Ranger Creek - Palisades Loop 6/26/09

Any pics looking West?

Is it best to go up Ranger Creek then down the Palisades?

Bob

up ranger/down palisades?

most definately. actually, absolutely definately.

No way. Up Palisades down Ranger. Ranger's one of the best decents up there (next to Deep Creek). Granted, Palisades is longer decent, but there's too many eff-u switchbacks/false summits and a stair climb down that blows too much vert. There, I said it !

Wha?

Chalk another one for up Ranger/down Palisades. Deep sucks worst of all 6 main runs in the valley... There, I said it.

Way more bang for your buck CCW Ranger/Palisades. Do it. :thumbsup:

<sL4yEr>RuLz said:

No way. Up Palisades down Ranger. Ranger's one of the best decents up there (next to Deep Creek). Granted, Palisades is longer decent, but there's too many eff-u switchbacks/false summits and a stair climb down that blows too much vert. There, I said it !

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I've only gone up Ranger, but a friend didn't know the preferred route and went up Palisades, said it wasn't bad. One of these days I'll try it that way.

Deep Creek looks like a waste of vert to go down, but going up is a nice way to skip the road. Definitely a work out though.

Going up Palisades is nice, the positive aspect is it affords you the awesome view on the climb, you really get to notice the subtleties of the trails from the slower pace of the climb. There is alot of hike-a-bike versus ascending Ranger which is a nice grinder up until the switchbacks. The benefit in turn of descending Ranger is an uninterrupted sled run down, versus the sporadic descent down Palisades which is better suited to take alot of breaks on the way down.
Deep Creek doesn't suck at all. Back when the suspension bridge was up, you could run Noble, Deep, White River, cross bridge to Skookum. That was a much superior route, compared to the standard Suntop route, which i personally find frustratingly boring. i think we're lucky to have a couple of fall line steep XC trails out near Greenwater, it's not like those type of trails are going to be reproduced in any new trail projects.

i've done it both ways. the good, bad & the ugly has been pointed out here already. i was pretty much basing my first post on what i've repeated. i've gone up Ranger a few times & will again. i've gone up Palisades once & haven't done it again. i would but i can't get anybody to do it w/ me that knows the route. it's definately more work up than Ranger but
the variation is what i like about it. if i'm gonna work that hard to get up there, i'm definately gonna get it going back down. plus, i like going down what ya just went up for the memory factor of knowing just how to go into corners/downs/drops/roots/whatever you're gonna run into to get the biggest "oh yeah" thing happening. this weekend is gonna be prime. wish i was going.

Are ascent roads clear?

Can anyone confirm if Corral Pass road and/or FR72 climbs are clear of snow?

ACree said:

I've only gone up Ranger, but a friend didn't know the preferred route and went up Palisades, said it wasn't bad. One of these days I'll try it that way.

Deep Creek looks like a waste of vert to go down, but going up is a nice way to skip the road. Definitely a work out though.

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I'll only do Deep Creek as a shuttle with 2 runs. I've done it from the Corral Pass side before, then jumped over to Skookum. That was a nice ride.

Sounds like I opened a can of worms here...:yesnod: LOL... I was going to try it today but ended up doing the Skookum Flats loop (fot the first time) which was pretty kick a** for a sunny Saturday ride with a hangover....I think I'll be trying the ranger/palisades loop next weekend and hopefully get an earlier start. Thanks for all the recon. :thumbsup:

Bob

nick59349 said:

Sounds like I opened a can of worms here...:yesnod:

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You say Tomayto i say Tomahto.:yesnod:

Alas, no camera...

Monte said:

Any pics looking West?

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....again.

Got a good look at the Emmons, looks to be in good shape for skiing right now. Saw a plane down on the Ranger Airstrip to the SW also. :thumbsup:

Up Palisades down Ranger?

Seems to be a little wierd in my book. The first mile of Palisades would be total push. Upper wouldn't be too bad to climb I suppose... One things for sure, I've been down Ranger quite a few times and don't like the stupid buzz-kill right angle switchbacks ALL the way down.

Ranger is a great uphill, 95% rideable with decent conditioning.

I like the Deep Creek descent quite a bit. The upper mile is a little too steep (waste of hard earned elevation) but the rest is bliss. The most techy 410 trail around. The lower couple miles rock. I like to climb Ranger then head out Dalles Ridge to Deep Creek. Makes a great loop.

I wouldn't try going up Deep Creek. Hey Anthony, ask Monte how much fun that was!

gearz said:

Seems to be a little wierd in my book. The first mile of Palisades would be total push. Upper wouldn't be too bad to climb I suppose...

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Yah i don't think i'm advocating either route, personally i think the standard up road to trail is the best way. It's a bit of a grind in spots, more time spent in saddle the other direction certainly.

gearz said:

I like the Deep Creek descent quite a bit. The upper mile is a little too steep (waste of hard earned elevation) but the rest is bliss.

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In combination with upper White River down to Buck creek, i agree. But i don't think Deep qualifies as a waste of hard earned elevation. Certainly it's fast, but it's not so uninteresting to me.

gearz said:

The most techy 410 trail around.

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Gearz meet Christoff, Christoff meet Gearz.

gearz said:

....again.

Got a good look at the Emmons, looks to be in good shape for skiing right now. Saw a plane down on the Ranger Airstrip to the SW also. :thumbsup:

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Just checking.

Corral Pass is free of snow. The gate is still closed. If you plan on riding from the top of the pass down to the shelter @ the junction of Ranger and Dalles Ridge be prepared for some snow on the trail. The snow patches end about a mile above the shelter.

Could you please clarify "some snow?"

Thanks, Bob

From the beggining of the trail there are the usual little mounds of snow (about five in a mile stretch) then it opens up to nothing until you reach a little valley that is pretty filled in and the trail disapears. Make sure you stay on the high side of the beaten in tracks to find the trail again. From there the trail has maybe five more small patches of snow in about a 1/4 mile distance then it opens up to nothing but dirt and a real brake burner down to the shelter. It is doable.