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 complete at home, I took off early in the truck to drive up the east side of Lake Chelan to the Safety Harbor Creek Trailhead.

The dirt road was reconditioned this summer while the Pioneer Fire was going on so its condition was as good as it will ever get. After getting to the trailhead, there was a message on the kiosk saying that there was a Uno Peak trail washout making the trail inaccessible to complete so I almost thought it was going to be an out and back ride today instead of the loop I had planned. 

I geared up and started riding in the dry, 31 degree, weather, at about 8:30 this morning. 

The Lower Safety Harbor Creek trail is a converted fire road to single track and a comfortable climb except for the rock slide you must scramble over. It is just a couple big boulders but will be a hassle. After that, you only deal with occasional moto ruts in the sandy trail and loose rock  at times until you get to the north side of the Uno Peak trail. It is frustrating unless your goal is to go exploring someplace new and accept those hassles. Pedal strikes, obstructions, and loose rocky trail will always be here so be prepared for that. The Levo was my friend as long as I stayed in my seat while the tire kept trying to bite. It does sand well but big rock, rut, and sand is asking too much!  I had some hike a bike but I don’t mind hiking too much. After reaching the ride’s summit point, I relaxed more and wondered where that darn washout was and would I get turned around or be able to cross it……. It never appeared. They either fixed it or it was overstated. I was able to do the full rounding of Uno Peak. BUT, the southern half is very bushy and has a lot of windfall to clear. The descent is fun but slower and views of the lake are nice. This is not a ride for flow and tech junkies! It is just for me! A tech enjoyer and explorer.  It has too much work for the payoff but the escapist in me needed the solitude and physical challenges it delivered!   DO NOT DO THIS LOOP CLOCKWISE!  You will want gravity’s help in the challenging sections.

The Trailforks ride log and pictures are here.