Washington Mountain Biking

I took a good part of the summer off from mountain biking to focus on MMA training. I got some good Spring riding in but, training five days a week was kicking my ass for doing anything on the weekends. With Mike, my main riding partner, back in town, we set some serious goals to take advantage of the remainder of the riding season. So far, this late season onslaught has been about discovering new trails and riding some epic descents. Our plan is to hit as many 'big alpine' descents as possible; we've done the 410 Corridor, pretty much, it is time to move farther afield.

Close to town, Eric and Scott showed us the key to unlocking the sweet flow to the trails in the Tokul Complex. Our previous attempts in the area had shown us limited potential, at best. This time out, we were treated to some sweet singletrack: switchbacks, root drops, rocks, and buff forest floor.

Thanks to Eric, who supplied us with good beta, we did two awesome laps on the Poach Next Door. The admission price was worth it, both times. The first time around, we weren't even sure we were in the right place. Steep, buff, and tight, with nice drops and quick maneuvering to keep you on your toes (and poised over the brakes) all the way down. I had trouble getting into the flow on the first lap but, I made up for it the second time around.

Kachess Ridge
Time for an epic descent in the beautiful Central Cascades. The original destination was Little Bald Mountain; a ride I had been wanting to do since last year. Unfortunately, I had trouble getting my rear brake to bleed properly, and we had to wait until Singletrack Cycles opened up in order to set it straight. Well, that blew our original plan so Mike suggested Kachess Ridge, off of I-90. As a 20-mile loop, the eight miles of singletrack are accessed by a 12-mile uphill grunt on Forest Service roads. Mike had ridden Kachess Ridge the week before; he called me on the road home from that ride and told me the price of admission was worth the payoff. I knew it had to be sweet. The climb gains about 3,200', all in the last five miles. It was good training for some bigger rides we have planned.

We left the road at a beautiful saddle looking down into French Cabin Basin. We dropped into the basin and traversed across to another saddle. I dubbed this saddle "Flat Tire Pass", as I got a flat tire during the last hike-a-bike section to reach it. Immediately, the trail drops away and deposits you into a series of beautiful sub-alpine meadows, followed by beautiful forests. Drop after drop, bermed sweepers, sweet root sections, and awesome Cascade forests continue to deliver for eight mindblowing miles. 'How can this trail continue to deliver?', you will ask yourself. At each break, Mike and I were grinning ear-to-ear. The final mile, or so, has been pretty chewed by horses; it just forces you to use different skills to get it clean. Awesome ride; I'm sure we'll do it again this season.