Krystel and baby Dali survived a bikepacking storm. 

A Storm, a Stranger, and the Beauty of the Unexpected

How Krystel, Phil, and baby Dali discovered that the best adventures aren't the ones that go according to plan.

Putting the Setup to the Test

This past Easter long weekend, Krystel and Phil packed up the bikes, strapped baby Dali into the trailer, and set out for a few days of bikepacking. With a six-week cycling adventure through Norway planned for this summer, the family wanted to know one thing first: would the setup actually hold up?

Back home in the Laurentians, winter was still holding on. Craving asphalt and a hint of spring, they looked east, where the season had already turned, and settled on a plan: four days of riding near Sandbanks, Ontario, starting and ending in Kingston.

"Even on the hardest days, there is so much beauty and humanity hiding inside an adventure."

The Route, Loosely Planned

With a baby on board, rigid itineraries aren't really an option. The rough shape was clear: Kingston, Belleville, Wellington, Picton, Sandbanks, looping back over four days, with accommodations booked one night at a time, depending on baby Dali's mood, the family's energy, and whatever the sky decided to do.

Country roads, dedicated bike paths, a ferry crossing, the kind of riding that reminds you why you started in the first place.

An Unplanned Stop

Earlier in the ride, Krystel had stopped at a closed vineyard. She found a way to reach someone, the door opened, and she walked out with a bottle of pét-nat rouge, almost on a whim, a small detour that would carry far more meaning by the end of the trip.

When the Storm Hit

One morning, they opened the curtains to white. Not a dusting, real snow, falling steadily. Confident in their gear, they layered up, tucked Dali into the trailer with his sheepskin blanket and rain cover, and pushed off.

A few hours later, the charm was gone. Snow turned to ice, then came the wind, the kind that grabs a loaded bike and pushes it sideways. Open fields, no shelter, hail stinging their faces. The rear derailleur seized in the ice. Phil nearly went into a ditch. Then Krystel fell. That was the signal to stop.

They knocked on a stranger's door. A warm, welcoming man answered, made coffee while the family ate lunch inside with Dali, grandchildren's toys scattered everywhere, a British Fold cat in the corner, two gentle dogs underfoot. Cold, wet, and completely unplanned, it was a reminder that the most meaningful moments in adventure are rarely the ones you planned for. As the storm calmed, they carried on.

The Wine That Survived Everything

Through the storm, the ice, the fall, and the stranger's kitchen, the bottle of pét-nat rouge came too. A week later, Krystel opened it with a friend. It was, without question, the best wine she had ever tasted, not because of the grapes, but because of everything it took to get it there.

The hard parts don't diminish the joy, they deepen it. The miles give it meaning.

The Gear That Kept Them Going

On a day like that Wednesday, the right gear is the difference between pushing through and turning back.

• Outseam Mitts — Warm, supple, and fully functional in real conditions. Krystel could shift gears without sacrificing insulation.
• Full Cycling Boots — Dedicated insulated boots made a noticeable difference over hours of riding through cold and wet conditions.
• Dali's Setup — Rain cover, sheepskin blanket, a protected trailer. While the adults faced the storm, Dali stayed warm and content throughout.
• Flexible Planning — One night booked at a time. With a baby along, this isn't a limitation, it's the approach.

You Don't Need to Start Big

Family bikepacking isn't about perfection. It's about showing up, staying flexible, and trusting that something worthwhile is waiting on the other side of discomfort.

To every parent, every woman, every person hesitating at the starting line: begin small. One night. A weekend. An imperfect trip that surprises you. You are more capable than you think, and the best stories, like the best wine, need a little hardship to taste right.

"The best things in life, the memories, the wine, the person you become, taste even better because of everything they survived to become."