rider up" when someone's approaching from the front, "Pole down" or "pole up" for the bollards ensuring no one takes a front tire to the immovable object.

The first few miles of any adventure of this type is also the real-time test of how well your belongings are secured. A few bags came loose early on, sagged, and were quickly retrieved or re-secured. Fate had it that I earned the most dramatic gear moment of the morning when my rear trunk rack came loose entirely, rotating downward until the whole thing was dragging on the pavement (pro-tip: double check your bolt tightness!). The upside of riding in a group: you never lack tools and have multiple redundancies of gear. With a borrowed 10mm wrench and some elbow grease and extra assistance from Jeff and Debra, the group and I were back rolling.

Having spent most of my NC cycling time in the last 6-months on the American Tobacco Trail, this was my first time on the Raleigh Greenway system and what a treat it was. My cycling background is mostly Phoenix streets and desert gravel, where car dependency leaves very little room for protected, multi-use paths and reprieve from the sun. However, on this Saturday afternoon, winding through the shaded greenway, crossing over wooden bridges, and riding alongside the river hit differently than any urban ride I've done. Perspective requires a diversity of experience.

​​After about 90 minutes of riding, we slowed at a cattle guard gate tucked off the path. We unlatched it and followed a freshly mowed grass trail toward our camp. I'd later find out it was mowed just for us, which foreshadowed the type of accommodating camp hosts we'd have for the evening.

We walked the property, got the lay of the land, found the water and restrooms, and met our hosts James and Sarah. We also met Dorian. Dorian is a horse. Dorian did what he pleased.

Everyone found a camp spot, tents and hammocks went up, firewood was found and a fire was started. Dinner was a classic camp choose-your-own adventure, with some choosing to bike to Deep River Brewing Company in Clayton, while others and I stayed at camp. Corn, hot dogs on sticks, freeze-dried meals, sandwiches, etc., were all on the menu.

The conversations around camp were the kind that only happens when phones are put away and there's nowhere else to be. Talking bikes, nature, adventures, and pretty much every other topic you'd expect from a group like this. The highlight of the evening was just after dinner when our camp host, James, returned to camp for an earlier promised "fire show". James seemed to magically appear as we turned from our own campfire to see him gracefully swirling fire balls set to music. The bright firetrails whooshed through the air as the camp went quiet.

After the concluding applause, we got the background on fire dancing and the "fire chain poi" he was using. The conversation shifted back to our own fire and continued into the late evening.

Morning was a slow rise with everyone emerging from their tents and hammocks at different times. The morning dew left yesterday's cycling clothes damp, but the cooler temps overnight and in the morning were welcome. After a quick breakfast (and some farm fresh eggs brought down from our camp host), we rolled out on the return ride at a noticeably faster pace and fewer stops. We were back at The Bike Library by noon for post-ride drinks and snacks.

I ended with a few things I didn't arrive with. A deeper appreciation for the Raleigh Greenway system, and how genuinely accessible it makes "big nature" for people in the city. A better understanding of how to load a rear rack. And a handful of new people I'm glad to know.

Thanks to the Greenway Gear Collective and The Bike Library for putting this together. If you're on the fence about signing up for something like this, here's the thing I keep coming back to: as with most things in life, showing up and starting is the hard part. Everything after that takes care of itself.