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Trail Description:
Kirkendall book has good description but misleading in parts, and the map he has does not show all the trails and roads. As a result, the first time I rode this, we missed a critical junction, got lost, ran out of daylight, and spent the night sleeping in a hollow log.
But the trail is well travelled despite being way "out there" and consequently not very busy. Just follow basic instincts.
Head up the trail through woods and some steeper rocky parts. Creek crossings and some roller coastery parts. At the "Y" in the trail head steeply uphill (dont miss this turnoff in a fun faster part right before entering a big meadow). The trail continues up in woods, at times very steeply. After a lot of huffing and puffing you get to a vista to the left -- a nice spot for a break. Then a fun techie flatter section over tons of roots, and through some meadows, and up steeper in soft loam to pop out on the road on the ridge. The main climbing is done!
Left on the road, noticing the views from the cliffs, and bypass all roads and trails, continuing straight for over a mile through several longer ups and downs on gravel road.
Turn left and head uphill for a short section on the Neely Creek Jeep Trail (very well signed). Fun techie uphill followed by rippin doubletrack downhill for a mile or so. WHOA!! Dont miss the super tight turn to the left where the Naneum trail crosses your jeep trail right in a big fast downhill section!
After turn and brief uphill, fun riding on singletrack for a while until you hit an elevator drop steep downhill with swtichbacks taking you down to the first rock garden. Note the rocks in full bloom.
Continued technical single track, downhill and roller coastery in places, for quite a while, around rockfields and ponds and through woods. Several fun creek crossings.
After another elevator drop downhill to cross another creek, cross a logging road and continue to ride the trail on the other side, through a meadow and on again.
More fun, another big decent and crossing, and then a brutal uphill climb (push) up a very steep section and you top out in a meadow. Nice rest, and from here back to the car (you end up rejoining the original trail where you went right and uphill at the first "Y"), the last 2 miles or so are fun, fast, and just technical enough to enjoy and challenge but not to get you off your bike.
How to get there:
Drive to the top of Sauk Pass (Blewett Pass / Hwy 97) and head East on the dirt road at the summit. Follow directions in Kirkendall book -- but its basically left at the next major intersection (about 3 mi) and then right at the next (with trails sign) and then immediately after a left -- down to Naneum Meadows. Trailhead is on the right (uphill) side about 2.5 mi from last turnoff.
| Posted by: wake n bike on 4/27/2010 |
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What a jackass!
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| Posted by: PTUX on 7/12/2009 |
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Okay, there is a trail here- but its not a mountain bike trail. We probably walked half of this 15 mile circuit. And although some of the meadows can be fun, much of the uphill AND downhill is unrideable due mainly to rocky steepness but also the fact that horse traffic has annihilated the trail. Skip this ride, there are some many other good ones in the greater area.
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