Helens Fest

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Helens Fest 2010 is over!. Too early to begin talking about 2011, yet the success of this event makes us look forward to next year.

HUGE THANKS to all the riders for coming out and making this event happen! It really made a positive statement to see great camaraderie and so many mountain bikers working on the trails at Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Everybody had a great time, no trips to the ER :), and we left the trails in MUCH better shape than before the event.

Leading up to the event, the leaders made several reconnaisance missions to check out snow levels, trail conditions, and even some trail work to ensure the rides will go smoothly. The day before the event, a few people pre-rode some of the rides as well so as to report on conditions. Everything was looking great, however the Ghost Lake ride had to be scrubbed due to possibility of snow.

On Friday, KenOBonn led the Ape Canyon ride, Jerry D led the Smith Creek ride, and Aaron A led the Craggy Peak deathmarch. Some of us headed to Yale Lake to go swimming afterwards, while some of the leaders stayed at the camp and trailheads to ensure all riders returned on schedule. Whitney and Chris from the Mount St Helens Institute (MSHI) gave a presentation later in the evening.

Saturday, Hailey from MSHI broke us up into manageable sized groups to work on trails, including the Kalama ski trail, Blue Horse trail, lower Ape Canyon, lower Smith Creek. Work performed included brushwork and clearing the trails of excess rocks, and decomissioning a few spur trails to keep people on the proper trails. Hailey from MSHI later cooked a tasty barbeque for all.

Sunday, Preston P led a ride to Windy Ridge, David A let the Butte Camp ride, some people opted to do the Smith Creek loop, and Robert K led the beginner ride on Lower Smith Creek, with KenOBonn and Dave W as co leaders as we split the group to be more personal for riders pace. The beginners ride was very impressive, as they rode for 2 and a half hours, not bad for a first time!

MORE THANKS go out to our sponsors... Notable was Tim from Camas Bikes riding with us to support in case of mechanicals, the Bike Gallery folks very eager to do extra sweep duty to be sure all riders were off the trail at the end of the day, and Trek Bikes for bringing demo bikes and setting them up perfectly for the riders. I can't begin to thank all of our sponsors for all that they contributed. New Belgium beer, of course they rocked, and Diamond Back Bikes for the wonderful commemorative t shirts.


Contents

HELENS FEST 2010

General information and signup at Evergreen Calendar. If you happen to be coming from the South, you may want to sign up with the Northwest Trail Alliance. Please sign up for either the Evergreen site or the NWTA site, not both, so that we can have accurate attendance forecast.

Mount St Helens provides some very fantastic riding opportunities in a unique landscape. Where else can you ride on the shoulders of an active volcano? Riding will be as varied as the landscape itself. Specific rides have not yet been determined since trail conditions after this winter could impact our plans for the event. However, on Friday we would like to introduce riders to the little known trails on the west side of the mountain, trails with names like Toutle, Sheep Canyon, Butte Camp, and the Loowit (a small portion connecting Sheep Canyon and Butte Camp). On Sunday, riding will be centered around the newly designated IMBA epic Ape Canyon and Smith Creek trails. We are also anticipating rides being held on Siouxon, Butte Camp, Lewis River and others, including a possible gonzo ride for hard core riders.

RIDES / DATES

The dates for rides will be as below. Please send us feedback on your riding preferences.

  • Friday July 09, Ride options
    • Ape Canyon. Ape Canyon, Plains of Abraham, Windy Ridge and back. Leader: Ken O. Bonn
    • Smith Creek. Smith Creek Epic. Leader: Jerry Deruyter
    • Craggy Peak. Wright Meadow to Craggy Peak and back. Black diamond ride. Leader: Aaron Althauser
  • Saturday July 10, Work Party. See below for details on plans for the work party.
  • Sunday July 11, Ride options
    • Ape Canyon. Ape Canyon, Plains of Abraham, Windy Ridge and back. Leader: Preston Peterson.
    • Smith Creek. Smith Creek Epic. Leader: TBD.
    • Butte Camp. Toutle/SheepCanyon/Loowit/Butte Camp Trails. Leader: David Anderson
    • Ghost Lake. Elk Pass to Ghost Lake and Beyond!. Leader: Scrubbed. Possible still have snow there.
    • Lower Smith Creek, beginners ride. Leader: Robert Kulp.

We are currently looking for ride leaders and ride suggestions for 2011. For a list of trails in the vicinity to consider, please refer to Mount St Helens (general) Wiki site. To submit a ride suggestion or volunteer in planning, please Contact us via email!

WORK PARTY

The work party will be on Saturday July 10.

Divide up in to several groups to perform several projects that need to be done. They may include, but are not limited to the following: Trail work on a variety of trails on the South side of the mountain. Installation of signs on ski trails; removal of invasive plants such as Scotch Broom. Tentatively, there might be work focussed on the following:

  1. Break up into 4 groups of 10, to work on the Kalama Ski Trail. The forest service may have 3 people who are chain saw certified to help us.
  2. Work on lower Smith Creek Trailhead, Possibly removal of scotch broom from trail or similar brush work and tread work as necessary. 1 group of 10 people.
  3. Upper Ape Canyon trail, mostly brushing to cut back on the alders. 1 group of 10 people.
  4. Toutle trail out of Blue Lake parking area. Clearing trail of rocks from parking area to the stream just before Blue Lake. This area is near the Butte Camp and Sheep Canyon trails that we plan to ride for the event. 1 group of 10 people.

Guidelines for the work party are listed below.

  • Safety meeting. Attendance at the safety meeting in the morning is required for all attendees. You will not be permitted to work if you have not signed in, acknowledging that you have attended the safety meeting.
  • Sharp tools such as Mcleod or grub hoe are not to be carried by bike, rather by BOB trailer. If you happen to have a BOB trailer, please let us know so we can assess how many we might have access to in case they are needed. Some tools can safely be carried by bike.

WHAT TO BRING

Due to the nature of this event we are relying on you to be self-sufficient in terms of materials brought to camp. Bring enough of the following, as we will not plan to have extra. We won't be telling you everything you need to bring, but a few things are worth reminding or suggesting. Marble Mountain Snow Park is back country camping. There are two toilets, a large shelter (no sleeping inside it though) and NO running water. You will need a tent and sleeping bag. RV's can be used since the parking lot is very large, however noisy generators at night will be required to shut off by 10 PM. If you have a RV or generator or two ton noisemaker, please park it away from the general camping areas. The parking lot can have noise travel quite a distance, so please do something, if possible, to reflect the noise from the generator away from the campsite (without enclosing the thing so you don't get CO gas poisoning or overheating).

Some of the requirements for attire are required by policy for Evergreen for riding, such as helmet, and some of the requirements for the work party are required by the Forest Service. Currently, list is tentative, actual requirements will be finalized shortly.

Northwest Forest Pass. Up to you to decide if you want to purchase a year pass for $30 or a couple of day passes for $5 per day. Forest Passes are available at the Lone Fir Resort in Cougar, or at Ape Cave. See the links in this paragraph to find other places to purchase a pass. A volunteer day pass will be provided for Saturday only after people check in that day to do trailwork.

camping gear

  • Water & water carrier for at least three days time. There is no potable water at campsite. Bring enough water to drink on the trail, to cook and clean, and possibly to shower.
  • Food for 4 days (number of days expected + 1)
  • food storage (you may want something to keep food in to protect it from mice). Cooler with ice for perishables.
  • toilet paper. There are two toilets at camp site. Bring a trowel or small shovel if you don't want to wait in line.
  • biodegradable soap
  • extra clothes (be prepared for heat during the day, and colder nights)
  • compass
  • flashlight w/extra batteries
  • sun protection (a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, sunglasses)
  • shelter (tent, sleeping bag/pad, emergency blanket)
  • personal first aid kit (along with any daily medications you may need)
  • fire (stove for cooking, matches, lighter, other fire starters...always have at least one!)
  • knife, cooking utensils such as pots, plates, coffee mug, bowl, etc.
  • insect repellent (for mosquitoes and flies)
  • Camp chair
  • Ear plugs if you are a light sleeper

biking gear

It is expected that you already know what to bring to be self sufficient biking in the back country, below may be simple reminder, some gear for the ride yet some may be left at camp.

  • Bike. Be sure it is in proper working order before you reach the trail head!
  • Two way radio. Optional, but if you have it, please bring it.
  • Bike lock and cable.
  • Mini multi tool, spare chain links.
  • Spare inner tube(1 or 2 in pack recommended), patch kit, pump
  • Helmet! This is mandatory, you will not be allowed to ride without one.
  • Day pack.
  • GPS (optional)
  • Food, plenty of water, possibly minerals if extra hot. I use Nuun, but your preferences may differ.
  • gloves.
  • Camera (optional, but you know you want to)
  • Two or more changes of bike clothes for multi day riding
  • Some people like to have in their car extra spokes, derailleur hanger, derailleur, cables, brake pads, chain oil and cleaning supplies, etc. Spare parts are up to your discretion, but most importantly be sure your bike is working properly.

Work party gear

  • Eye Protection! Sunglasses or safety glasses as appropriate. Don't let sticks and stones get in your eyes, please.
  • day pack (to carry basic items for our trips from camp to our work sites)
  • long pants. Required if using digging tools.
  • long-sleeved shirt (reccomended for brushing)
  • leather boots with sturdy soles
  • leather work gloves
  • helmet or hard hat (we will provide hard hats).
  • Tools will be provided.

SPONSOR RECOGNITION

Organizations sponsoring this event include the following:

DIRECTIONS TO CAMPSITE

The campsite will be the Marble Mountain Snow Park. Directions assume coming from Seattle area but should be fine if coming from Portland. You can use Bing Maps to get driving directions.

  • Take I-5 South, follow exit#21 to get on Hwy 503 towards Woodland / Cougar.
  • Follow Hwy 503 / Lewis River Rd for 28 miles to town of Cougar. (so far, this should take 3hr 20 minutes, distance so far is 180 miles).
  • Past Cougar, Hwy 503 / Lewis River Rd becomes FS Rd#90.
  • Turn left on FS Rd#83 and follow for 6 miles to Marble Mountain Campsite, which will be on the left.

img37159.jpg

DIRECTIONS TO THE RIDES, FROM CAMPISITE

To Butte Camp.
Estimated drive: 5 miles, 10 minutes.
Marble Mt to Red Rock Pass Trailhead

  • Depart NF-83 toward NF-81 / Toutle River Trail, drive for 2.2 miles
  • Turn right onto NF-81 / Toutle River Trail, follow for 2.9 miles
  • Arrive at Red Rock Pass Trailhead on the right

To Craggy Peak.
Estimated drive: 36 miles, 1 hour.
This map will illustrate the drive from (A)Marble Mountain to (B)Lower Wright TH = Middle Falls Lewis River vicinity or (C)Upper Wright TH.

  • From Marble Mountain Snow Park along NF-83, backtrack 5.3 miles Southwest back to NF-90.
  • Turn Left to go East on NF-90 for 11.9 miles, just past the Pine Creek Info Station.
    1. To get to the Lower Trailhead (for Helens Fest)
      • Turn Right onto NF-90 (do not go North on NF-25!), continue for 4 miles, and skip the turnoff to Curly Creek Road.
      • Keep going 10 miles further to the Lower Falls Recreation Area.
      • Go to the next parking area, the Middle Falls. There might be a bit of a wait as there might be construction vehicles nearby.
    2. To get to the upper trailhead,
      • Keep straight onto NF-25 (do not go Right on NF-90!), for 5.5 miles
      • Keep straight to get onto NF-93, follow this North for 12.9 miles.
      • Turn left onto NF-9327, follow for 0.5 miles to the Wright Meadow Trailhead.

To Lower Ape Canyon TH
(for Ape Canyon and Smith Creek.
Estimated drive: 5 miles, 10 minutes.
From Marble Mountain, head out left towards Ape Canyon. In 5.1 miles, you will be at the trailhead on the left, just before the Lava Canyon trailhead at the end of the road. Limited parking here.

To Lower Smith Creek TH
(for beginner ride, lower section of Smith Creek.
Estimated drive: 5 miles, 10 minutes.
 From Marble Mountain, head out left towards Ape Canyon. In about 4.6 miles, take a right onto a poorly marked gravel road. Follow it 4.7 miles downhill, until you reach the small parking lot at the end of the road.

To Ghost Lake
Estimated drive: 39 miles, 49 minutes.

  • Head back (South) on NF-83 for 5.3 miles.
  • Turn Left (East) onto NF-90 for 11.9 miles.
  • Keep straight (North) onto NF-25 for 21.2 miles.


RESOURCES

Forest Service Maps

Mount St Helens (general) Wiki site

Marble Mountain Snow Park

PHOTOGRAPHS 2010

People have been posting their photographs at various sites. See links below for some of them. As always, honor whatever copyrights anybody may say on their site.

I'm kinda new to Flickr, some of these links may be the same parent site.
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