Ride Reports
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
10 | 20 | '24
Our first, Fall, atmospheric river wave came through overnight but only showered on Chelan and made the downhill trail ideal for your tires. I started climbing from the trailhead around 6:30 this morning. After traversing over to the Butte...
Submitted by tomvale on 10/19/24
10 | 18 | '24
After the first threat of snow above 3000’ was forecasted, I figured I had to do an early morning ride to catch the snow, and make tracks, before it was all melted by the sunny day.
Trail conditions are clear and slightly damp from...
Submitted by tomvale on 10/17/24
10 | 13 | '24
Today, I put the new brake pads I installed to good use going down the Butte Downhill in the beautiful, Fall weather. Sure, the trail was dry, but for the most part, it is clear and it’s mostly a straight line trail anyway, except for the switchbacks...
Submitted by tomvale on 10/13/24
10 | 11 | '24
After changing brake pads yesterday, I took the bike and drone out to Echo Ridge to challenge the drone’s object avoidance capabilities. I tried to have it follow me up Bergmans Gulch but it was having a ton of trouble tracking through the Pines and...
Submitted by tomvale on 10/11/24
10 | 08 | '24
This morning, my goal was to test my new toy, a DJI Mini 4 Pro camera drone. The Butte area has some airspace restrictions so it complicated my drone test a bit but I got my first vids and was happy. I began my ride from the trailhead, I climbe...
Submitted by tomvale on 10/6/24
09 | 29 | '24
Started my ride at the trailhead this morning at 5:30 with the goal of getting to the summit to see the sunrise which was to happen before 7:00. The stars were out and the Chelan city lights and twilight sky were a beautiful backdrop for the climb to...
Submitted by tomvale on 9/28/24
09 | 27 | '24
I left the house as soon as I could this morning and got to the ski hill parking area a little before 6am. After gearing up and adding the handlebar light, I began the climb up the NUT under lights to the top of the Boa. I continued the climb up to R...
Submitted by tomvale on 9/25/24