Mountain Bike America: Washington, 2nd; An Atlas of Washington State's Greatest Off-Road Bicycle Rides

by Amy and Mark Poffenbarger

• ISBN13: 9780762709250
• ISBN10: 0762709251
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2001-05-01
• Publisher: Globe Pequot

Summary

Featuring more than 60 of Washington's greatest mountain bike rides, this one-of-a-kind guide takes you from the lush rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula to the rugged, glacier-capped mountains of the northern Cascades; from the moonscaped ridges of Mount St. Helens east over tulip fields and seas of wheat to the Selkirk and Blue Mountains. Mountain Bike America: Washington is a unique look into our northwesternmost state, capturing its history, culture and incomparable beauty.

This guide contains comprehensive trail descriptions, from beginner to advanced, GPS-quality, digitally designed relief maps detailing each ride and accurate route profiles showing the ups and downs of each ride. Detailed directions get you to the ride without getting you lost. There are mile-by-mile directional cues, difficulty ratings, elevation gain, trail contacts, local information and much more.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	v
Ride Locator Map	ix
Ride at a Glance	x
How to Use This Book	xvi
Map Legend	xvii
How to Use These Maps	xviii
Introduction
Washington's Weather	1	(1)
Flora and Fauna	2	(1)
Wilderness Restrictions and Regulations	3	(1)
Getting around Washington	4	(2)
Northwest Washington	6	(108)
Lily/Lizard Lakes Loop	10	(6)
Spruce Railroad Trail	16	(6)
Foothills Trail	22	(6)
Gold Creek	28	(6)
Tahuya Ramble	34	(6)
Wildcat Trail and Beyond	40	(6)
Tapeworm	46	(8)
In Addition: Mountain Biking with Your Dog	52	(2)
Walker Valley/Cavanaugh Loop	54	(6)
Wallace Falls Loop	60	(6)
Silver Creek	66	(6)
Nason Ridge	72	(6)
Mountain Home Loops	78	(6)
Jolly Mountain	84	(6)
West Fork of the Teanaway	90	(6)
Kachess Ridge	96	(6)
Cedar Creek Out-and-Back	102	(12)
In Addition: The Cascade Loop Highway	108	(6)
Honorable Mentions	110	(4)
Southwest Washington	114	(126)
Capitol Forest-Lost Valley Loop	118	(6)
Capitol Forest-Larch Mountain Loop	124	(6)
Tiger Mountain	130	(6)
Ranger Creek	136	(6)
Skookum Flats	142	(6)
Crystal Mountain Loop	148	(6)
Taneum Creek Loop	154	(4)
Fifes Ridge	158	(6)
Osborne Mountain	164	(6)
Elbe Hills	170	(6)
Tongue Mountain	176	(6)
Chain of Lakes Figure Eight	182	(8)
Mount St. Helens	188	(2)
Mount St. Helens: McBride/Kalama Loop	190	(6)
Mount St. Helens: Blue Lake Ride	196	(4)
Mount Str. Helens: Plains of Abraham	200	(6)
Service Trail/Surprise Lakes	206	(6)
Gotchen Creek Loop	212	(6)
Siouxon Creek Out-and-Back	218	(6)
Falls Creek Shuttle	224	(6)
Yacolt's Larch Mountain	230	(10)
Honorable Mentions	236	(4)
Eastern Washington	240	(57)
Sun Mountain	244	(6)
Lightning Creek to Starvation Mountain	250	(6)
Foggy Dew Creek/Merchants Basin	256	(8)
In Addition: Bicycle Camping	262	(2)
Pot Peak	264	(6)
Mission Ridge	270	(6)
Devils Gulch	276	(6)
Centenial Trail to Riverside Park	282	(15)
Honorable Mentions	287	(10)
The Great Escape: John Wayne Pioneer Trail	297	(31)
North Bend to Lake Easton	298	(4)
Lake Easton to Ellensburg	302	(4)
Ellensburg to the Columbia River	306	(4)
Columbia River to Warden	310	(4)
In Addition: Rails-to-Trails	314	(2)
Warden to Lind	316	(4)
Lind to Ewan	320	(4)
Ewan to Tekoa	324	(4)
The Art of Mountain Biking	328	(28)
What This Book Is About	329	(1)
Mountain Bike Beginnings	330	(1)
Mountain Biking into Shape	331	(1)
Be Safe-Know the Law	332	(1)
The Mountain Bike Controversy	333	(1)
Etiquette of Mountain Biking	333	(1)
Trail Maintenance	334	(1)
On-the-Spot Quick Fix	335	(1)
Rules of the Trail	336	(1)
The Necessities of Cycling	337	(1)
Be Prepared or Die	338	(1)
Be Safe-Wear Your Armor	338	(2)
Oh, Those Cold, Wet Washington Days	340	(1)
To Have or Not to Have... (Other Very Useful Items)	341	(1)
Types of Off-Road Terrain	342	(1)
Techniques to Sharpen Your Skills	343	(1)
Braking	343	(1)
Going Uphill-Climbing Those Treacherous Hills	343	(1)
Going Downhill-The Real Reason We Get Up in the Morning	344	(1)
Watch Out!	344	(1)
Back-Road Obstacles	344	(1)
Urban Obstacles	345	(1)
Last-Minute Checkover	345	(3)
Appendix
Repair and Maintenance	348	(5)
Bicycle Clubs and Organizations	353	(3)
Further Reading	356	(1)
Index	357	(6)
Meet the Authors	363