What's on the agenda for 2026? How about filling in the Adirondack bikepacking map?

Current established ADK bikepacking routes, most created by me with a few excecptions/enhancements such as a modified Wardsboro Loop and the old standard, Limekiln-Cedar River Road loop.

TLDR: This is almost a low hanging fruit type route with high accessibility from major upstate population centers. The route validates that there is insane and almost entirely untapped potential for bikepacking in the Adirondacks. It also begs the question? Why isn't there more established bikepacking in the Adirondacks? 

When looking at the above map, the southwest Adirondacks are lacking a true off-road bikepacking route. 

Can a route be created there? 

Although strictly in the deeply digitally scouted phase, which includes using multiple map sets, often overlayed because no single map set contains all the information, satellite imaging, and street view (losing Bing streetside this year hurts for digital scouting, TomTom had much better coverage than Google maps of rural areas) and trail descriptions/trip reports, mixed in with some on the ground knowledge from exploration unrelated to cycling, it's looking like there might be one of the better route opportunities to date in the entire Adirondacks for off-road remote wilderness bikepacking. 

Stats (as currently envisioned):

65mi, 5750ft, 85% off-pavement, about 40-50% off road (trails). 

What makes that so exciting is the central accessibility to the population centers of Syracuse and Albany. It's basically equidistant to both -less than 1.5 hours total drive from either. 

The route being proposed is the ideal archetype route for bikepacking in the Adirondacks, with a healthy mix of gravel and trails -focusing heavily on trails- and very little pavement, only used when absolutely necessary to continue the route. Worst case, every unverified trail is entirely unrideable by any sane rider and the noted alternate routes are used, it's still approximately 60% off-pavement and a mostly wilderness experience within the public boundaries of the Ferris Lake Wild Forest unit of the Adirondack Forest Preserve.

The obvious nature of this route should make you wonder why there isn't more bikepacking going on in the Adirondacks?