Yesterday I went back to MT Spokane SP w/ intent to ride to the summit and ride down the rehabilitated trail 140 from the summit. I made the parking area right across the road from the CXT outhouse. Intermittent rain showers were happening, not enough to make much of a difference but I would have been a bit damp if I was caught on the pavement. I waited one out then pedaled off. I prefer riding about 15 mins of pavement to avoid the hike a bike (for me) start in the dirt. I stayed dry. I could learn the trail numbers to pass on. OK, I rode up 110 to the Saddle jnct. I dropped onto the dirt where the trail all but kisses the pavement and rode to a picnic spot on the Kit Carson loop rd that I rode last Sunday. Next was the big hump up to Saddle jnct and the Kit Carson outhouse.
I like this trail for its grunt challenge and single track. From the outhouse a bit of old double track lead me to the road switchback @ Cook’s cabin then the road ride up to the summit. Part way up a squall line became visible heading my exposed way. And Les called me on the phone to ask about my ride, I’m short of breath and racing the possible rain. I made the summit b4 the rain.
Trail 140 goes from the summit all the way down to Bear Creek Lodge, a coaster geek joy ride. The upper part has been corrected to eliminate sustainable issues that were more fall line and chunky. The new trail is just like lift assisted downhills: hard banked bermed switchback then traverse w/ some rollers in between. It’s their joy, not mine. It is shuttled, no lift service. Lots of brake bumps before the turns and dusty. 2700′ in less than 5 miles drop. One and done. I no longer have a desire to expend my effort for the gravity reward, there are other routes that offer more of the single track I enjoy, Just saying.
My campspot plan was the small XG up on the mountain at Bald Knob. I did not see any XG closed signs. I drove up to the deserted XG. I parked where I could see the summit out the windshield.
I hiked a piece of trail 130 from the XG. A short distance in the trail turned from old skinny single track to a freshly groomed wide single track. Crud, this trail was a lot of fun to ride, just enough challenge to stimulate me. I continued thinking about the new trail condition and that’s what it is: new. Perhaps it will weather back in. The $ must have run out because work quit and I was smiling back on the older condition.
Bunch of years ago I and a mountain lion looked deeply into each other’s eyes to see who was going to blink. Fortunately I won and the lion did a 180 cat like move and sprinted away. We were so close I could not have stopped before landing at its feet. My thought in those milliseconds of time was that I would use my body as a projectile to fight the cat. I revisited that spot today. I counted 15 steps between when we first saw each other.
More fall colors
Quite night.
Today I drove back down. Just after starting downhill the check brake light icon lit up. Shit, about 2,000′ of drop awaited me. I use my brakes judiciously all the time. I never felt the wear strip on the brake pads. What’s up w/ this? I made it down w/ as much brake as I needed. I stopped @ park office and visited w/ Steve, the ranger whom we have known thru the friends of mt Spokane.
Back in town. Randy and I were going to ride High Drive near his house but his employment changed his free time to, well, work. I dilly dallied in town. I stopped by the pot store which was closed, sign said no inventory, try Thurs.
I now have a brake appointment tomorrow days earlier than my planned Monday as cancellations created an opening.
Randy is fixing salmon just caught last week on his Alaskan fly fishing annual escape.
I have a 10/3 appointment in Renton to have a Propex model 2211 installed. This is a forced air furnace that will be mounted underneath the floor then vented into the interior under my bed. Runs on installed propane and doesn’t produce water vapor or CO. On the way over starting Monday I will ride Devils Gulch etc outside Cashmere, WA., Applet and Cotlet home.
Off to dinner.