Hey! I have a hankerin' for a big ride like Suntop or Kachess Ridge this weekend. Anybody know if these trails are clear of snow yet?
Muchos Gracias!
Muchos Gracias!
Snow Report? Suntop, etc?
- Thread starter Denny
- Start date
I would expect those trails would be rideable around the same time that Garbanzo opens up at Whister...maybe a week or so after that.
I'm with Borneo - there's one way to find out. Since you asked...
I'm with Borneo - there's one way to find out. Since you asked...
Hehe... I had enough fun the last time I tried Kachess in June, thank you.
How about Devil's Gulch? Anyone?
How about Devil's Gulch? Anyone?
We rode Suntops on June 4th. The road up had no snow on it, and the beginning of the trail had no snow on it either for quite a ways. We thought we were home free. But it was fiendishly deceptive...once the trail topped out for the most part is when we kept running into sections of snow that we had to push through. Small at first, then you would have an open section where you would get your hopes up until you hit the next snowbank, this time a little larger. Each time the snow patches got larger and larger and larger.
One guy in our group bonked, hard. He was laying down and resting on the trail while I carried his bike (and mine) through the snow patches. We were following 2 other sets of tracks through the snow, hoping that they knew where they were going when they went. Without those tracks (and the faith that they knew where they were going!) we wouldn't have been able to find the trail. At one point I felt like Shackleton on the Endurance.
Finally the snow cleared after the up/down traverses, when the trail consistently headed down. But our friend was too far gone. We took the forest road (at the break in the trail partway down the descent) back down to 410.
Nutshell: snow, yes. Ride, no.
One guy in our group bonked, hard. He was laying down and resting on the trail while I carried his bike (and mine) through the snow patches. We were following 2 other sets of tracks through the snow, hoping that they knew where they were going when they went. Without those tracks (and the faith that they knew where they were going!) we wouldn't have been able to find the trail. At one point I felt like Shackleton on the Endurance.
Finally the snow cleared after the up/down traverses, when the trail consistently headed down. But our friend was too far gone. We took the forest road (at the break in the trail partway down the descent) back down to 410.
Nutshell: snow, yes. Ride, no.
Reports I've heard are that DG and MR are open at the saddle and there's snow froim the parking lot down. So, if you ride up, you can do the loop. Same with Up Ranger, down Palisades.
Kachess may be a while yet. But, probably on the back side at the short trail climb after the long road climb.
Kachess may be a while yet. But, probably on the back side at the short trail climb after the long road climb.
Are these reports pretty typical for the trails in the area? I know that we had a good snow year this year and it's been wet for most of this year. How does this year compare to recent years?
Mike
Mike
Yes, this is fairly "normal". Last year was an anomaly with such a low snow pack. We were able to get up into the high country early and often last year. Just follow the snow line and work your way up. Some of the higher rides like Duncan and Pyramid at 8K may not be snow free but for a few weeks this year. If at all.
Mike, the WA forum of MTBR has more of the high country crowd than this site and you'll have a better pulse on what's non-shuttleable and when it's snow free there.
Mike, the WA forum of MTBR has more of the high country crowd than this site and you'll have a better pulse on what's non-shuttleable and when it's snow free there.
Done and thanks for the info.Borneo said:
Little Bald Mountain is ready but everybody on MTBR says the descent sucks. But i'm riding there tomorrow because the way i figure it alot of those guys get oxygen deprived while climbing 5000 feet.
Anyways Fawn Ridge is ready, ran into a pal of mine who rode it a few weeks back. Fawn Ridge is basically the bottom section of the Suntop ride. And in my opinion is the best part because the upper section of SunnyTop is boring to me. You access the trail on Buck Creek Rd.
i climbed up Ranger and did Palasaides, but Dalles Ridge still has snow not too far above the shelter.
http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=157322
Anyways Fawn Ridge is ready, ran into a pal of mine who rode it a few weeks back. Fawn Ridge is basically the bottom section of the Suntop ride. And in my opinion is the best part because the upper section of SunnyTop is boring to me. You access the trail on Buck Creek Rd.
i climbed up Ranger and did Palasaides, but Dalles Ridge still has snow not too far above the shelter.
http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=157322
Skookum said:
Fawn Ridge is awesome!