A TRUE MTB EPIC

Team Unattacked linked up the big three on Thursday. That'd be Chuckanut and Blanchard Mountains as well as the Pine and Cedar Lakes area--43 miles with 5,800 feet elevation gain. Truly killer truly fun. Above, Scott Titanium Cowboy Young and Mellow Johnny Clark take a moment to place bets on what they think will break first--Mike's (me) chain or a spoke on his back wheel. Turns out it was my chain. (See John fixing it below.)  

Incredible day; incredible ride. Plus, we think we saw a bobcat! Click here for a YouTube video from today's ride. My fall early on in the video, is from my chain breaking on one of the steep pitches I tried to muscle up on the British Army Trail on Blanchard. Later, I stop in the midst of a killer descent from Pine and Cedar when a rear spoke breaks. 

Our route: Interurban to Larrabee State Park, Fragrance Lake Road to Lost Lake Trail to So Easy to various unnamed dirt roads (including some backtracking after we took a wrong turn) for British Army Trail (crazy steep and where I broke my chain) to Lizard Lake to Alternate Incline Trail to Road B-1000 to various dirt roads until we ended up near Pine and Cedar Lakes to Hemlock Trail to Arroyo Park and back home. 

Three huge climbs each followed by a rollicking descent: Fragrance-Lost lakes (long and arduous) followed by So Easy; British Army (ridiculously steep pitches) followed by Alternate Incline; and Pine and Cedar climb (annoyingly long and arduous) followed by Hemlock.