Seattle MTB Crew

Their site is pretty clear that they allow no public access whatsoever July 3rd, 4th, and 5th

Odd to say the least

So, 9:30 AM tomorrow at Tiger?

In. Who’s meeting when/what/where? PM me if you want to leave with me from my house in the CD at 8:30. I plan on picking up some bacon snacks beforehand.

Their site is pretty clear that they allow no public access whatsoever July 3rd, 4th, and 5th

Odd to say the least[/quote]

Completely understandable in the context of 'mericans and their love for home-made M-80s and the like.

Also, Tarckee, holla if you want some tires. Have WTB Bronson in 29x2.2 and Panaracer Fire29 XC in 29x2.1. Can leave on front porch for you.

But you really should take Johnnie up on the 2.4 Ardent if possible.

Also, not sure if I’m in or out for this ride, trying to coordinate with the missus on one of her last days off before school starts again for her.

Picking up from the dumb questions thread:

[quote=“jimmythefly”]
There are a few of us noodling on such adventures. Mostly dirt-road stuff, though. I’m not sure who/where such single-track adventures exist, mostly because restrictions on bikes in certain forest land.[/quote]

A friend of a friend did a north to south (or maybe vice versa) bike packing trip across the whole state a few years ago. He did it in two chunks with some time between each leg. Here’s a really rough map of his route on the north end of the state. Looks like he might of started around Rosyln Ridge and found some connectors north that got him to highway 2. Not sure how much trail poaching he had to do to make that work. I would really love to figure out a trip where you got dropped off on 90 and picked up on highway 2, assuming there’s a way to do it without hoping on the PCT.

^ If there is a way, by single track to go from the 90 to the 2, GD let me know…

Also, anyone that wants to come ride this tonight with me and possibly Mr. Bear, hollar: http://evergreenmtb.org/wiki/index.php?title=Trail:Taylor_Mountain
Planning on being out there at 8 and riding until dark. Would be savvy to bring a light though.

[quote=JonnieGonePlaid]^ If there is a way, by single track to go from the 90 to the 2, GD let me know…

Also, anyone that wants to come ride this tonight with me and possibly Mr. Bear, hollar: http://evergreenmtb.org/wiki/index.php?title=Trail:Taylor_Mountain
Planning on being out there at 8 and riding until dark. Would be savvy to bring a light though.[/quote]

That looks pretty sweet. Filing away for future reference.

Getting any significant singletrack in is the hard part, even illegally. Capitol Forest is one option, also Gifford Pinchot around Mt. St Helens, and the other I know of is around the Methow Valley: http://www.mvsta.com//SummerRecMap.pdf http://www.winthropwashington.com/biking.html

But neither is quite remote enough to press you into bikepacking it instead of doing all-day loops and car camping.

A friend of a friend did a north to south (or maybe vice versa) bike packing trip across the whole state a few years ago. He did it in two chunks with some time between each leg. Here’s a really rough map of his route on the north end of the state. Looks like he might of started around Rosyln Ridge and found some connectors north that got him to highway 2. Not sure how much trail poaching he had to do to make that work. I would really love to figure out a trip where you got dropped off on 90 and picked up on highway 2, assuming there’s a way to do it without hoping on the PCT.

[/quote]

I’d love to get more info about that having just ridden through a lot of that area (though he stayed west of where we went). It’s downright riddled with rad forest roads that connect to each other but there isn’t much singletrack that connects and is rideable legally or otherwise except around the Methow Area.

The problem with that is what does the person driving the taxi do in between? Think about all those hours of driving solo.

We tried to organize something like that with a second group simultaneously backpacking in the same general area and picking us up on their way back via a different route, but it’s hard enough organizing one trip.

I was thinking an overnight trip situation. It’d probably have to involve two willing taxi drivers. One to drop you off on 90, the other to pick you up on 2 the next day. There are many wives/GFs on my team that don’t ride, or at least wouldn’t be interested in a trip like that, so it seems feasible. Ignoring all the other logistics like a lack of trails legal or otherwise to get you from A to B, of course.

Lulz.

Terrible, I know. But also some truth to it within the SLK core.

Seems like best way to coordinate that sort of sillyness would be to wife-taxi / sup-girl-taxi to the dropoff, and have group camp at the end of it all.

If you go farther east there are more single track options I want to say. Seems like a ride from Ellensburg down into Vantage and then north up the Columbia River Gorge on the west side into Crescent Bar may be an option, but this is just old road memory talking. Need to look at it from a bikepacking point of view.

You coming out tomorrow Scott?

U haul rental from west to east, pulse one taxi driver. Fend for your self once back to the western most point.

I wish I could - I have to work. Going from salaried IT Director/Systems Architect to contracted Systems Engineer, every hour I’m not on the clock is now an hour out of pocket. I already lost a day on Monday and I’m being forced to lose another one on Friday. Miserable way to make a living, whatever the pay.

How long are you in town? When do you leave? I’ve got a spare Karate Monkey (Large) if someone wants to go out mountain biking on Friday or Saturday.

We leave tomorrow afternoon.

Alas. Next time then. Looks like the weather picked up today though. Enjoy yourselves!

That was a great ride! I really enjoyed myself and hope to have more time for a second run next time.

My favorite part was passing the kitted out DH bros after we gave them that huge lead. Full face will not get you to the bottom sooner