Volcano

[Skookum]

Turning out to be such a great summer, yet another great campout and group ride. Sundays ride first.

Falls Creek

i wasn't sure what i was going to do on Sunday. i had signed up for the Falls Creek BBTC club ride after the St. Helens ride, but started getting cold feet. Then everyone told me to get out of the creek and i decided to go for it.

http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/Volcano1.jpg

Much of the trail especially the first section is decommisioned forest road and doubletrack. Which isn't that bad considering it makes for excellent sight lines and with that.... dare i say it.... ludicrous speed!

http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/Volcano2.jpg

So fast were the trails i completely missed the first lava cliffs. According to the expert geologists on the ride we deduced that what we stumbled upon was a collapsed lava tube. Probably not a bad guess.

http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/Volcano3.jpg

A great trail all in all. It reminded me of an old wooden roller coaster. Only a few corners snuck up on me pretty quick and i blew off the rails so to speak, but like the group i couldn't help but enjoy the ride, especially the final section where i'm really really glad i didn't miss any corners....

http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/Volcano4.jpg

Falls Creek

http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/Volcano5.jpg

We met these guys on the trail and i think they best summarize how we all felt about the trail with this picture.

http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/Volcano6.jpg

Ape Canyon/Plains of Abraham

Back to the volcano! Seems like alot of things were keeping me from riding the Plains again, sprained knees, broken legs, violent volcanic eruptions, and even my stupid upstair neighbors keeping me up til i only got 4 hours of sleep before i hit the road.

But dammit i made it, and damn glad i did.

http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/Volcano7.jpg

Years go by and i had forgotten how big the trees are on the climb up. Either that or i'm just shrinking.

http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/Volcano8.jpg

"That's one small pedal for bikey, one giant ride for bikey-kind."

Leaving the ridge and climbing towards the Plains.

http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/Volcano9.jpg

Click for Panorama (http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/MtStHelensPanoA.jpg)

http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/Volcano10.jpg

The bikey invasion of the Moon underway.

http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/Volcano11.jpg

Pedaling on the pum.

http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/Volcano12.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/Volcano13.jpg

Awesome

http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/Volcano14.jpg

Reaching the end of the out and back. On the ride i did before our group never rode the spine of the ridge out to the stairs, as the next panorama will show it's worth it to make the small trek.

Click for Panorama (http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/MtStHelensPanoB.jpg)

It was a big club ride, and everyone was stoked. i mean how cool is it to ride next to an active volcano!

http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/Volcano15.jpg

When i rode here before i was very impressed with the landscape, but i will say my senses were ultra heightened to be riding next to Loowit as it smokes.

http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/Volcano16.jpg

Thanks for the look see, i'm taking a hiatus on reports for a while.:)

http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/Volcano17.jpg

Wait a minute... What's that rumbling? (http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/VolcanoVid.avi)

[Heidi]

Sweet views!

[Qman]

Nice work Skook.....so that's what the Plains look like in the daylight....!

That spine is the sketchiest thing I've ever ridden in the dark.

[splat]

Nice Pics , looks so different then anything else !


Thanks for the look see, i'm taking a hiatus on reports for a while.:)


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO............. .........................................

[MMcG]

Thanks Skooks, but why the hiatus?

[mud'n'sweat]

Hiatus!?

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hooples3]

great pics... I love the water shots

[Skookum]

Thanks Skooks, but why the hiatus?
Ride reports are alot of work, i have to work to get shots. Plus to edit photos and do these writeups it takes me on average of 4 to 5 hours.

Don't get me wrong i like doing them and i love sharing, and i hope i inspire people to ride. But i have no qualms of being selfish and taking some time off so i can just go out and ride.

i'll be doing some rides at places i've already done ride reports on for the next 3 weeks. But i have some plans for some BIG elevation rides. i'd like to bag 2 out of 3 alpine beauty's this year. Angels Staircase and Pyramid Mt, both are rides where you can mt. bike above 8000 feet marker which is true above the tree's alpine and Pot Peak which is vaunted as Washington States funnest XC downhill, but you gotta pedal for miles and miles to get it.....

So those are on the docket in the meantime others are carrying the torch. There are alot of monkies doing ride reports and i read them all and i think it's frikkin cool.:cool:

[Monkeybidnezz]

Nice as always T. When peeps told me you were an epic rider a couple of years ago, they weren't kidding...

[chicodude]

When does the snow start to fall on the good trails?


I needs me an epic

[I Are Baboon]

Man, those trails look like so much fun.

A hiatus is unacceptable.

[Konabumm]

Wow - I would love to ride somewhere like that

[pixelninja]

Awesome, as usual.

[boostindoubles]

yea! Falls Creek is a sweet ride! I rode it with some friends a couple years ago. I was looking at those lava tubes and thinking they looked familiar. doh! I remember the last segment after the horse camp to be the funnest, when your cruising down those sidehills and HAULING ASS!

The plains of Abraham is a good ride too.

right on skookum! btw, going on a ride this sunday? I found a bike i can borrow for some singletrack action

[McGRP01]

Leaving the ridge and climbing towards the Plains.

http://home.comcast.net/~skookes/Volcano9.jpg


That's awesome!! :drool:

[spincrazy]

Nice write up. I used to do that ride once a year when I was back in WA. I miss it.

[ghostrider]

Application for hiatus.....DENIED!

[Quo Fan]

Sweet pics, nice write up.

Request for hiatus is disaproved. Re-submit in 7 day for final disaproval.

[Skookum]

When does the snow start to fall on the good trails?


I needs me an epic
Up here around Oct/Nov....

Since you're in Norcal you should check out that South Oregon stuff. That King Castle/Castle Rock ride while not an epic, packed so much quality punch with worthy flowy trails and a view to boot. i honestly keep thinking about that trail like it was my first lay haha....

i really want to get down there and do Umpqua (near Roseburg, Ore) soon, maybe i can meet you halfway for a ride.:)

http://www.imba.com/epics/maps/umpqua_map.jpg

Plus i always wanted to try some trails around Shasta, probably next year for that.

yea! Falls Creek is a sweet ride! I rode it with some friends a couple years ago. I was looking at those lava tubes and thinking they looked familiar. doh! I remember the last segment after the horse camp to be the funnest, when your cruising down those sidehills and HAULING ASS!


right on skookum! btw, going on a ride this sunday? I found a bike i can borrow for some singletrack action
Yah that trail is a ripper.

And if you can handle 25 miles 4000+ elevation climbing (i don't know if i can handle that haha), go to Randle on 12, take a left on 131 across the Cowlitz River bridge. Take a left on Cispus Rd which turns into Forest Rd. 23. At a Y stay to the left on Forest Rd. 21. A little past Cat Creek Campground is Forest Rd. 78, we'll be parking at that junction. We'll be starting around ninish Sunday. This ride is in the Blue Lakes Trail System, Hamilton Peak has a 360 panorama of all the volcaners and dem Goat Rocks.

[bcd]

i would have liked to been on that ride!