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Best trails for riding in rain

Big B

Big B

Monkey
Oct 20, 2004
427
0
Lynnwood, Washington
Anybody have opinions about what trails are the best to ride in a deluge? Nothing like 20 something days of continuous rain to muck up even the best trails.

My current vote goes to SeaTac.

 
oly

oly

skin cooker for the hive
Dec 6, 2001
5,118
6
Witness relocation housing
Green Mountain is on my list for best rain places. Its pretty rocky out there. The mud pits you do hit are pretty small.

SST is probably good because its real sandy there.
 
RhinofromWA

RhinofromWA

Brevity R Us
Aug 16, 2001
4,622
0
Lynnwood, WA
trailhacker said:
I thought the BBTC asked specifically not to ride at St. Ed's in the rain? Or winter for that matter?
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Did they?

I thought that St Eds held up great in the winter. :confused:

If that is so, I withdraw my statement. Anyone know for sure?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just searched their website and didn't see anything that mentioned it being to wet to ride at St Eds....they did cancel a ride at SST because of 25 days of rain.

The St Eds trail listing did not mention staying away until it dries. *shrug* I think it is OK.......but someone speak up if I am wrong. If I am wrong I don't want to be passing out erroneous information.

Rhino
 
RhinofromWA

RhinofromWA

Brevity R Us
Aug 16, 2001
4,622
0
Lynnwood, WA
tadrscin said:
St. Eds does not hold up will in the rain and becomes quite muddy. According to Zilly it's considered a sensitive trail system that shouldn't be ridden when it rains a lot.
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Hmmmm Hasn't been my experience. *shrug* Good to know.

What/Who is Zilly? (Rhino is ignorant) :)
 
RhinofromWA

RhinofromWA

Brevity R Us
Aug 16, 2001
4,622
0
Lynnwood, WA
oly said:
Screw Zilly Rhino... go riding. :) Besides it shouldnt be so crowded....
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:D

I am just trying to give out good information. I bet there is something more recent (I couldn't find it) saying they don't want people riding St Eds after 20 some odd days of rain.

I actually think St Eds is one of the better winter riding areas. There are some spots of mud but if you stick to the main trails that is almost nothing.

I get most of my riding in during the week commuting with my bike (while bussing)
 
Snacks

Snacks

Turbo Monkey
Feb 20, 2003
3,523
0
GO! SEAHAWKS!
tadrscin said:
St. Eds does not hold up will in the rain and becomes quite muddy. According to Zilly it's considered a sensitive trail system that shouldn't be ridden when it rains a lot.
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I agree, Ed's sucks when it's wet out. No drainage at all.

Galby is pretty good in the rain.
 
Big B

Big B

Monkey
Oct 20, 2004
427
0
Lynnwood, Washington
Funny, the inspiration for this thread was my ride at St. Eds on Sunday. It was actually pretty busy with joggers, dog walkers and mountain bikes. It was also an absolute mud-fest.

I've done a couple trail partys there and no matter how much we implement drainage, there is so much dead-fall before winter that the drains get plugged quickly and trails become muck from the decomposing leaves.

I may be wrong, but I think the main problem with riding there when it rains a lot, is that people go wide on (go around) all the puddles and erode the trail. If your going to ride there, it's better for the trail to go through the puddles. Just plan on getting really wet.

 
Big B

Big B

Monkey
Oct 20, 2004
427
0
Lynnwood, Washington
btw. There is another trailwork party at St. Eds next Saturday the 21st.

http://bbtc.org/recreation/calendar.php?event_id=3705

This is a great way to give back to the community and show how mountain bikers take care of local multi-use trails so everyone can enjoy them. Good PR. :thumb:

You'll also note that the BBTC, who sponsors this trail work is encouraging you to ride the trails afterwards. I guess that means they're open.

 
Big B

Big B

Monkey
Oct 20, 2004
427
0
Lynnwood, Washington
largextracheese said:
I'd have to say Lake Sawyer. I've rode every trail system in the area and Lake Sawyer always amazes me at how good the trails hold up.
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So when we going? I haven't seen you since Whistler with my gimped wrist.

 
Netguy

Netguy

Monkey
Nov 8, 2004
609
0
Whistler
Woodlot. Considering this place has built in drainage, it holds up great in the winter. It is closed now though, cause of the un-usual weather.
 
zmtber

zmtber

Turbo Monkey
Aug 13, 2005
2,435
0
if it was here in the WC i would recomend not riding, it just destroys the trails, just wait
 
Str8OutaBallard

Str8OutaBallard

Monkey
Jun 18, 2004
945
0
I say stevens pass... get your self stuck in chest level pow and take a break from the mud... it's good for ya... but i'd take a break from stevens to ride woodlot...
 
largextracheese

largextracheese

Monkey
Jan 24, 2004
475
0
Duthie
"So when we going? I haven't seen you since Whistler with my gimped wrist."

Pretty soon my man. Been getting out frequently enough as of late to satisfy my bike needs during the sloppy season. I'll give you a ring when I'm heading out next time. Good to hear the wrist is good. Heard you wiped out you're back/leg? with the Sumner boys?
 
Big B

Big B

Monkey
Oct 20, 2004
427
0
Lynnwood, Washington
largextracheese said:
Heard you wiped out you're back/leg? with the Sumner boys?
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Hmmm, not sure about that? I wipe out often enough but I haven't hurt my legs yet. I dislocated my shoulder for the first time in November, and then hurt it again :dead: when riding with Jason at some secret spot. But now that my wrist is healed, I can actually use my hand to keep my shoulder from taking all the abuse when I wreck.

I'm in pretty good shape, for now...


 
B

Borneo

Turbo Monkey
Mar 22, 2004
1,010
0
Duvall
"ACFL" = Anacortes Community Forest Lands

Otherwise known as Cranberry, Whistle, and Heart lake areas.

I'll second Skooks on Griffin. It drains really well. More mud on the access road than in the trail system. But, both Metcalf Trust and Fort Ebey on Whidbey are good too. Maps can be found at Traxmaps.com

Last week I heard that Sawyer was a mud pit. And, it's only been raining there ever since.

Conditions have been so good up at the pass that I'm sticking with the snow thing for a while.
 
B

Borneo

Turbo Monkey
Mar 22, 2004
1,010
0
Duvall
Hehehehe. 27" at Alpental and I was in it.
7 non-stopper runs down Internationale before lunch.....

Biking? What's biking?
 
Str8OutaBallard

Str8OutaBallard

Monkey
Jun 18, 2004
945
0
Fri and Mon were some killer snow... I can't wait for this spring; when you can snowboard and ride bikes on the same lift ticket at whistler...

and on the way home from Stevens there's a trail w/an open gate... or at least last time I seen it whacked w/a blowtorch...

that was fun last year after boarding... someday I'm gonna enter the crud to mud or what ever it's called at whistler...
 
Skookum

Skookum

bikey's is cool
Jul 26, 2002
10,184
0
in a bear cave
oly said:
How was ACFL anyways??
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Was alot of fun, went and explored a counterclockwise loop thru Little Cranberry , i'm starting to really get a handle on navigating thru the area. But the area is a total breeze since every single trail is numbered.
 
evilbob

evilbob

Monkey
Mar 17, 2002
948
0
Everett, Wa
Skookum said:
Was alot of fun, went and explored a counterclockwise loop thru Little Cranberry , i'm starting to really get a handle on navigating thru the area. But the area is a total breeze since every single trail is numbered.
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When did you go back up?
 
Skookum

Skookum

bikey's is cool
Jul 26, 2002
10,184
0
in a bear cave
evilbob said:
When did you go back up?
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Me and Daniel went up there last Sunday. We went down that section where we hiked up last time. Totally fun little dh section, just like i knew it was gonna be.:)
Plus all the trail along the north outskirts of the lake is nice and flowy and rolly, with a little techy. That place is great.
 
evilbob

evilbob

Monkey
Mar 17, 2002
948
0
Everett, Wa
Skookum said:
Me and Daniel went up there last Sunday. We went down that section where we hiked up last time. Totally fun little dh section, just like i knew it was gonna be.:)
Plus all the trail along the north outskirts of the lake is nice and flowy and rolly, with a little techy. That place is great.
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Yea great place year round. I was supposed to trail guide this Sat. but the recent string of wet days worried a few about taking 15+ riders out onto trails that got a little more than normal water. Also I have been very very sick for about a week now so that wasn't making me look forward to a ride I was really looking forward to. The ride has been moved to Feb 25th now and became instantly full on the BBTC calendar. I know it's full but if ya want to go I know there is gonna be openings for a few guest riders. You can do the loop that we normally do around Little Cranberry and then those that are still in need of more riding can go over to Heart and we can hit some of that or .....
 
coiler7

coiler7

Monkey
May 30, 2005
133
0
Kent, WA
been way too long & jonesing bad ( :help: ) for some sawyer riding. putting skinnier wheelset on the kona for some slow trail riding & minor sessioning over there, say 1030-ish. i know the entire network well, so if anyone's interested,
 
Earthmover

Earthmover

Chimp
Feb 25, 2002
88
0
Terra Forma
Borneo said:
"ACFL" = Anacortes Community Forest Lands

Otherwise known as Cranberry, Whistle, and Heart lake areas.

I'll second Skooks on Griffin. It drains really well. More mud on the access road than in the trail system. But, both Metcalf Trust and Fort Ebey on Whidbey are good too. Maps can be found at Traxmaps.com
Click to expand...
Or you could PM me, and I'll take you around Ft. Ebey or Metcalf trust, I could use an excuse to get out...
 
C

classicBlur

Chimp
Sep 15, 2005
3
0
On the Burke Gilman
I rode Tokul East last Sunday and the trails were in really good shape. I will be riding at the Tapeworm this Sunday and I think this place drains really well.
Fort Ebey, Moran, and Anacortes all hold up pretty well but require much more driving for me.

I find Sawyer, Tokul West, St. Ed's and Tolt to be very muddy in the rainy months.

During the week at night I stick with trails in and around the Powerline trail in Redmond. Not much singletrack but good hills not too much mud.

dbcb
 
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