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Overview

• Date Reviewed : December 2003
• Distance: 27 Miles
• Route: Out and back (with a small loop on the end)
• Trail Type: 95% Singletrack, 4% Fireroad 1% Pavement
• Difficulty (Scale 1-10): 5 (Mickey Mouse - 8)
• Cardio: Strenuous (due to ride length and weather)

Comments

I am finally able to settle down to write the ride report for Saturdays kick butt ride. We started the day with 5, Ogre, Fiona (my wife Char), George, Joseph, and Fred. Char hasn't been riding with us much yet because she is still very much a beginner she came today because someone who shall remain nameless suggested that "not enough chix ride with the TROGS" and suggested specifically that she come to this ride. However after finagling a day off work Char was the only "chick" who showed.

Weather was overcast and a bit foggy which kept much of the moisture from the previous nights rain on the trail. Overall traction was pretty good though and standing water was only an issue on a few sections of Sweetwater. We did have a few steep spots which were pretty hairy due to slippery conditions though.

We started at Falcon Crest which is a seldom used trailhead with some fun/ tough bonus miles and a steep little rocky downhill which cuts over to the beginning of Sweetwater trail. Char had some problems with the steeper sections but did an admirable job for someone green.

We cruised through Sweetwater and Joeseph managed to flat both tires. Then we crossed Salmon Falls bridge and started on Salmon Falls (Darlington trail). At this point Char decided she had enough and headed back to the car. The rest of us picked up the pace a bit and the bulk of Salmon Falls trail disappeared in a hurry (it's pretty flat and fast) and before we knew it we were looking at the base of Flagstaff Hill.

At this point we could have gone straight up Flagstaff which is about a 2 mile climb. I suggested that we go around the hill and climb up the backside on the road. It's about 6-8 miles more but added a bit more singletrack. There was little debate (although later it was suggested that I understated the amount of climbing involved) we went around the hill (mountain?).

The Singletrack which goes around Flagstaff is probably the best on Salmon Falls trail. It's fun technical up and down stuff along with a big section of rolling through hilly meadows. Then we hit the road and climbed, and climbed. I guess there was about 2-3 miles of road climbing before we hit (even steeper) fireroad which took us to the top.

At the top of the climb my navigational skills were compared and contrasted with Alex's. Apparently I had given the impression that the climb was something that girlscouts did on tricycles during summer camp.

From the top of Flagstaff we took Mickey Mouse down. I stayed back with Fred most of the time who was having trouble with the descent so I can't comment on how George or Joesph did. The trail was a bit slipperier than I had anticipated (usually it rides Ok after a rain) but was in pretty good shape. I think the easiest way to describe MM is to simply say that it is the steepest trail I have ever ridden. It is very skinny and technical in parts but mostly it is just steeper than anything else around. Fred walked quite a bit and I think Joseph did too. I walked much more than usual due to the moisture.

We bypassed the bottom of MM and a bit of Singletrack and started heading back. At this point I was pretty wasted and Fred was cruising at a mellow pace so we hung back while George and Joseph rolled away from us. The return trip was a pure deathmarch. By the time I got back to Sweetwater trail my legs were jello and I had no go juice for anything but the short hills. Somehow we slogged our way back to the car with no major incidents.

I figure the total ride distance at 26-27 miles including lots of little rolling hills, one killer climb, and a brutal downhill. Total time on the trail was about 5 1/2 hours for me. Awesome, fun, ass kicking ride.

Fred was obviously suffering at this point and had become delusional.

Here's Fred cruising down the singletrack on the way around Flagstaff Hill.

Fred and George coming through the fog near the final climb on Flagstaff Hill.

Joseph on one of the Mouse tracks.

Joseph disappearing around a bend after chasing down mouse trails.

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