[Big B]

I'm heading to Carnation today after work for the first time to see what the trails are like.

Any opinions on which is better to ride, Griffin Creek or Tolt McDonald/Ames Lake Tree Farm?

..maybe I can just hit them both if I go early enough?

 

[oxygen_77]

I think Tolt might be a bit soggy at the top right now (at least the fireroads) but it could still be fun on your Giant. If you wanted to ride your VTach somewhere, I wouldn't suggest Tolt. Haven't ridden the other trails, but I've heard the Tree Farm is cool and has some dangerous stunts

 

[Big B]

I brought the AC'1 today expecting to hit some pretty muddy trails. If the Tree Farm has stunts, that would weigh heavily in its favor.

 

[Borneo]

Yeah, Tolt will be muddy for sure. Griffin won't. I was out in Tokul East yesterday and the trails are pretty dry.
Stunts? Riiight. There's one small unused line in one area in Tokul West and a piss poor attempt at some in East. Hardly worth bringing out the big bike. The AC-1 will be fine. I'm thinking that Oxygen is talking about the Hancock Timber land which includes Griffin. (No stunts there...)
Most of the stuff at Tolt is actually on Port Blakely tree farm property and again, no real stunts out there either. Just the little rock ramp on Shaefer.
If you're out at griffin, make sure to climb the gravel road by the pit and hit Conspiracy and Beer Can Alley. Flowy gravity XC fun on Conspiracy. Beer Can is the XC trail heading NE out to the power lines.

BTW: It's possible to sample both. For sure. You could kill 3 hours plus in Tolt. Griffin would be about 2 plus if you rode it the right way. But, some confusing junctions my spin you around. depends on how much time you have.

 

[oxygen_77]

Stunts? Riiight. There's one small unused line in one area in Tokul West and a piss poor attempt at some in East. Hardly worth bringing out the big bike. The AC-1 will be fine. I'm thinking that Oxygen is talking about the Hancock Timber land which includes Griffin. (No stunts there...)

Yeah, I don't know what I'm talking about because I've never been there... I only heard that the stunts were dangerous. Does piss-poor = dangerous?

 

[Borneo]

In this case it does...

 

[Big B]

Good enough. I think I'll go with Griffin first. If I'm not drenched, I'll scout out Tolt and see what's there. I hope it doesn't get dark to soon. That could make things interesting...

 

[Borneo]

The easiest way to navigate griffin is to head out Griffin Creek road past the gate(not the one on the left/up as you go in...) and take the first hard left at the road. Veer right and take the first road up just past the gravel pit. Ride oab on Beer can off the top and then down Conspiracy. Once at the road, turn left and then look for Deer trail on your right at the next junction. It will tie you into the majority of the loop which you will lose about the end of Alley Ooops.
The old map on joel's website mountainmojo.com will help some. Though some trails are missing.

 

[Big B]

Thanks!

 

[Big B]

The old map on joel's website mountainmojo.com will help some. Though some trails are missing.

The only map I could find was one of Tolt McDonald. I didn't see a Griffin map on the website?

 

[oxygen_77]

it's on there... you just have to search through the photo album

 

[Borneo]

Or, under "Tokul West". It's the smaller pic to the right.
Not all trails are noted on either map. It's from the 2002 MS ride.

 

[Big B]

Well, I tried Griffin, and it proved to be the most miserable ride I've ever done in my life so far. I didn't understand Borneo's directions because the road has a dozen gates. I didn't know where to park, and I didn't know where the trail head was.

So, I just headed up the first trail I found which was a horse trail. It was like pedaling up stairs made from wet mud. An hour later, I couldn't tell West from East and I had no idea where I was. So of course, that was when my rear tire decided to loosen up all it's spokes and render my bike useless.

It was a race against time to hike back to my truck as the sun rapidly decended. It was dark by the time I got back to my truck, but I never needed to use my LED light I brought along, just in case.

Needless to say, I won't be going back there without a guide or a map. There has to be trails around there somewhere that aren't obliterated by horses.

 

[oxygen_77]

might be time to invest $99.00 in a GPS unit.

 

[Big B]

might be time to invest $99.00 in a GPS unit.

Or I should give myself more than 2 hours of daylight to explore and unknown wilderness area, with no map, no compass, no guide and no clue (and no spoke wrench).

 

[Borneo]

Bummer, as per usual, I thought my directions were pretty clear. But, I don't have to use a map out there and supposedly I have had a GPS unit impanted in my cranium.

For future reference, the trailhead is the pull out to the left before you cross the SVT. To get to the best loop, you need to stay on the main access road for about 3 miles. There's only one gate up to the left along the way and the one you have to ride around on the Griffin Creek Road itself. It's likely you grabbed one of the first trails to the left which actually go into the Camp Don Bosco CYO property and are used by the kids for horse rides as well as the Raging River Riders out of Fall City. So, yeah, those trails are hammered.
Look for a ride on the BBTC calendar there as there's several people over there who know the area pretty well and can tour you up out there. Same routine with both Tokuls East and West. So vast that it's best to dial it in with someone who already knows unless you don't mind rambling for a while.
As for Tolt, try that next, you can't go wrong there. It's pretty straight up. Climb the hill, ride around a bunch, find the 5 way at the top that you initially climbed to and ride back down.

 

[Big B]

That all makes a lot of sense now. I actually drove to the end of the road to the big gate, but that didn't look like a good place to park, so I headed back. I guess I didn't figure that I had to ride my bike down the road that far to get to the trail head.

Oh-well. I'll try again someday. Thanks anyway for the advice. At least I'm familiar with the horse trails now.

 

[Borneo]

You should have access to the map now as well. That should help put 2 and 2 together. Going past the gate you turned around at and taking the trail up to the left to the power lines will put you at the top of Beer Can. Typically, I'll ride back down and out via an old road that's dug up about half way up the road from the yellow gate on your left and the gate at the end of the road. Then, just spin back down. Early fall, after the kids are gone but before the trails muck up is decent on the CYO property. But, the trails farther out are very rocky and drain really well.

 

[Big B]

You should have access to the map now as well. That should help put 2 and 2 together.

you assume much, grasshopper.

 

[Big B]

Update: Last night I decided to take my rear wheel to the LBS to get it trued. After cleaning all the horse crap and mud off my bike, I realized the wheel was perfectly fine. Turns out I had cracked my drive-side chainstay in half, and the cut tire I had on there to prevent "chain clank" was keeping it held together.

I had terrible luck with Giant when I tried to warranty my ovalized head tube on this bike. Hopefully they will be better with a busted chainstay.

 

[Big B]

Borneo,
Thanks for the directions. They weren't real clear, but I figured them out today.

I ended up parking in the "turn out" way at the beginning of the dirt road where the state park parking lot is. So I pedaled all the way to the yellow gate, and then realized that your definition of a turn out, was a soggy shoulder in front of the yellow gate. So I had another 3 miles to ride before I even got to the first turn. That first left turn is actually a 3 way split. I did stay to the left though, and then came to another fork and figured I'd better stay right so that I follow the uphill terrian. That led me to the gravel pit.

When I got to the top (past the gravel pit and all) I found one trail that intersected the main trail I was on, but no trails were marked. Where did you get trail names from?

I took the right trail and followed it until I reach power lines. Then I explored the roads a bit to look for more trails, but turned around because I didn't want to get lost. I backtracked all the way to the main trail and then took the one that went left. That was a great ride! Nice downhill single track action all the way back to the gravel pit.

By then it was raining, so I headed back. I'd like to explore the area some more, but it's tough finding trails up there.

I am thankful for your directions. I'd love to get some more directions, now that I know the area a little. That place is HUGE.

 

[Borneo]

Geographically, it's not really that big. Most of the trails are actually on the plateau below the upper trails. (Eventually, maybe even this summer there will be an additional one across from the power lines up top....)
You can probably watch the BBTC calendar and hook up with any of the folks that lead rides there. Most know the area pretty well.

BTW: There's no signs on the upper trails yet. The upper one is "Beer Can" and the lower fast swoopy piece is "Conspiracy".

 

[Big B]

My schedule almost never syncs with the BBTC rides unfortunately. All the weekday rides start really late. I'm usually on my bike by 3-4pm on any given weekday, since I start work at 6.

I like to use my weekends for freeriding with friends and peeps from RM. I wouldn't have even tried Griffin Creek last weekend if I hadn't dislocated my shoulder the weekend before. But I needed a nice XC ride.

 

[jumping_jesus]

are you sure your up to it Big P !!! the trails might not be built right for your riding style I would hate for you to start ripping on how other people build their trails BC you cant ride thier trails. they might get pissed off at you and then you might just bitch talk your way out of riding any trails in th NW BC your a bitch and god for bid they have doubles on those trails someone might get hurt on them so you can so gracefly critisize the person that built those doubles like you so unthoughtfully ragged on my friend for progressing the flow park and puttting in time that is needed to keep up the flow zone in SST to keep it running and moving forward motion as in progression and getting to become a better rider. (oh buy the way i dont care aboot my spelling so any one who has a problem with it can F-Off aboot it)

 

[Big B]

Thanks for your concern Ted. It was all XC type single track, so I was able to cope.