awesome rides at ratpac

[radjockette]

What a beauty day on saturday at the ratpac. Partly cloudy skies, little on the cool side, and nearly perfect trail conditions with the gate open!!! :cool: No peanut butter sludge to be found. Log ride at the top was slicker than snot (need more wire mesh and would be all good), and the last stunt at the bottom was a little bit sketchy, but do-able.
Had one hell of a good time, me and 3 buddies. Ran into one group of three and hooked up with a solo rider on our last run up, and that was it. Definitely one awesome trail that I will have to hit again; it was my first time up there.
Ended the day with pizza and beers in north bend at jayberries: great pizza and food. Hope all other monkeys had a great weekend of riding! :)

[Borneo]

We hit it yesterday and I was surprised that there was dust in places.
Same old fun ride down. The first new ramp is pretty ghetto and sure looks out of place though... Man, that trail has changed over the years.
Still a few weekends of good weather to get to the dry side before the top snows in. There's several other ways down and one to start with is just East of Rat Pac. Look for a blocked old road peeling off to the right and down. Stay with it to a 4 way and then turn right and down again. When a singletrack crosses it almost to the power lines, turn right once more and that is the trail that "Y"s to the left at the bottom of rat pac.

[Gonz]

>>just East of Rat Pac. Look for a blocked old road peeling off to the right and down. Stay with it to a 4 way and then turn right and down again. When a singletrack crosses it almost to the power lines, turn right once more and that is the trail that "Y"s to the left at the bottom of rat pac<<

so would the reverse of that be a good way to climb ? How would it compare to the road ?

[Borneo]

Look at your maps. You could either take the road up Greens Canyon to the 4 way or the next drainage west of there. It's old jeep road turned into old moto trail and it's a grunt. But, very ridable going up. You may have actually done it in the old days with Leons or Tanka. That used to be THE way up.
Last year when I went up that way, there were flags and new survey marks there too.

[Borregokid]

[QUOTE=Gonz
so would the reverse of that be a good way to climb ? How would it compare to the road ?[/QUOTE]

If anyone finds a shorter way to the top of the ridge than the road or a better way let me know. I have made it from the log pile to the Rat Pac Junction in 24 minutes. Ken from BBTC was showing me a shortcut to the top and it took 1.5 hours. :( Plus 8 hours later my legs were still puffy from all the stinging nettle.

I followed one of the loging roads down east of Rat Pac and the trail is lost once it hits the new Vista Ridge road. That ridge road probably took out more than one trail. There is also a pretty wild downhill trail that motos still use further east, it drops straight down-I have never followed it, but I would guess it would drop into Saphire Skies above Cle Elum. Its probably suitable for downhillers, but there is no shuttle road.

[Bullitrider]

Anyone have any pictures of some of the stuff there? I've done a search and came up empty.

[Borregokid]

Just went up the Rat Pac road this afternoon and the gate was locked. Who knows when it will be open again.

[T:I:M]

It may open up again after this week? Im just thinking they shut it this week because of homecoming, so they don't want people up there getting drunk then driving off roads and killing themselves, or burning up forests, or any other crzy stuff!

[DBR X6 RIDER]

Anyone have any pictures of some of the stuff there? I've done a search and came up empty.
http://home.comcast.net/~avoight/wsb/media/60185/site1068.jpg
taken a couple of years ago by Skookum:cool:
That's all I have on my hard drive right now - I'm maxing and relaxing tomorrow, so I'll see if I can dig any others out.
Best way to see the stuff is to go there.;)

[Bullitrider]

Thanks DBR. Looks fun. Yeah, I just like to whoop it up too much on Friday & Saturday nights. Makes it hard to get out there in the mornings. Keeps me more local.

[stacy1]

Any more information whether the gate will be open this weekend?

[DBR X6 RIDER]

Thanks DBR. Looks fun. Yeah, I just like to whoop it up too much on Friday & Saturday nights. Makes it hard to get out there in the mornings. Keeps me more local.
Perhaps a sequence taken there on the Gravity Cavity will ease your partying instincts for a night?;)
http://home.comcast.net/~avoight/wsb/media/60185/site1117.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~avoight/wsb/media/60185/site1118.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~avoight/wsb/media/60185/site1119.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~avoight/wsb/media/60185/site1120.JPG

There used to be a geocities site that had a pic of the A-Frame out there - I think they labeled it as the Mummy Cat :confused:

I recall riding out there as late as early Nov. last year.:cool:

Wish I knew the story about the gate myself. I think they should have a webcam up showing the gate at all times so you could check it before you head that way.:)

[Borregokid]

Any more information whether the gate will be open this weekend?

It was open today-Saturday. I saw three shuttle vehicles. When I went by the gate the lock and pin were left on the gate suggesting that the last one out was to lock the gate. The only ones on the ridge were bikers so maybe a downhiller has a key. I will have to back Sunday and see if its locked again.

Rat Pac is getting real close to be closed. Plum Creek Timber has just posted a "Road Closed" sign at the entrance to lower Rat Pac. I also saw four hand lelettered signs for bulldozer-grader operators to make changes in the road. My guess is heavy equiptment will come in on Monday or Tuesday and in a week or so logging starts.

[Certified Drunk]

The Gate is CLOSED! On the trial that transverses is now BLOCKED with about 40 Downed trees. It looked like they were cut Yesterday.

[DBR X6 RIDER]

Hopefully it's just a logging closure and nothing of the permanent variety.
That would make Andy very sad.:(

[Bullitrider]

Sweet pics. Sounds like the trail may have some new log rides?