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Now that it's late September in Vegas, it's finally cool enough that I can finally ride after work, rather than just quick laps early in the morning. I took advantage by scheduling an interview across town and riding a trail system I only get to on occasion. It was good stuff. Less chunky and more traditional XC than the trails I ride normally. I really enjoyed it.
Went to the golf course that's a disc golf place now to practice. Tasted going through the sand trap. Duck paddle worked and I wasn't going to see if speed was the answer.
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TR: Ape Canyon and the Plains of Abraham, Mount Saint Helens
Pulled off a Washington classic this weekend, as a “last hurrah” of sorts: it was the last opportunity to ride before undergoing surgery to remove the plate from my clavicle. The thing bugs the shit out of me so I’m electing to get ‘er out, which means staying off the bike for a couple months while the 13 empty screw holes re-ossify. No crashing allowed on the holey-bone.
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My friend Nick and I arrived late Saturday night to an empty trailhead and a bright starscape with the new moon.
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We brewed coffee on the tailgate, arranged gear, fiddled with shock pressures and let the sun rise before getting started on the trail at about 0730. It parallels the stony streambed of the upper Muddy river for a short while, maybe a mile, occasionally on an old road bed but with some dusty roottech mixed in.
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Then the climb starts in earnest, through a magnificent stand of old-growth perched in a really interesting bit of terrain. The trail follows a ridgeline that borders the ancient Ape Canyon, which drops 2000 feet to Smith creek to the east… yet to the west, relatively recently, the volcano has flowed so much material up against this ridgeline that only a couple hundred feet stand clear of the lahar plain. This grove of dang-ol-big-ol trees have felt the heat from thousands of years worth of volcanic events, protected on their old ridgeline, growing fat on rich ashy soil and plentiful moisture.
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At the top of the old ridgeline, the trail spits you into fully-volcanic open terrain with excellent views out to the north, east, and south.
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After crossing some loose and precipitous tech…
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… you pop onto the Plains of Abraham. The trail winds through this mostly flat pumice plain, affording the occasional glance up the looming slopes of the volcano, and out through gaps in the small buttes bordering the canyon drop to the east.
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After the pleasant mile-ish cruise across the Plains, the trail zig-zags through some ravines below Alpine Butte. We reached the high point on the north end of the butte before the trail descends to join the spur road from Windy Ridge, and decided to snack and turn around. The views into the Blast Zone are cool/scary. Didn’t see any elk this day but there are huge herds that graze on the plain.
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Reversed course through the zigs and the Plains of Abe…
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… then scrambled up to the top of Pumice Butte to get the big view. Started seeing a few other bikers.
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After chillin for an hour on top, we descended the butte back to our bikes and rode out. The ride down through the old growth was super enjoyable. Parts were dusty but most of it was fast cruisin.
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Jumped in the creek at the trailhead to de-stickify for the drive home. Saw a tiny lizard by the creek… maybe a Northern Alligator lizard?
Overall a great ride and a grand salute to biking and summer things before going under the knife and refocusing on home projects and training for the approaching ski season.
Cheers.
~S
Wow, Norseman, that looks like a beautiful ride. Hope the healing up is quick and smooth!
Circumnavigation of the Winds. Finally we can say "Wind Rivers" and "good mountain biking" in the same sentence. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...f36f4c4f35.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e58e0cc950.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...68bd98ed61.jpg
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Rad!Quote:
Originally Posted by Norseman
Looks sweet and peaceful . Love my rail!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by rudy
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Da leaves are changing….
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OMG!! This thread went off with fall so good! St Helen’s stoke!! Love that ride!!
Some more to add to the heap!
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Pretty fun new trail, Slab City, connecting these two big rock slabs and plenty more techy rocks to follow.
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Starting to feel like fall, though leaves haven’t started turning too much yet.
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My friend Ethan drops into something steep.
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Rad Norseman. Thanks for taking the time to post this up in here. What an incredible looking ride and area.Quote:
Originally Posted by Norseman
This place looks fun. Where you at Rudy? Is that SoCal?Quote:
Originally Posted by rudy
Shhhhhh
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Dude! You’re supposed to keep them and be bionic! I have 2 just to be safe.Quote:
Originally Posted by Norseman
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Curt Gowdy?Quote:
Originally Posted by rideit
Central ColoradoQuote:
Originally Posted by raisingarizona13
See if you can sell the surgical plate in gearswap, maybe WRG or some other shoulder-injured mag could use it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Norseman
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Buffalo?Quote:
Originally Posted by rudy
Limon
Yupperhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...40cf432c67.jpg
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Marrakech urban blasting. Waiting for the AMR to start on Saturday. Stoke level is high Attachment 428017Attachment 428018Attachment 428019Attachment 428020Attachment 428021Attachment 428022Attachment 428023Attachment 428024
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