BURNOUT ROAD - SICK JOKE CX-PLORE

Author overcome by Usain-mania, high on Burnout Road.

Friday night, Brian Ecker's e-mail arrived announcing his open invitation for a "mini-epic" from Winthrop to Conconully and back via the remote forest service roads of the Okanogan. (Seems hilarious that to Brian, an 80-plus miler w/ 9,600 feet of elevation gain rates only a "mini-epic.") This is a route I've been lusting over for a while and thus, Titaniuma Cancellara and I are going to go for it. (That is, if I can come up w/ an appropriate bike to ride. My geared mountain bike is in a state of disrepair right now and I'm not sure if my CX bike is up to it.)

To get us in the right frame of mind, on Saturday TC and I rode what I guess might be considered a mini-mini epic through the Chuckanuts (though to me it was pretty epic): Burnout Road, a bushwack down into the Land of the Lost, followed by Sick Joke--a steep, nasty bastard of a climb that ascends to the Pine and Cedar Lakes end of the world.

Accessed from already steep Fragrance Lake Road, Burnout Road climbs 1,200 feet in less than three miles with four especially steep sections that I'll call the Four Hillingen of the Apocalypse. Above, Scott Young ascends the last one which pitches upwards at 20-plus percent. (The others are similar ranging from about 18 to 22 percent.) Plus it's gravel. I was pedaling my 'cross bike whose lowest gear is a 38-26; ideally, I need a couple lower for epics (or mini-mini epics) like this. 

At the top, the recent logging, while a bit of an eyesore from down below, offers up some amazing island and water views. (See top pic.)

With the Overlander Trail no more, we hike-a-biked about 20 minutes until we found the Rockyard--basically an overgrown, rocky gully--which eventually hooks up with the south terminus of the Lost Lake Trail. From there, it's those remote Land of the Lost roads which lead to, among other places, Mud Lake, Blanchard Mountain, Lake Samish and elsehwhere. We made for Sick Joke which is every bit as evil as Burnout, if not more so given its slippery rocky surface. Admittedly, I had to stop at one spot; something I've not had to do the two recent times I've ridden Burnout.

Once at the top, it was the fun, winding Hemlock Trail down to Arroyo Park, most of which I quite enjoyed on the 'cross bike. In all, it was about 30 miles of rugged riding with 3,600 feet of elevation gain. Not quite Winthrop to Conconully and back, but probably my most rugged day yet on my 'cross bike. 

Here's our route:

SAMISH LOOP RIDE 'N' BUSHWACK

On Saturday, the Titanium Cowboys rode one of our favorite running routes from years past, the Samish Loop. Very simply, head up through Arroyo Park, continue south on the Lost Lake Trail--climbing one of the toughest sustained, no let-up climbs around (1,200 feet in less than 2 miles)--to Lost Lake, then across to the Land of the Lost, up another mega-hill (Sick Joke) to Pine and Cedar Lakes and down Hemlock back to Arroyo. (All phots are stills from the video I shot; in above pic, I look like some droopy-faced cartoon dog, don't I?)

John and Scott switchbacking through Arroyo Park.

South of Lost Lake, the trail is barely runnable, much less ridable, and requires what one of us had termed a "10-minute bushwack." However, when it comes to bushwacking, actual time has been scientifically proven to be three times that of the estimated time. Thus, our "10-minute bushwack" really took 30 minutes.

Scott and I took a couple falls; conveniently, my camera was turned off during my spills.

The Cowboys on the shores of Lost Lake. A hella ride: about 23 miles with 3,200 feet of climbing. Next week, Scott and I run the Deception Pass 25K; John runs B'ham's Jingle Bell Run. For those of you so inclined, here's the vid from Saturday's ride featuring a cool tune by Two Door Cinema Club (I hope).

Here's the route on Strava:

MIDWEEK MOUNTAIN BIKE MEANDER

Here are a couple shots from yesterday's three-hour mountain bike ride, a spur-of-the-moment meander that took me up the Hemlock Trail to Cedar Lake (of Pine and Cedar Lakes fame) and the top of the Burninator. Below, the Cedar Lake shoreline. My impression from the ride, on which just about every trail was covered with fallen leaves, is that summer is pretty much over. Sad. Happens every year. I should be used to it by now.

FIRST EPIC IN A WHILE

Epic ride today, first one in a while. Stopped to shoot a quick vid wherein we recreate the scene of da' Assaulting Alder incident and shortly thereafter came across Laura Todd and Val Thompson who were so helpful that day.

Then it was on to the ride: down Interurban, up Fragrance Lake Road, Lost Lake Trail to the Dictionary, down So Easy (which isn't) and around like we're doing the Samish Loop. Then up the helatious climb to the Pine and Cedar Lakes end of the world, down Hemlock and on toward home.
The lovely Glenn Gervais was with us, rockin' his new Motobecane 29er with flat pedals. That's burly. (I'm digging the way I'm hunched over in the below pic; that's Glenn in the middle and the Clark man on the right.) The ride has two mega climbs, probably totally about 3,500 feet, but the Hemlock Trail descent from Pine and Cedar is so cussing fun. That one, and the Alternate Incline Trail over on Blanchard might be this cross-country rider's favorites. So great to get out today!