REVIEWS DEALS BIKESHOPS TRAILS

Need 6+ hr epic by Tuesday without much snow

1023 Views 16 Replies 7 Participants Last post by Vorman, Jul 22, 2010

Vorman

Discussion Starter · Jul 19, 2010

I have the day off on Tuesday but don't know where to go to ride because of all the snow. Initially the CTC was planned but I heard lots o' snow. Anything else that is open right now in that range? I would prefer not to drive over 3 hrs to get there if possible and I live in Burlington, an hour north of Seattle.

These is my short list:

5-8 drainages ride Ellensburg/Teanaway
CTC - If its clear enough I don't have to walk knee deep in snow for too far?
Angel's Staircase from Foggy Dew campground as a loop
Last ditch would be some iteration of the Devil's Gulch area - Is it worth it to ascend Devils' Gulch ride Beehive down to Mission Ridge Road, up to Marion and Clara Lakes and then ride FS 9712 to Tronson ridge to Red Hill down Red Devil.

Any input would be great. Thanks ahead of time!

1 - 17 of 17 Posts

buckhorn

· #2 · Jul 19, 2010

I think you will have to go pretty high now to find a snowed in trail around E. Washington. I was at 7k feet on Thursday, and it was clear of snow. I noticed the last few remaining spots of snow on Mission Ridge are now gone. Park at Sand Creek, ride over Red Hill trail and down to DG, up DG, up the fire road to Upper Mission Ridge Trail, and down Mission Ridge trail to the bottom and take the road back to the car.

That would be a big day.

rbwen

· #3 · Jul 19, 2010

Devil's Gulch Area

The trail from Marion/Clara Lakes to 9712 isn't the greatest. Last year there were 20+ blowdowns from 9712 down to the lakes.

I second Buckhorn's suggestion, the DG MR Figure 8. I was up there earlier this week and there is zero snow at the top of Mission Ridge Trail.

You could ride up DG, then over to Tronsen Ridge via Mt. Lillian, then down Red Hill back to Sand Creek parking lot. We did a variation of that last year. BIG day.

Here's a map

Borneo

· #4 · Jul 19, 2010

Something off Hwy 2 as suggested would be closer. And good.

CTC: Solo?

Got a report from the weekend that at Crystal, up Northway is clear but lots of snow around Henskin Lake. I imagine Corral/Dalles may be open finally by now and Palisades and Sun Top are goos to go. So, a Double Crown with up White River and down Skookum in the middle would be a go. Drive down tomorrow evening and camp at the Ranger creek airstrip for an early and rested start. (FS Trail Pass needed.)

Vorman

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jul 19, 2010

I have a group of 3-6 riders and...

was hoping for Crystal area which I haven't ridden. I know DG and MR but not Tronson and either way I was hoping for something that is new. Thanks for reports.

Borneo

· #6 · Jul 19, 2010

Do it then. Crystal is the best of the bunch in the area. Other than Palisades. Un shuttleable so, gets a lot less traffic. Short though at only 14 miles. You can do a lollipop where you ride up Northway, drop towards Henskin through Bear Pits and then take the access road back up Chicken Shot to the top and then back down Northway for a longer version. Got extra legs? Do Fawn Ridge or Skookum/White River on the way down.

Still some snow reports on the Fortune Creek Road up to Gallagher Head Lake but maybe Beverly to El Dorado to the Esmeralda loop is a better bet for something new? Great loop!
Do the side trip hike up to the left at the Esmeralda saddle for a better view. Ans, bring aquasox or sandals of some type for the swim in Gallagher Head Lake. Lots of sticks/branches and mud along the banks.

shiggy

· #7 · Jul 19, 2010

Vorman said:
was hoping for Crystal area which I haven't ridden. I know DG and MR but not Tronson and either way I was hoping for something that is new. Thanks for reports.

If you want to ride the DG area, let me know. I am doing similar length rides. Lots of variations to be done

griffithac

· #8 · Jul 19, 2010

Shiggy:

Can you start at sage hills, ride to horselake, down to yaxon canyon road? I can't find a map but if you look at google sattelite views it appears there is at least some dirt road or something that connects them. It would be even better if there wa a trail.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...72,-120.452042&spn=0.095858,0.215263&t=p&z=12

I rode DG from wenatchee a few weeks ago, but I ended up riding back from Cashmere on the roads and on a single speed it was the most boring ride of my life. Looking for a better way to connect back to Wenatchee. Is turning around and riding back up DG/MR and down squilchuck the best option?

shiggy

· #9 · Jul 19, 2010

griffithac said:
Shiggy:

Can you start at sage hills, ride to horselake, down to yaxon canyon road? I can't find a map but if you look at google sattelite views it appears there is at least some dirt road or something that connects them. It would be even better if there wa a trail.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...72,-120.452042&spn=0.095858,0.215263&t=p&z=12

I rode DG from wenatchee a few weeks ago, but I ended up riding back from Cashmere on the roads and on a single speed it was the most boring ride of my life. Looking for a better way to connect back to Wenatchee. Is turning around and riding back up DG/MR and down squilchuck the best option?

There are several ways, all involve dirt roads. I rode up Yaxon and down Horse Lake last week. You can also take RD 7101 (Peavine Canyon) between No.2 Canyon and Mission Creek (Rd 7100). The Green Trails map "Wenatchee No. 211S" is pretty good (still different on the ground). Hooked on Toys in Wenatchee has them cheap.

griffithac

· #10 · Jul 19, 2010

Thanks. A couple more questions. Can you ride up the road to Mission Peak? If so can you ride the ridgeline over to the top of Mission Ridge? I was hoping to ride up the Mission Peak road and then come down way-hut or whatever the road is called on the ski hill.

Are there options / best rides through Sage Hills eventually leading to horse lake? I was hoping to start in sage hills connect to DG, ride the road to mission peak cross over and down the ski hill, take the pipeline trail back to the road, descend MR trail and then back over horse lake / sage hills to wenatchee. I enjoy riding the forest service roads as long as they are not flat for a long ways, but want to avoid pavement and traffic as much as possible.

shiggy

· #11 · Jul 19, 2010

griffithac said:
Thanks. A couple more questions. Can you ride up the road to Mission Peak? If so can you ride the ridgeline over to the top of Mission Ridge? I was hoping to ride up the Mission Peak road and then come down way-hut or whatever the road is called on the ski hill.

Are there options / best rides through Sage Hills eventually leading to horse lake? I was hoping to start in sage hills connect to DG, ride the road to mission peak cross over and down the ski hill, take the pipeline trail back to the road, descend MR trail and then back over horse lake / sage hills to wenatchee. I enjoy riding the forest service roads as long as they are not flat for a long ways, but want to avoid pavement and traffic as much as possible.

To Mission Peak, the map shows a road. And then to the top of the ski area, no idea.

Sage Hills trails connect to Horse Lake. Basically one way on dirt to Devils Gulch from there.

buckhorn

· #12 · Jul 19, 2010

Vorman said:
was hoping for Crystal area which I haven't ridden. I know DG and MR but not Tronson and either way I was hoping for something that is new. Thanks for reports.

I have only ridden Tronsen Ridge to Red Hill once. I don't remember liking it all that much, so I have never been back. I remember the trail being rocky and loose.

buckhorn

· #13 · Jul 19, 2010

griffithac said:
Thanks. A couple more questions. Can you ride up the road to Mission Peak? If so can you ride the ridgeline over to the top of Mission Ridge? I was hoping to ride up the Mission Peak road and then come down way-hut or whatever the road is called on the ski hill.

Are there options / best rides through Sage Hills eventually leading to horse lake? I was hoping to start in sage hills connect to DG, ride the road to mission peak cross over and down the ski hill, take the pipeline trail back to the road, descend MR trail and then back over horse lake / sage hills to wenatchee. I enjoy riding the forest service roads as long as they are not flat for a long ways, but want to avoid pavement and traffic as much as possible.

Never been to Mission Peak, or ridden on the ski hill, so nothing to offer there.

Most of the trails that head north in Sage end up on HLR. It is certainly possible to get to DG from Sage, but I have never had the desire to connect the two. It would require some route finding and would be on fire roads not trails. I do ride a loop up No 2 canyon road and down Sage Hills often though.

I usually ride up the pavement on No 2 canyon and over Peavine to reach DG. There is a single track (Waterbar World) from the top of Peavine that takes you down to Mission Creek road, but it is heavily rutted and sees a lot of moto use. I ride it about half the time, other times I just bomb the road.

Monte

· #14 · Jul 20, 2010

Borneo said:
CTC: Solo?

what's wrong with that?

:smilewinkgrin:

Vorman

Discussion Starter · #15 · Jul 20, 2010

Any other good ways to do connections to Red Devil/Hill/etc... or preferred directions? Was hoping to add those to the loop somehow.

shiggy

· #16 · Jul 20, 2010

Vorman said:
Any other good ways to do connections to Red Devil/Hill/etc... or preferred directions? Was hoping to add those to the loop somehow.

Depends on what you want to do. (Note: Get the map. the direction below may be vague)

The "usual" route from Sand Creek CG is up Red Hill to Red Hill Spur, RHS to Devils Gulch.

Then the short loop is down DG to Red Devil and back to Sand Creek.

Longer: Down DG and up the road (7100, I do like the road, especially in its current washout condition, for the variety),
Or up DG.

Once on the ridge top, more options:
If you came up 7100, you can go left to Beehive Reservoir and up Beehive trail, or just turn right.
Ride down Devils Spur, up the pavement to the entrance to the ski area, and up the trail on the right side of the road. May be marked as Clara/Marion Lake trail. At a flat trail junction DO NOT go up the Clara/Marion Lake trail (has not been cleared in years), go right on Pipeline (not labeled on the Green Trails map but shown as a double black line with black dots) to the upper DG trailhead.

From the upper DG trailhead, more options:
Down Devils Gulch.
Up the road to the Mission Ridge Trail and down.
Up the road and past MRT and work your way to Tronsen Ridge Trail. I have not ridden Tronsen yet.

Other options before or instead of Tronsen: There is a network of trails in the Naneum Meadow/Table Mountain area that I rode nearly 20 years ago. There were fun then. Have heard the horse use is pretty heavy now.

Tronsen to Red Hill. Back to Sand Creek or do RHS again, down DG to Red Devil.

More maps and such: http://www.justgetout.net/wenatchee

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Vorman

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jul 22, 2010

So after having most of my group decide not go anywhere, I went to Canyon Creek/Chancellor trail with my 68 yr old pop since it is only 90 min. away. I know this ride had been discussed before on the forum and I have been there once in the past. It was kind of like how I remember it. Feels like pristine 1-track like Oakridge Oregon for the first 5 miles than feels like a pile of brush for the next 4. Overgrown after some nasty slides that obliterated the trail and they just must have decided that no one was going to go there, so why clear it. Anyway, got to Chancellorville which is just like before except the one good cabin had its roof caved it from a winter or two ago. Turned around and decided to try a signed trail to East Creek, which I remember as coming out to its head farther up the pass from Canyon Creek trailhead on hwy 20. I knew it stayed out of the wilderness and the park so tried it out. A few blowdowns but no brush and seemed ok. Steepened up pretty quick to where you could granny it but not by much and ended up pushing. Turned into old mining ruins, further lack of maintenance and about 4 miles up was so brushy and crappy and hard to follow that we turned around. Found out by looking at a map later that we still were a long way away from HWY 20 and then that the trail wasn't really a mtb trail. I would say a deer trail would more accurately describe it. Cycled back to Canyon Creek and rode 5 miles out. The only 5 miles worth doing on this trail this year. Did take a long time to do the ride so I got my 6+ hr ride/hike in. I think 26 miles for the full trip because of the extra out and back. I think 5 miles of hiking as well. Next time I will remember hiking shoes instead of Sidis. And maybe a map and up to date Ranger info... Could be a cool loop if BBTC or similar could go in and clear it and Okanogan forest district make it bike legal. I think parking at Canyon Creek then riding up the road to East Creek trail and then branching off it to head back to Canyon Creek trail would make a great 23+ miler with slightly more downhill then uphill. Right now not legal or even a good idea if it was.

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