[Jr_Bullit]

Hizors strangers It's me a once-upon-a-timer on the RM forums.

Anywho - Steve and I want to do one final "epic" ride in the US-PNW before I officially move to Canadia and then take off for 5 months road-trippin it around the states and such. I've ALWAYS wanted to ride the smokin mountain...(some of you on here have shared your adventures with me, and I have to say, I'm green with envy...)

So - August 20th - or the weekend of anywho - (we may go on the 21st cuz I have some dumb final company picnic to deal with at 3pm on the 20th) we want to ride Mt. St. Helens...

But, I gotstasay, it's kinda hard to plan on like a super cool adventure two weeks from now when I don't even know where the trailhead is...so I was hoping that those in the know might be willing to cough up some trail beta?

Puhleease???

Mebe some of you might wanna come riding with us and show me how outta biking shape I am at this stage of life?

Lemme know - I'm hoping I'm not so uncool to be around these days that no one responds at all (how low in life can a biker gal get if no one even responds to her weird random infrequent posts)? hehehe.

Ta then,

Jen

 

[Toshi]

i'd come, but i have sworn off long rides with Skookum (assuming he will be the trusty guide). no ride = no bonk. heh

 

[Jr_Bullit]

i'd come, but i have sworn off long rides with Skookum (assuming he will be the trusty guide). no ride = no bonk. heh

Aww man - you can stay in the back with me

 

[Jr_Bullit]

i'd come, but i have sworn off long rides with Skookum (assuming he will be the trusty guide). no ride = no bonk. heh

Oh, and yes - Skookum did confirm that he'd be game for leading us on some mountain time fun. Much appreciated by Steve and I who have both very much enjoyed riding with Tim.

 

[ioscope]

YOu bonked 'cuz UR a pussy!
We all bonk though... sometimes we even puke!

 

[boostindoubles]

i rode there last summer, and the trail we took up into the plains of abraham, was the ape canyon trail. I cant remember the directions to the trailhead, but with some searching you should be able to find it. Its a pretty popular trail. Another trail we rode that was alot of fun up there was the falls creek shuttle trail. The last couple miles are bombin fast down a steep hill. it was f-in good times on both trails.

 

[Skookum]

i'd come, but i have sworn off long rides with Skookum (assuming he will be the trusty guide). no ride = no bonk. heh

Maybe if you'd stop carrying 50 lbs. of camera equipment, you'd have a better time.

i'm still amazed at how people on this forum actually think i'm a hammerhead. These are the true crazies. Cough cough Borneo cough cough......

 

[oly]

SMITH CREEK LOOP!!!!! Go to MTBR.com\washington and "search". Maps and info galore.... not sure what im doing that weekend, but if i was free not sure if i'd want to do that one again...... haha..... bring plenty of water...

 

[Jr_Bullit]

Yo skooks...you best be tellin me if my standard camelback water supply won't be enough for a coupla bikin lazies (okay, maybe I should keep that finger pointed only at me...since Steve never seems to get enough of long rides and climbs...)
What trail do you have in mind? Is it what Oly refers to?

 

[Skookum]

Yo skooks...you best be tellin me if my standard camelback water supply won't be enough for a coupla bikin lazies (okay, maybe I should keep that finger pointed only at me...since Steve never seems to get enough of long rides and climbs...)
What trail do you have in mind? Is it what Oly refers to?

We've got 2 route possibilities. Ape Canyon/Plains of Abraham as an out and back, or the Smith Creek Loop which is the same trail plus Windy Ridge trail which adds more miles, and more elevation climb, but gives you solitude on the descent since Ape Canyon is pretty popular with everybody, you can't really rip it down.
Both ways you get the Plains which is the best part of the ride.
From speculation i gather that starting from the Cougar side is the easiest way to go.

 

[Borneo]

I guess I'm already busy that weekend...

It's definately a must do. Even if you just ride up Ape Canyon to the plains of Abe and head back. there's a reason people come from all ove the country to ride there.

 

[Jr_Bullit]

I think the additional mileage sounds fun, and I don't mind climbing...I'm just slow on the descending part (or anything...y'know...technical and stuff).

I'd rather avoid large crowds personally...

 

[PsychO!1]

The round trip from windy ridge to smith creek to ape canyon to plains of abraham to windy ridge is an epic adventure!!! One of the toughest, and most memorable rides of my life. 29ish miles and 4500ish feet of climbing. Expect the 8 hour range for this ride.

 

[Toshi]

8 hours is over my head even without my huge pack-o'-camera-gear. have fun, kids

 

[Jr_Bullit]

The round trip from windy ridge to smith creek to ape canyon to plains of abraham to windy ridge is an epic adventure!!! One of the toughest, and most memorable rides of my life. 29ish miles and 4500ish feet of climbing. Expect the 8 hour range for this ride.

You wanna come on this epic? Steve's been asking about you all you guys who came on the Green Mountain ride. We're both super bummed we're gonna miss Chantrelle season in the PNW...y'all HAVE to go up and fill a napsack with those beauties and make some tasty pasta and take a digi pic for us so we can be envious!

 

[PsychO!1]

You wanna come on this epic? Steve's been asking about you all you guys who came on the Green Mountain ride. We're both super bummed we're gonna miss Chantrelle season in the PNW...y'all HAVE to go up and fill a napsack with those beauties and make some tasty pasta and take a digi pic for us so we can be envious!

Thanks for the invite, but i've already done this ride once this year. It's a once a year epic ride.
I would love to ride you and Steve again, let me know if you have anymore rides planned before you leave.

 

[Jr_Bullit]

Well if we don't have a chance before we head out, we sure will when we come back...or I will - I hear Vancouver isn't much for XC style riding, so I suspect my bike and I will make frequent trips south of the border for play.

 

[Jr_Bullit]

Skooks - you still on for Sunday?

 

[Skookum]

Skooks - you still on for Sunday?

Yes but..... check your pms. neaky:

 

[PsychO!1]

Here is a a little tease of what to expect.

 

[Megan Black]

... I would love to ride you and Steve again...

kinky.

hey jb, i might be interested in that ride, now that i'm closer to mt. st. helens. you doin' it this weekend??? hmmm.....

 

[PsychO!1]

kinky.

hey jb, i might be interested in that ride.....

Really?? :evil:

Hahahaha...I think i forgot a 'with' in there somewhere.

 

[Megan Black]

Really?? :evil:

hehe, good one

 

[Jr_Bullit]

Woah boy - take some time offa the monkey, and you totally forget the typing interludes .

Anywho - ya this weekend - though Skooks will have to post the details he knows where we're headed.

 

[Skookum]

We're headed to Blue Lake Ridge and other trails in the Gifford Pinchot Forest, which is on the other side of Mt. St. Helens. South of Randle off of White Pass.

It's a bit closer for us, might add a little more of a drive for Portlanders, but it'd be worth it....

 

[oly]

Sunday still?? Whats the time frame?

 

[Jr_Bullit]

Sunday sunday....but the times'll have to be set by skooks - we're just gonna get up early and drive on down.

 

[Skookum]

Sunday still?? Whats the time frame?

2 shuttle possibilities, one long, one crazy longer, i'm stoked for either.... Got room in the Subie for you, Jen, and Steve. So if the Psycho's come there will be a van for all. haha.

Blue Lake Ridge-Yozoo-Hamilton Buttes
19.9 miles (Yes Damon i'm not frikking lying i just got my GT map and it show 19.9, trippy....)
3300 feet climbing 5400 feet descending

Boundary-Juniper Ridge-Tongue Mountain
25.5 miles
4700 feet up 8000 feet of descent.... wow.

That one is a biggy though, but like i said, i'm down for either.

Start early, like meet near Randle at 8ish so we can start on the trail around 9 to 10. That way we can be done by dark. :evil:
Both rides should be unforgettable, in a good way, after all i'm leadin em.

 

[Serial Midget]

Engh... I'm doing the West Fork trail out of lake Sylvia, and epic 12 mile adventure with 600 feet of climb and 600 feet of descent.

 

[Skookum]

Engh... I'm doing the West Fork trail out of lake Sylvia, and epic 12 mile adventure with 600 feet of climb and 600 feet of descent.

if i did that ride i'd ride into the water so as to add another foot of descent and climb.

Bring your truck and your pals out for a super shuttle Midge!

 

[Serial Midget]

if i did that ride i'd ride into the water so as to add another foot of descent and climb.

Bring your truck and your pals out for a super shuttle Midge!

What? Submerge my hubs??? Thats crazy man, crazy.

 

[Skookum]

What? Submerge my hubs??? Thats crazy man, crazy.

i'm gonna buy a Cyclocross bike and ride it to Singapore. Wish me luck.

 

[Skookum]

So uhm a little feedback guys D and J.... Yay for Blue Lake shuttle or Yay for fatty Juniper Ridge shuttle....

Both of em should give us great views of the volcano's and more..... all the elevation is the best "cumulative" guess based on my maps. One is on one side of the Cispus River and the other is on the other side. i know that Juniper will take longer for ride time and will take longer for shuttle, but has to be way more epic, i've heard people rave about it. The shuttle roads are easy grade, and mostly paved.....

 

[Jr_Bullit]

K - I'm gonna have to run it past steve...the Juniper Ridge sounds neat...but I know I'm outta biking-shape too...I don't want to drag the group down too much...but still 8000 feet of downhill...steep or not so steep you think? It's also only a 6 mile difference...so either way, by the time you hit 20 miles, you might as well go another 5 or 6 ...

 

[Skookum]

by the time you hit 20 miles, you might as well go another 5 or 6 ...

haha easier said than done.... Let's see what Steve says and also Damon also said he wanted to keep whatever ride we do to below 20 miles so maybe Blue Lake Buttes would be the ticket.
i know we can tackle Blue Lake Buttes ride, but we gotta have group gusto and plenty of gu packs and powerbars to attempt the Juniper.
i mean it's kinda like the big diving board on the deep side of the pool, we can't hestitate on Juniper haha. But Blue Lake Buttes is like the medium sized board still fun with a plentiful amount of good descent.

 

[Jr_Bullit]

Steve - the crazy biker dood that he is - thinks we should exercise caution since me - the slow rider is tagging along and maybe stick to the shorter ride.

But I leave it to the vote - what do the rest of you want to do?

 

[Skookum]

Here's what we would see at the top of Yozoo trail....

 

[oly]

You and your panno's....

I'd be up for the shorter as well. Im riding saturday and may be a bit tired and sore.

 

[Megan Black]

welp, isn't that funy, now I'm up in Seattle for the weekend/week

anyone want to carpool? i'm so po!

I'm staying in Bothell

 

[Skookum]

welp, isn't that funy, now I'm up in Seattle for the weekend/week

anyone want to carpool? i'm so po!

I'm staying in Bothell

Can you make it to Des Moines/Kent Park and Ride off of I-5 (Just east of the freeway exit left on Military Rd.) in the morning.
If so you can jump aboard my rig, but then i'm gonna have to get creative on the shuttle situation.
(i might have that part figured out if another pal goes...)
Either that or we'll just overload the Thule hitch rack i got, just up the shuttle hill which won't be a big deal....

So shorter route it is.
Which is good i was kind of thinking the Juniper route might be biting off more than we can chew.