Ride Reports
03 | 02 | '25
The trails have soaked up most of the water, but some drainage is still needing a day or two more. You will have fun here so come get some. I rolled the Goldeneye Rock drop but there is still a chainsaw job of one tree on that runout (report image)....
Submitted by tomvale on 3/2/25
02 | 26 | '25
Due to the atmospheric river rains and temperatures, I decided to try the lower sections of the Out of the Blue trail since it faces South on North Mountain (better sun exposure). I parked at the lower gate and started climbi...
Submitted by tomvale on 2/27/25
02 | 20 | '25
Sorry that I'm putting another ride report in for the Skills Park but it has the best draining trails in Western Washington! The snow is almost gone so the dirt is wonderful. Just needs one more day to dry. Sing this report to the Back Street Boys so...
Submitted by tomvale on 2/18/25
02 | 15 | '25
Because of all the cold weather we've had, there is still the 2 inches of snow on the Skills Park trails. Above the skills park, there is six or more inches on the higher mountain. So until this weekend's rains wash some of it away, it is marginally...
Submitted by tomvale on 2/15/25
02 | 09 | '25
I went out to Darrington again since those are the best draining trails but I was worried about the new snow. I found that there was only 2" total in the Skills Park and very ridable. There was a truck stuck in the road just above the Crosscut trailh...
Submitted by tomvale on 2/9/25
02 | 02 | '25
Took the Turbo Levo to Lord Hill this afternoon and the trails got some moisture making them grippy but the roots got moisture too and were very greasy. Sing this report to the song "Kryptonite" by Three Doors Down.
I ride black diamond trails to de...
Submitted by tomvale on 2/2/25
01 | 27 | '25
Just bought a new Specialized Enduro Comp and took it to the Darrington Skills Park to test it and fine tune it. Sing this report to Def Leppard's "Animal".
A wild ride, over stony groundSuch a lust for bikes, great weather comes to townWe are the 2...
Submitted by tomvale on 1/27/25
01 | 16 | '25
Today I decided to push my own limits and went into my personal 'Danger Zone' in Darrington, the Showcase Showdown trail.
Sing this report to Kenny Loggins biggest hit. ;-)
Pedaling with your legsBreathing heavy, almost a roarFull Suspension readyR...
Submitted by tomvale on 1/15/25
01 | 11 | '25
Sing this report to Heart's "Alone"
I hear the rumble of my truckWhile parking at the trailheadI wonder if I’ll enjoy this rideSee wildlife or more biker friendsThe riders fly when they hit the flowAnd I hope a crash won’t end me thoughAlone
Till n...
Submitted by tomvale on 1/9/25
01 | 09 | '25
Sing this report to Neil Diamond's "America" (7th mtb music parody report)
Far
We've been sending it far
With pads and gloves
And no risk for a scar
Free
Most the trails are free
We volunteer
And work towards our dream
On our bikes above the...
Submitted by tomvale on 1/7/25
12 | 28 | '24
Sing this report to the Scorpions song "Can't Live Without You".
One,Two,One, Two,One, two, three, four
Send it in front of your friendsYou know the fun never endsWe see Red Bull riders sending it farWith crowds shaking their headsAmazed at how w...
Submitted by tomvale on 12/29/24
12 | 22 | '24
I was watching the weather closely to find a break between the storms. That break came really early this morning and I arrived at the lower shuttle lot right at sunrise. Last night's winds blew a lot of stuff down so there were some bows and trees to...
Submitted by tomvale on 12/21/24
12 | 07 | '24
With the final dry day before the weekend rains, I took the bike to Lord Hill to get one more ride before I go back to the east side of the state. The trail soils were almost ideal but the damp roots were still a challenge, especially on Meet Cutter...
Submitted by tomvale on 12/7/24
12 | 06 | '24
The last time I rode a trail on the west side of the Cascades was back in the first week in May during the time of the 'Raging River' Zebras! I finally got a break from elder care and had some time to get away from the Eastern Cascade snow in Chelan'...
Submitted by tomvale on 12/6/24
11 | 14 | '24
The snow level for the next couple of weather fronts is dropping below the top of the Butte! I needed to get one more day of the hero soil before traction, elevation, and conditions, shut it down for the season. The ride began in early morning sun an...
Submitted by tomvale on 11/14/24
11 | 05 | '24
With the recent wind, rain and snow, I went to Echo Ridge to enjoy the sunny weather aftermath and see what trails needed to be cleared. I parked at the bottom of Waterbar Heaven and climbed Bergman Gulch and began the Outback counterclockwise. The O...
Submitted by tomvale on 11/5/24
11 | 02 | '24
Had a couple days of rain lately so the Butte Downhill was hero. Climbing to the summit was enjoyable looking at the layers of clouds above the lake and all the snowcapped ridge lines in the distance. The snow line was about 4000’ so the Butte was al...
Submitted by tomvale on 11/2/24
10 | 27 | '24
Here in Chelan we had a full night of rain last night so the Butte Downhill would be hardened and hero. That was the main reason to go riding today but I also wanted to rake out the gravel from two key spots where there aren’t clear lines. Those spot...
Submitted by tomvale on 10/27/24
10 | 25 | '24
The snow is going to fly this weekend up high so I needed to complete my eastern high rides before trails get too covered in snow. Today’s ride would take me to an elevation of 7100 feet while going around Uno Peak. After getting my elder care tasks...
Submitted by tomvale on 10/26/24
10 | 22 | '24
Woke up early this morning to clear skies and 34 degrees outside. :-( Winter is coming! The sun was just coming out to warm things up so I waited a bit longer and finally started climbing about 9:30.
The climbing trail and Winter traverse are a litt...
Submitted by tomvale on 10/22/24