Teanaway, Part II

Part I was a truncated ride up Miller Peak, which is chronicled here:

Digging Deep on Miller Peak

One week later, and much convalesced, we headed back into the Teanaway to get some more mileage in this beautiful area before the snows shut things down. We decided on a counterclockwise ride of what is known as the "5 Drainages" ride. Most people do it in a clockwise direction to take advantage of the beautiful, buff trail descending 1,800' down the Eldorado Creek drainage. Mike, however, had heard that counterclockwise would set us up for a beautiful 3,100' descent. An early start from the West Side found us in Cle Elum well before first light; we camped out in the Pioneer Coffee Roasting Co. and sipped mexican mochas until the sky started to get light.

The fall colors were even more brilliant than the previous week, but the weather looked even better. We were off by 0800, after Mike set up his 2007 Specialized Enduro rental bike for me to try out. The nine road miles cruised by and we started up the Eldorado Creek trail; most of it is 'hike-a-bike' so, we consigned ourselves to pushing. We rode where we could and, once I got the feel of it, the '07 Enduro climbed very well. I was very impressed with the ProPedal adjustment on the Fox DHX Air Shock. As we climbed higher, the scenery got better and better: the trees opened up, the ridges and snowcapped peaks rose up around us, and the beautiful, rust-red volcanic rock of the Teanaway began to appear. Suddenly, we were at the saddle and could see down into the Beverly Creek Drainage, North to the Stuart Range and the Enchantments, and West to the heart of the Central Cascades.

As a sidetrip (unintended), we pushed our bikes to the summit of Iron Peak's second summit (6,510'). We found a register, placed by the Mountaineers, at the high point, and then got set up for the descent. The descent back to the saddle was interesting, mostly for the surroundings and position in the high alpine. After some videography, we dropped into the drainage and started the good-ness. The upper third, or half even, of this trail is no slouch of a descent; you can't just point it straight and go. There are 'babyheads', sharp jogs, and other potential day-killers along the way that keep you on your toes and your brakes. One thing I had noticed is that the beefy build, and stiff front hub, of the '07 Enduro rolled through (and over) stuff that would have collapsed my '04 Enduro. This was a whole new All-Mountain weapon.

After crossing two huge scree fields, the trail finally started to buff up, as it entered the lower-elevation forest. It was then that I finally started to get comfortable with the '07 Enduro. I was able to get low and stuff it into corners in ways I could never have done on my '04. The beefier, stiffer components, the larger brake rotors, and the altered geometry lent more confidence when attacking things straight on. It truly is a great bikel; Specialized definitely has the formula, in my opinion. As we descended lower, the trail began to open up and we rocketed towards to trailhead. In the end, we cut the overall ride short due to all the filming, and such, that we did. It didn't matter, though, as it was a great day in the mountains, and a great close to the high alpine riding for the season.

For those who lack reading skills, here is a media interpretation of the above account: Iron Peak/Beverly Creek