Martin Creek/Cooney Lake/Angels Staircase/Summit/Eagle Lakes
24 miles, 5000' cumulative
A club ride that's been ongoing for nearly 9 or 10 years. Ask the ride leader and he's simply lost track. It's not hard to lose track i'm sure after so many quality yearly rides here.
Attack the steeper sections.
A ride that you keep coming back to after 10 years must certainly meet a high criteria. It certainly brought me back for another run. Even though i only made it to Cooney Lake where the combination of snow and frozen feet turned me back.
A nice alpine climb thru larch, rock and pine.
No better place to be in Autumn than the high back country of the North Cascades. That is unless you get caught in the snow with summer spd's...
But this year hardly a cloud, a very crisp clear day. Excellent day for a hearty climb.
Last year was somewhat of a dissapointment, in that i really wanted to venture past Cooney Lake and summit on Angels Staircase. Not much of problem since it's only another 800' hike a bike up to the top. Only thing is to finish the loop you are commited to drop down into a valley then make another ascent well over 1000' up to Horsehead Pass before you get to the downhill. Last year with popsicles for feet i thought better of it, this year i put the bike on my back and hiked...
Cooney Lake trail.
Up top of the ridge at 8000' above the Okanogan basin and into North Cascades, the Alps of North America.
Angels Staircase above Merchants Basin and Sunrise Lake.
A little further up at a nice viewpoint where if you look hard enough 2 riders going opposite our direction below on Summit Trail. Our parties passed each other on the very technical rocky downhill section of Angels Staircase Trail.
Possibly the most intense and outstanding viewpoint i've ever been on, on bike.
Above the treeline...
AngelsStaircasePanorama Starting East
Finally our hapless leader rolled to join back with the group. He spaced out his helmet back at Cooney Lake and had to run back down to fetch it after already climbing halfway up the big hike a bike section.
Low key guys don't really aren't big on praise, but i'm taking time to give some appreciation to this guy. Not only being an outstanding rider he's extremely pro-active in advocacy, and a gigantic part of the ongoing success that is Collonade Mt. Bike Park under I-5 in Seattle.
Kudos man...
This ride has plenty of worthy worthy descent. And while i don't have photographic proof, i just don't care, i'm having way too much fun to care haha. But on the way down a rocky treacherous descent we passed a rather large party taking a near opposite loop of what we took. Not suprising since this ride took place during Winthrop Bike Festival. A pretty fun shindig held nearby annually with racing, beer and all that stuff.
So after a long smooth fast stretch along Summit Trail, it was time to get the climbing legs running for a rocky climb up to Horsehead Pass.
Me i was pretty beat so i did alot of walking on section that if i had any energy left would certainly be fun to attempt to spin over. At any rate i never feel too bad about hiking a tad especially when the views just don't stop.
To the left the trail up to Horsehead Pass and below near the lake where we started our final ascent.
The ridge above Boiling Lake
A sight for weary eyes, when you can look up the trail and see sky instead of tree and rock. Usually means the top is not too far...
Goody gumdrops it's time for some descent! Finish up by dropping 3000' in about 6 miles. My DHX air finally had taken too much abuse, after squeezing out a signifigant amount of air my sag was set more than halfway. Knocking on heavens door on the descent down this Godly descent, i would hear the metal clunk of my frame bottoming out after every small drop and g-out. i could care less for i was having much too much fun to stop and ask if i could borrow a shock pump from anyone.
Angels Staircase, one of the best mountain rides on the planet.
24 miles, 5000' cumulative
A club ride that's been ongoing for nearly 9 or 10 years. Ask the ride leader and he's simply lost track. It's not hard to lose track i'm sure after so many quality yearly rides here.
Attack the steeper sections.
A ride that you keep coming back to after 10 years must certainly meet a high criteria. It certainly brought me back for another run. Even though i only made it to Cooney Lake where the combination of snow and frozen feet turned me back.
A nice alpine climb thru larch, rock and pine.
No better place to be in Autumn than the high back country of the North Cascades. That is unless you get caught in the snow with summer spd's...
But this year hardly a cloud, a very crisp clear day. Excellent day for a hearty climb.
Last year was somewhat of a dissapointment, in that i really wanted to venture past Cooney Lake and summit on Angels Staircase. Not much of problem since it's only another 800' hike a bike up to the top. Only thing is to finish the loop you are commited to drop down into a valley then make another ascent well over 1000' up to Horsehead Pass before you get to the downhill. Last year with popsicles for feet i thought better of it, this year i put the bike on my back and hiked...
Cooney Lake trail.
Up top of the ridge at 8000' above the Okanogan basin and into North Cascades, the Alps of North America.
Angels Staircase above Merchants Basin and Sunrise Lake.
A little further up at a nice viewpoint where if you look hard enough 2 riders going opposite our direction below on Summit Trail. Our parties passed each other on the very technical rocky downhill section of Angels Staircase Trail.
Possibly the most intense and outstanding viewpoint i've ever been on, on bike.
Above the treeline...
AngelsStaircasePanorama Starting East
Finally our hapless leader rolled to join back with the group. He spaced out his helmet back at Cooney Lake and had to run back down to fetch it after already climbing halfway up the big hike a bike section.
Low key guys don't really aren't big on praise, but i'm taking time to give some appreciation to this guy. Not only being an outstanding rider he's extremely pro-active in advocacy, and a gigantic part of the ongoing success that is Collonade Mt. Bike Park under I-5 in Seattle.
Kudos man...
This ride has plenty of worthy worthy descent. And while i don't have photographic proof, i just don't care, i'm having way too much fun to care haha. But on the way down a rocky treacherous descent we passed a rather large party taking a near opposite loop of what we took. Not suprising since this ride took place during Winthrop Bike Festival. A pretty fun shindig held nearby annually with racing, beer and all that stuff.
So after a long smooth fast stretch along Summit Trail, it was time to get the climbing legs running for a rocky climb up to Horsehead Pass.
Me i was pretty beat so i did alot of walking on section that if i had any energy left would certainly be fun to attempt to spin over. At any rate i never feel too bad about hiking a tad especially when the views just don't stop.
To the left the trail up to Horsehead Pass and below near the lake where we started our final ascent.
The ridge above Boiling Lake
A sight for weary eyes, when you can look up the trail and see sky instead of tree and rock. Usually means the top is not too far...
Goody gumdrops it's time for some descent! Finish up by dropping 3000' in about 6 miles. My DHX air finally had taken too much abuse, after squeezing out a signifigant amount of air my sag was set more than halfway. Knocking on heavens door on the descent down this Godly descent, i would hear the metal clunk of my frame bottoming out after every small drop and g-out. i could care less for i was having much too much fun to stop and ask if i could borrow a shock pump from anyone.
Angels Staircase, one of the best mountain rides on the planet.
but I think I maybe living in the wrong state. Awesome riding!!!!!!!!! 
