[Skookum]

But when you can't bike from injury it beats sitting on the couch.

A pal is in from Wisconsin, so it's nice to get out. Snow Lake just off of 90 in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. 10 miles out and back to Gem Lake with 3200' vert.

Was a nice time, but towards the end of the day all i could think about was how much of a waste the downhill was without a mountain bike.

 

[ultraNoob]

Hiking is lame if you forget to bring your bike for the return trip. 3,200ft decent woulda been hella worth the climb.

 

[Mordax]

nice looking area
ps, hiking is not lame

 

[ATOMICFIREBALL]

You see a whole lot more hiking or trail running !That's the upside.Less hassle of loading the bike & gear too.
Also, most awesome trails are off limits to bikes & horses.

I never see crap really railing the trails on a mountainbike.Well, horse crap sometimes.

 

[splat]

You Hurt Skooks ?

 

[luelling]

Cool pics. I like hiking, but if you hate it don't ever mountain climb. Nothing more boring than moving slowly up a glacier....great view, but boring none the less

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Wadja break this time, Tim?

 

[dhmike]

awesome pics ! snow in the summer , what the frick ?

 

[Skookum]

Hiking is lame if you forget to bring your bike for the return trip. 3,200ft decent woulda been hella worth the climb.

You are correct sir.

nice looking area
ps, hiking is not lame

When compared to Mountain Biking. Yes it is lame.

It's like Road Biking. If there was no such thing as a mountain bike it would be great, but it pales in comparison to the superior cycling experience you get with mountain biking.

You see a whole lot more hiking or trail running !That's the upside.Less hassle of loading the bike & gear too.

To me this is absolutely false. It all depends on how you ride. That's the problem with mountain biking sometimes. It's a Roadie/Hiker hybrid when in the backcountry. You don't have to focus on your heart rate, you can actually stop and smell the flowers.
And hassle of loading the bike and gear? Give me a break, try horse back riding or dirt biking.

Also, most awesome trails are off limits to bikes & horses.

Yes i know, and it's a travesty if you ask me. And there are plenty more trails open to horses than to bikes in the backcountry of Washington State.

I never see crap really railing the trails on a mountainbike.Well, horse crap sometimes.

Maybe you need more time on the saddle. Personally i see just as much as i'm more agile on the bike than on my feet. i look off the trail all the time, i slow/stop, take breaks when appropriate. When i'm on the mountain the clock is the last thing i worry about. As long as i'm off when the sun set's is all i care about.
And when i rail, i look so far ahead of me, that i catch and percieve nature within my periphery that no one understands unless you mountain bike. i rail with grace and flow, it's quite spiritual really.
And finally i hike with my bike quite a bit, sometimes for miles, on steep graded climbs. And i've thrown my bike in the brush many times to hike to a lookout.

If i want to hike where i ride i could not do it in a day hike. i would have to pack gear for overnighters. Screw that, i can get to places and see sights in a quarter of the time, and get way more benefits.

Mountain Biking is superior, many people including mountain bikers seem to not recognize.

You Hurt Skooks ?

A little, just an abdominal tear, i've been aggravating it for a week with bikey and workey. So i've been taking it easy.

Cool pics. I like hiking, but if you hate it don't ever mountain climb. Nothing more boring that moving slowly up a glacier....great view, but boring none the less

i like it too, if i can't mountain bike. But yah, i suppose the only cool thing would be stabbing the ice with an axe, but that would get old in a few minutes....

awesome pics ! snow in the summer , what the frick ?

We get massive snow accumulation in the winter in the mountains here. So in the pic we got the shadow side of the mountain in high elevation. We have lots of glaciers in this state too. On rare occasion we can get snow in the higher elevations in summer, mountain weather does what it wants to do, usually with intensity.

 

[JohnE]

Great pics! Either way, on foot, skiis, a board or on wheels, just being in the mountains rules!
I am so envious. I look out my window and you know what I see? Nothing, because I dont have a window...

 

[Anders]

wow where is that? ive done some hiking on the east coast this summer. only 46 mountains to go before i can join the 4000 footer club :biggrin:

 

[Skookum]

Great pics! Either way, on foot, skiis, a board or on wheels, just being in the mountains rules!
I am so envious. I look out my window and you know what I see? Nothing, because I dont have a window...

i think i would like to XC ski, but the problem is i can't ski worth a crap...

wow where is that? ive done some hiking on the east coast this summer. only 46 mountains to go before i can join the 4000 footer club :biggrin:

Right next to Alpental, absolutely easy access.

http://www.summitatsnoqualmie.com/winter/conditions.asp

 

[Hunter]

Cool pics. Though I would always prefer to mtb, hiking can be decent. Being outdoors in the woods is cool regardless, but I hike a couple days a week cause its great alone time with my wife and I can carry my daughter along too. And I always manage to get some trail work done when I'm hiking...so as to make my next biking experience better. :biggrin:

 

[Skookum]

Cool pics. Though I would always prefer to mtb, hiking can be decent. Being outdoors in the woods is cool regardless, but I hike a couple days a week cause its great alone time with my wife and I can carry my daughter along too. And I always manage to get some trail work done when I'm hiking...so as to make my next biking experience better. :biggrin:

Well that's because you're cooler than Jeebus when it comes to advocacy my friend.:biggrin:

 

[Hunter]

Well that's because you're cooler than Jeebus when it comes to advocacy my friend.:biggrin:

That's like the pot calling the kettle black.

 

[Snacks]

I like hiking, it's relaxing.

 

[Skookum]

I like hiking, it's relaxing.

Yah relaxing in like falling asleep because you're bored relaxing.:biggrin:

Is that Silver Falls in Entiat?

 

[ultraNoob]

awesome pics ! snow in the summer , what the frick ?

most places over 12,000 ft above sea level usually have snow year round. Mt. Ranier at 14,000+ has permanent glacier.

 

[Snacks]

Yah relaxing in like falling asleep because you're bored relaxing.:biggrin:

Is that Silver Falls in Entiat?

Nope, Eagle Creek to Tunnel Falls, West of Hood River, OR.

 

[Skookum]

That's like the pot calling the kettle black.

i don't smoke pot.

 

[dhmike]

most places over 12,000 ft above sea level usually have snow year round. Mt. Ranier at 14,000+ has permanent glacier.

dude,i know this man , i was being a smart ass, look where i'm from.

 

[JRogers]

Hiking is fun fun fun!

I've been hiking many times and, on the descents, wished I had my mountain bike. On longer hikes, I sometimes visualize riding the trail just to keep in interesting. Descending rough trails on foot isn't really that much fun after a while.

 

[ridiculous]

haha that happened to me last weekend. My longing for a bike and spotting lines out loud finally painted the picture of what kind of terrain we ride on for my girlfriend...its going to be twice as hard getting her on a bike now.