I am going to be in Seattle in May on a business/ fun trip. I was hoping someone could give me an idea of how aggressive the trails/ mountains are out there. I would like to bring my Bullit (7 and 7" bike) and do more downhill, since I don't get to do much of that in Illinois. But I am sure I could also have fun on my Blur (4 and 4" bike) if the 7" bike is too much travel for most of whats out there. Suggestions please?

....and what kind of riding you want to do. Base your decision on that and you won't be dissapointed either way. If you want to go big, then bring the Bullit. I mean, we're 2.5 hours from the North Shore, but we have some pretty fun FR trails within 30 minutes of downtown. If you're coming out from the Midwest, the Shore will blow you away. Not just the difficulty, but also the craftsmanship that go into building and maintaining them. Another 2 hours past the Shore is Whistler (which will open in early May) but I warn you......don't go there unless you're fully prepared to pack up from Champaign, Oak Park or wherever you live in Illinois and move to B.C.....it's that fun.

If you'd like to get away from folks, there's a ton of good XC trails....the type of riding that your blur would eat up. Depending on when in May, some of the better epics probably will be open then - those usually depend on the snow levels though. Even if some of those aren't open, there's a ton of local XC trails close to Seattle that you could get out to very easily....if you don't have much time.

EB

What up EB!!!!

EB pretty much covered everything... the only thing I would add is this, if you don't mind climbing on your bullit bring that. Most of the XC trails here have really fun descents, and small/medium size drops, stunts and jumps are popping up everywhere. Plus many of our trails are fairly technical anyways. Seems like most of us are leaning towards using FR bikes for XC riding....

Local trails should be pretty good in may. Tiger mtn will be open, thats fun and close to town, it's a good 2-3 hour afterwork ride for us. You might also try to ride carnation. It just depends on how long of rides you like, we have a lot of 2-3 hour rides within an hour of the city. If you're looking to ride all day, drive a little farther for better trails...

Appreciate it guys. I think I am going to have to bring my FR bike. I migh have to contact you guys while I am there, see if you might show me the ropes.

Ed B

Sure, give us a shout! We usually ride thursday nights and full days sundays. We have a big, diverse group so you'll have fun no matter what you ride.

Keep us posted.

Appreciate it guys. I think I am going to have to bring my FR bike. I migh have to contact you guys while I am there, see if you might show me the ropes.

Ed B

Nice decision, IMO, on bringing the Bullit. I still ride my FR bike on most of the "XC" trails in the area - including those with medium sized climbs.....mainly because the descents are so frickin' fun that I can justify it in my feable mind. :)

Give us a shout when you have your dates finalized. Both FM and I will be in Sedona the week of May 8-15 for a bike trip of our own, but there are plenty of folks on this board that know the area well. Like FM said, Tiger Mt. is an excellent example of a trail that's close to Seattle where you can easily climb it on your Bullit (if you have a small ring...it's a 3 mile fireroad climb) followed by a fun descent.

Cheers,
EB

There's even a few "weirdos" (myself included) who ride full rigid singlespeeds on the majority of trails in the Seattle area. There will be people to ride with when you get here no matter what bike you bring.

One of our crew members rides a single speed with a custom ti (rigid) fork. Quite the difference in bikes on our rides. I've got my 6 & 7" of travel and he's on his 0" travel Spot with one gear. To each their own.....that's the beauty of the sport!

EB

[QUOTE=......don't go there unless you're fully prepared to pack up from Champaign, Oak Park or wherever you live in Illinois[/QUOTE]

That is the kind of response I wanted to hear. I like that there are such a diverse group of riders, a singlespeeder completely rigid, on some of the trails you described, now that is hardcore. I guess I have become spoiled as I have gotten older.

Ed

I'll be out in Washington about the same time. Where might some the epic rides for XC be? What is a must ride? What about snow? I'll be out in Sequim, but I'm more than willing to drive several hours to ride.

Any good web sites to look at? Mtbr got the trails, but I don't know enough about the area to make ends meat out of all of the info.

Heck maybe, I should rent a downhill bike for a day?

Thanks!

-Robert

So, when are you coming out?

There's supposed to be a lot of great riding in the sequim area, but I'm not really familiar with it. As far as "must do" epic rides, I would say Noble knob (climb up FR7250 and descend palisades trail) and maybe devils gulch/mission ridge (skip the road, climb up the gulch and descend mission ridge) Both are usually good to go in april. You might also check out Green mountain, it's sort of between sequim and Seattle....

I'll be out in Washington about the same time. Where might some the epic rides for XC be? What is a must ride? What about snow? I'll be out in Sequim, but I'm more than willing to drive several hours to ride.

Any good web sites to look at? Mtbr got the trails, but I don't know enough about the area to make ends meat out of all of the info.

Heck maybe, I should rent a downhill bike for a day?

Thanks!

-Robert

Not sure when I'll be coming out, all depends on work.

What about SQUAMISH or WHISTLER, they any good or even open at the end of April?

Thanks!

-Robert

I rode in both Squamish and Pemberton last weekend, they both have plenty of awesome trails open. It poured saturday am, the trails were dry within hours, due to the rock content in the soil. We got plenty of GREAT riding in at both locations.

Whistler is higher in elevation, nothing's ready yet, but things will change quickly.
here's some pic's from Squammish last weekend:

Not sure when I'll be coming out, all depends on work.

What about SQUAMISH or WHISTLER, they any good or even open at the end of April?

Thanks!

-Robert

Awesome. I need to get up there. The riding looks epic. I'm coming from Alabama, so we don't have real mountains here. We've got wet mossy rocks, but lots more single track.

I keep reading about North Shore. Is there anything out there (stunts/trail) that an XC rider can handle on a hard tail?

The web sites of the area list lots of trails, but not really what are classic/epic rides.

Thanks,

Robert.

I've seen guys on the shore, riding hardtails with 80mm forks, trying stuff I didn't want to try with 5" F&R. Everybody I saw there was very friendly about it, no attitudes at all. I would say, flat pedals, big tires, wide tall bars, and armor will guarantee a good experience.
Most all the stuff I've ridden in BC really blus the line between XC and FR. Almsot every ride is epic. It's awesome- thats why I go north every other weekend in the summer!

Awesome. I need to get up there. The riding looks epic. I'm coming from Alabama, so we don't have real mountains here. We've got wet mossy rocks, but lots more single track.

I keep reading about North Shore. Is there anything out there (stunts/trail) that an XC rider can handle on a hard tail?

The web sites of the area list lots of trails, but not really what are classic/epic rides.

Thanks,

Robert.

I hope 50 mm of travel will cut it. I'll have to barrow some armor from a friend. Clipless pedals don't sound like a good thing there, at least on stunts.

Any particular trails you recomend for an intermediate xc biker, not used to stunts up there?

Thanks again.

-Robert

It all depends on what you're lookin' for......and on where you're flying into...If you're really hankering for a north shore experience, you might want to consider renting a freeride bike while you're there. I've only ridden Seymour so far, it was plenty diificult for my meager skills, but I had a great time. You might also consider just heading to whistler. You can rent big bike there and hit the park,, but there's also tons of great technical XC there with good intermediate and beginner stunts. "river runs through it" in whistler, is probably the best possible introduction to easy stunts, all on a very scenic XC ride. There's so much good riding there. Hope this helps.... you might page craigh (moderator) he lives in van and could probably be of much more help than I can.
I hope 50 mm of travel will cut it. I'll have to barrow some armor from a friend. Clipless pedals don't sound like a good thing there, at least on stunts.

Any particular trails you recomend for an intermediate xc biker, not used to stunts up there?

Thanks again.

-Robert

I will be in Seattle May 15th on for about one week. I will be on the west side of Washington the week before that, don't know how much riding I will be able to dothe 10th through 14th. EBxtreme, FM and JRA, hope to do some riding with you while i'm there. I willl try to look you guys up as the time gets closer.

Ed

.....as we'll both be in Sedona / Flagstaff during that same week. At the very least, you should hook up with some guys and hit Tiger Mountain or some of the local trails. If you want to head up North (to BC) and sample some of the FR scene, I agree with FM that a bike rental might be in order if you. It all depends on what you want to do. Regardless, you'll get some good riding in while you're here.

Cheers,
EB

Actually, I'll be back the 15th. Not sure about EB since he's driving and I'm flying, so I'll get back sooner. I could probably show you a good local afterwork ride thursday may 20th, and more the following weekend. I'll be on my hardtail since my turner will be in transit. I'll PM you my phone# before I leave....



.....as we'll both be in Sedona / Flagstaff during that same week. At the very least, you should hook up with some guys and hit Tiger Mountain or some of the local trails. If you want to head up North (to BC) and sample some of the FR scene, I agree with FM that a bike rental might be in order if you. It all depends on what you want to do. Regardless, you'll get some good riding in while you're here.

Cheers,
EB

I misread the dates. I'll be back from Sedona May 16th. I could do an afterwork ride that week too.

EB

CU-Murph PM'ed me, this is my response (bascially repeating what others have already written, even though I hadn't ridden this thread then).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It basically depends on what kind of riding you are interested in. XC, technical XC, FR, DH

It also depends on how much time you have to ride.

Whistler isn't a good choice for early May as the trails won't have dried out there yet. I was up there this weekend and you can still ski out to the village, so the snow is still down to the village and it will take more than a month for it all to melt off and the trails to dry out.

People ride all of the NS trails on HT bikes, but it does take some getting used to. Some equipment changes will help, big, high volume, sticky rubber tires makes riding the roots and rocks easier. Flat pedals and armour also helps.

We ride the NS trails all year round. Around Vancouver there are a couple of places that are easier and a XC bike will do fine. Burnaby Mtn (SFU) and Delta Watershed. Squamish also has a lot of variety and it is a lot lower than Whistler (sea level) so snow shouldn't be a problem.

For Norther Washington the areas I've ridden are Galbraith mtn and Ft. Ebey. There are other areas but I haven't ridden them.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

Craig

There is a lot to ride in your neck of the woods. Maybe I can help narrow things down. Are there any good guide books you can suggest? Coming from so far away, I want to see what all the hype is about this North Shore riding stuff, and at the same time hopefully ride the best XC you have to offer out there. I've several days to ride and want to make the most of it. Thanks!

-Robert

There is a lot to ride in your neck of the woods. Maybe I can help narrow things down. Are there any good guide books you can suggest? Coming from so far away, I want to see what all the hype is about this North Shore riding stuff, and at the same time hopefully ride the best XC you have to offer out there. I've several days to ride and want to make the most of it. Thanks!

-Robert
If I was you I'd take the money your going to pay to have your bike shipped and just rent in BC. Also remember your money is $1 to their $1.33 so renting a bike for a week won't cost too much and it will be alot more fun than running a hard tail with 50mm of travel.

Thanks for the info. It looks like I'll be around the week of May 15-22. I think I make the drive up from Sequim and spend a couple of days in Whistler, and Squamish, and then work my way back down. If the snow has melted I might even try and hit Mt. Rainer and/or Mt. St. Helens. I bought a guide book, so that should help too. Hopefully I'll hit the Lower Dungeness loop the second weekend when I'm back at my relatives.

If anyone want to ride during the week, I'm game. Its never fun to ride solo. Plus, I can learn y'all true southern talken, just like Forest Gump!

Thanks!

-Robert

Dungeness River trail is a short drive from Sequim and is a great romp on both sides of the valley. I haven't done it for a bunch of years, but recommend it.
I've also done some trails uphill from Pt Angeles which were pretty good.
There's some riding a little farther out towards Joyce, but I haven't done that.

Well, got my plane tickets and upgraded my hard tail to a used Truth. I'm really looking forward to riding out there. I'll be there between May 15th-22nd. Anyone want to ride with a true southerner? I am from Alabama. ;-) During the week is when I'll be in BC.

Thanks again!

Robert

I'll be there between May 15th-22nd. Anyone want to ride with a true southerner? I am from Alabama. ;-) During the week is when I'll be in BC.

One option - bring lights if ya got em, Robert. I'll be riding up at Victoria Tract of the Pilchuck Treefarm (north of Seattle about 45 minutes) the evening of the 16th with a group of people. Let me know what days work best for you and we'll see what we can figure out.

Me ... I ride general XC if that happens to figure into the ride equation. Lickin' forehead to ridin' wid yall. Born in Texas but that really isn't a southerner. :)

and will be available to ride that week (after work) and that next weekend. I ride both XC and FR so I can show you a little of each. I don't think I'll be heading to BC that weekend as I'll just be home from a week long trip to Sedona.

EB

Evenings?!? Is that only time people can ride? Its not like you have to work or something like that! ;-)

My idea path around the area will be hit L. Dungesse/gold trail in Sequim Sunday, Mt. St. Helens-plains of abraham, then work my way up to whistler and squamish bfor a day or two before heading back to sequim by 22/3.

I only have a 6 watt light, and that doesn't put out really enough light for a fun night trip. Any day light trips are much better for me, maybe we can hook up in the early evening?

I should have a cell phone with me, so it shouldn't be too hard to coordinate.

Sound okay? as it closer I can finalize anything?

-Robert

Robert, I dont think you are going to need lights. Last night it was light until almost 9 pm. Save some driving. BC is a long way off. We have some great riding right here in Washington. Both Leavenworth and Winthrop on the east slope of the Cascades offer some excellent riding. All the trails are open. I dont know about BC but I would guess Whistler still has snow on the down hill runs. The weather here on the east slope is completely different. You wont have to worry about rain, and that is really a concern in BC and Western WA much of the year. Winthrop would be an excellent mountain bike destination. Leavenworth also has some excellent trails. The plus side to these two spots, they are close, warm and dry. Dont know if you can say that about BC on the coast. :)

The Whistler bike park opened last weekend. A few of my riding buddies went up and they tell me the conditions are good.

Dont forget to bring your winter riding gear. That would mean polartec, jackets, long sleeve, etc. The five day forecast calls for rain and more rain. If you are going to Whistler figure temps in the low 50's. By the time you get off a lift it should be snowing. This might be a worst case scenario, but it doesnt hurt to be prepared. The other thing, a lot of people around here have a plan "b" if the weather gets bad, besides shopping they will head over to eastern Washington. Thats where Winthrop or Leavenworth might fit in.

I somewhat agree....The same goes for sequim area. If you catch a sunny week, by all means head north. If it looks questionable, east of the cascades will be a much better bet for good weather. Either way, it's best to be flexible and come prepared.

I'm off to Az. with EB and the rest of our crew, but I'll be back the 19th. If you interested in hooking up a ride in the seattle area, especially the evening of thursday the 20th, give me a shout. (will you have internet access?) There's plenty of great riding we can hit at 5pm and still get 3 hours of killer trails without needing lights. We're riding till 8:30+ without them.

Robert, I dont think you are going to need lights. Last night it was light until almost 9 pm. Save some driving. BC is a long way off. We have some great riding right here in Washington. Both Leavenworth and Winthrop on the east slope of the Cascades offer some excellent riding. All the trails are open. I dont know about BC but I would guess Whistler still has snow on the down hill runs. The weather here on the east slope is completely different. You wont have to worry about rain, and that is really a concern in BC and Western WA much of the year. Winthrop would be an excellent mountain bike destination. Leavenworth also has some excellent trails. The plus side to these two spots, they are close, warm and dry. Dont know if you can say that about BC on the coast. :)

I was thinking about this some more. If you have an afternoon to spare, I very much recommend driving up to Hurricane Ridge, straight up the hill from Port Angeles. The mountains are awesome up there and the snow should be beautiful at this time of year. Check at the ranger station before going up to see what conditions are.

I'll bring my winter gear, and having a plan B is a gooo idea. I just hope it works out.

Anyone know if the Ape Canyon/Plains of Abraham is rideable? From what I've read, that is the MUST RIDE of the area.

I'm working on getting a cell phone this weekensd, as I have no clue when I'll get net access once I'm in Washington/B.C.

How are gas prices out there now? Any idea about Canadian prices? Best route to Canada I-5 or the further east crossing? Thanks!

-Robert

How are gas prices out there now? Any idea about Canadian prices? Best route to Canada I-5 or the further east crossing? Thanks!

Gas is running around $2.15+ in the Seattle area. I did a quick net search for Canadian gas prices and it looks like an average of around $0.85 per liter (~$3.22 Cnd per gallon). When I go to BC, I typically try to go through the smaller border crossings. Not that the inspectors are any less diligent but they do seem to be a bit more easy going. I typically take I-5 north to Bellingham and then take Hwy 539 due north to the border. Hwy 539 turns into Hwy 13 in Canada which T's into the Trans Canada Hwy 1. You'll need a copy of your birth certificate or a passport to prove US citizenship for getting back into the US.

The mt.st.Helens area gets a lot of coastal weather. Of the 5 times I've gone down there to ride in the summer, I've been rained out 3 of them. Not a huge bummer since Hood river is right there, and usually has much better weather. I'm not sure I'd head south if I were you though. I would head north if the weather's good, east if it isn't. The st. Helens are is bueatiful and great riding, but the scenery is what makes it special. The trails are not particularly challenging based on my experience.

Gas price in Vancouver right now is 97.5 cents/liter in Cdn $. The highest price ever...

For Cdn gas prices, check http://www.gastips.com

I know it is normally pretty wet out there, and some have suggested if it is raining to head east to Winthrop. How much rain is too much? How long does the sun or a good strong wind does it take to make the trails rideable again? At my local park, we have to wait two days.

If I have to head east, any suggestions on must do XC trails?

Thanks!

-Robert

Anyone know if the Ape Canyon/Plains of Abraham is rideable? From what I've read, that is the MUST RIDE of the area.


Wouldn't count on that being open for quite a while... buried under snow.

http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/current-conditions/trails.shtml

I wouldn't count on riding anything above 2500' elev. for a while. We tried to climb St Helens this weekend. Got turned back becuase of white-out conditions. The parking lot is at 2700' and we hiked on snow all the way up to the base. And we're talking southern exposure, too. The lower Lewis River trail would probably be O.K.

As far as rain and wet conditions it completely depends on the trail. We have trails that never seem to be affected much by rain such as Tapeworm and Carnation. And others never seem to dry out until late August or September like Paradise Valley (I know they say they're closed but I've pirated paradise since then, nobody said anything to us ;) ). Capital Forest can be slippery when wet but it is a must do and not too far from where you're going to be. Just go due south by Olympia. It's a state forest and there are good maps available. Sequim is by nature a dryer place than the rest of puget sound. If you can find trails near you I wouldn't worry about rain. Winthrop is one of my favs but is hours and hours from you. Galbraith mountain in Bellingham is a lot closer and hours of fun. Check it out http://www. astonisher.com/archives/galbraithmt.html#news_front. The last time I did Galbraith or Capital Forest I was riding a GaryFisher hardtail with a 2.5" travel Judy and had a blast. Have fun!

If it hasn't been mentioned already try bbtc.org. You don't have to be a member to ride.

Robert, There is one trail that will always come up in a list of best trails in the state. That trail is Devils Gulch, an eighteen mile loops trail near Wenatchee. If you do a search on the net you will see a lot of stuff on it. I havent ridden it, but I have heard from other riders that its a great trail. I dont know if you have been doing much hill work, but it helps to have strong legs on some of these trails. Winthrop has a whole network of trails just outside of town. I dont think you can go wrong with Winthrop or Leavenworth-Wenatchee. Whistler would still be the best if the weather is good.

Hi, I want to try and get an early Friday afternoon ride in around Seattle. I'm staying with a friend down town, so I'm thinking St Edward st. park, or is Tiger Mt. worth the little extra drive?

Thanks!

-Robert

Looking at the forcast, there is minimal chance of rain this week in WA! :-) But Whistler is supposed to start raining Monday. My best bet if I wanted to ride up there is to go up there this weekend, right? Or will stuff up there stay dry enough or the rain is stactered enough ? Thanks!

-Robert

Hi, I want to try and get an early Friday afternoon ride in around Seattle. I'm staying with a friend down town, so I'm thinking St Edward st. park, or is Tiger Mt. worth the little extra drive?

I would suggest hooking up with a ride that is going on out at Tolt McDonald in Carnation (http://www.bbtc.org/recreation/calendar.php?event_id=2176) . Tolt is more fun s'track wise that St Ed's and you don't have to pay to park. Its a little bit longer drive but worth it IMO.

The five day forecast doesnt show much rain. I am thinking you will be ok monday and probably later. Unless some really bad weather comes in it will probably be only scattered showers. Just dont forget the winter type riding gear. I would make sure I had stuff to ride in the low 50's, maybe cooler. I was out riding the other day and wished I had my winter gloves on. The temps are warming up. People around here ride in the rain, they just dont do it all day unless they are nuts.

Yep, skip St.Fred's if you have the time to drive. If you do end up there, park at the county park, Big Finn Hill, where the parking is free. That lot is about a 1/2 mile or so south of the QFC on Juanita drive. There's a small loop trail in Finn Hill and/or you take the single track trail on the west side of the soccer field, take the trail to the right, it'll take you back to Juanita drive, cross the road, and you pick the trail back up just a bit north of where you crossed. If you take right turns at each of the intersections you will eventually find your way through the main trail system.

Tolt is fun, but make sure you take a map or hook up with someone who's ridden it before. You won't get "lost" in the sense of not knowing where you are, There's a double track that circle the entire area, it's just better to ride there with someone who knows where they're going and how to string the trails together. It's a maze of trails and you can easily find yourself going in circles. I think there's a link to a good map floatn' around on this board.

Tiger is kinda fun too. Nice little climb and some decent bits of single track. Trails are marked but down load a map so you can find your way.

All three of these areas are fun, for what they are, but are not represenative of what WA really has to offer. As was previously stated, if you have the time, drive over the Pass. That's where the real goods are. Someone mentioned Devil's Gulch. This would be the ride I would point you towards if you have the time to drive east. It's not very technical, just fun. Nice 10 mile climb up an FS road followed by a 13 or so mile DH. You can also climb up DG and desend Mission Ridge trail. This might be a good plan of attack if the top's still got snow though it should be reletively snow free by now.

Here's a couple of map links: <a href="http://www.mountainmojo.com/favoriterides.htm">St.Fred's and Tolt</a>, <a href="http://backcountry.unicyclist.com/UNICON/TigerNWTimber/TigerMountainMap.jpg">Tiger</a>, and some fun stuff near <a href="http://www.leavenworth.org/trails/biking/index.html">Leavenworth</a> a fun little tourist trap town.

If you do a Google search you'll be able to find more maps and info for most of the WA riding.

I would suggest hooking up with a ride that is going on out at Tolt McDonald in Carnation (http://www.bbtc.org/recreation/calendar.php?event_id=2176) . Tolt is more fun s'track wise that St Ed's and you don't have to pay to park. Its a little bit longer drive but worth it IMO.

Won't be able to make the Friday morning ride. I don't get to SEATAC until noon. Tiger or Tolt look close enough. I'm not meeting my friend until 5 or 6. Is there a problem with break-ins at all at those places?

I'm going to try and hit the stuff east of the pass, but with the weather forecast as is. I think whistler is my first bet after visiting my relatives in sequim. hopefully I don't like whistler so much that I stay up there the whole time! ;-)

-Robert

Robert,

If you haven't decided to stay at Whistler (something many people do), then I'm gonna ride after work on Wednesday this week. Might ride this weekend too, but probably will be FR'ing.

Send me a pm if you're interested.
EB