Tag Archives: Washington
Smooth—But Not Easy—Riding at the Echo Valley Endurance MTB Race (Chelan, WA)
It may have been a “roadie” course—with not a rock or root to be seen—but few would call the Echo Valley 30/60 Endurance Race an “easy” ride. Last weekend’s race certainly made me work for my 3rd place finish. Host to … Continue reading
A River Runs Through It: A Wet, Wet Galbraith Keeps Its Flow (Bellingham, WA)
In the Northwest’s rainier months (that is, about eight months out of the year), parts of the Galbraith trail system can become a virtual water world… but don’t worry; for the most part, the riding’s just fine. Just because some … Continue reading
GoPro Fun at Duthie Hill Mountain Bike Park
Last January my friend Brian and I went in together on a GoPro video camera, which we picked up at the Sturdy Bitches’ silent auction/fundraiser (with 50% proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Fund). Of course we decided that Duthie … Continue reading
Fun was in the Cards at Stinky Spoke (Woodinville, WA)
Last Saturday promised rain, but the only thing unleashed that morning was a massive crowd of dirt-loving cyclists, hailing their friendly fury down on the trails and streets of Woodinville. All manner of mountain bike–from XC to big rig, plus … Continue reading
Working the New Line at Tokul East (Fall City, WA)
Trails don’t make themselves—that’s the job of the forest gnomes. And the gnomes were out in droves today at Tokul East (despite the concurrent Seahawks game). We discovered them digging in the dirt, sawing logs, building berms and working their … Continue reading
Skill Building on a Rainy Day in Paradise Valley (Woodinville, WA)
It was raining, but we had a plan: wet-root riding and puddle play on the twisting trails at Paradise Valley Conservation Area. There’s nothing too crazy out there—no real climbs, no big drops, no fast descents to coat a rider … Continue reading
Nearly Mud-Free Riding at Black Diamond, WA
This Sunday I was poised to join a group of friends for a mountain bike ride at Grand Ridge in Issaquah. But the thought of spinning my wheels in traction-less mud (like a Hanna-Barbara cartoon character running in place to the … Continue reading
Meet Me on the Climb: Winter Riding at Grand Ridge (Issaquah, WA)
There’s something lush about Issaquah’s Grand Ridge, even in the summer when the trail is dry. And in the winter, when the singletrack up the ridge and down through the creek bed turns to peanut-butter mud, it’s just as green and … Continue reading
Snow Patrol at Tokul West (Fall City, WA)
Crunchy snow = crazy good traction. Who knew? And it’s not ugly, either…I guess winter’s not so bad. On Sunday, a group of us intrepid riders scoffed at the idea of heading to the hills with skis or snowboards. Instead, … Continue reading
Ride Like a Girl: Test Riding at St. Ed’s (Kenmore, WA)
For the ladies who want to try out mountain biking but aren’t sure they want to invest thousands of dollars in equipment (don’t worry–that phase kicks in later), there is still great fun to be had on a competitively priced … Continue reading