Welcome to Issue 13.4

If you ask 10 different people about the definition of adventure, you’re likely to get 10 different answers. But one common sentiment is that adventure often involves an element of surprise, whether it’s the elation of experiencing entirely new landscapes or simply discovering what’s beyond that next turn on the trail. This edition of Freehub is a testament to the bike as the ultimate tool for adventure, from a quest for ancient singletrack in the storied deserts of Jordan to a search for unridden freeride lines down the glacier-sculpted chutes of Alaska’s remote Talkeetna Mountains. In the case of trailbuilder Jonnie Benda, most of his life has been an adventure building some of the most iconic trails in Truckee, California, free from the modern distractions of the internet and social media. And on multi-day bikepacking missions in Washington’s rugged North Cascades and the lush Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, all-male and all-female teams test themselves against the unpredictable nature of the elements. Welcome to your next adventure—Issue 13.4.