Five Great Rides for Fat Tire Fans
by Jim LeMonds

This isn’t a criticism of smooth, flat trails that can be conquered on a Huffy with a wide seat, but sometimes rails-to-trails just don’t cut it. If you are looking for a physical challenge and a chance to see some of the Northwest’s most beautiful terrain, there are plenty of great mountain biking opportunities within easy driving distance.

The rides described below would not garner an advanced rating. That said, if you are a rookie, approach with caution. In fact, unless you are an experienced mountain biker, it would be a good idea to connect with someone who has been there and done that.

A veteran rider will be able to assess the quality of your bike, make sure that you have packed sufficient food and water, and provide riding tips that will help you avoid extraction by Search & Rescue.

And yes, you should be in decent condition. You don’t have to be in training for the Tour de France, but you should be capable of pedaling for several hours and powering up a few hills.

Siouxon Creek

Siouxon Trail 130 is one of the area’s most popular trails—and for good reason. Totaling 14 miles out and back along Siouxon Creek, this intermediate ride delivers excellent tread amid lush old-growth forest.

The best downhill comes right out of the chute, so enjoy every inch of it. Be sure to check out Chinook Falls, just a quarter-mile off the main trail about 5.6 out. After 7 miles, you’ll reach a place where you would have to ford Siouxon Creek in order to keep going. Turn around here. Trail 130 continues but becomes steep, rocky, and difficult.

When you reach the last three-mile stretch on the return trip, remember how much fun you had coming down because you now have to grind back out. On the positive side, the tread is typically in good shape and the climb is not incredibly steep.

From Interstate 5, take Lewis River Road (503) east from Woodland and turn right onto Hayes Road, heading toward Amboy. Go right on N.E. Cedar Road for about 19 miles. When you reach Chelatchie, go past the ranger station on the left. Turn right on N.E. Healy Road and continue for 7 miles. When you reach a fork, stay right on the paved road that takes you into the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. At the next Y, turn left on FR57 and take another left onto FR5701. The trailhead is on the left about 50 yards past a sharp right bend in the road.

Blue Lake to Kalama Horse Camp

This relatively short ride provides a nice blend of mature forest, lava fields, and trailside streams. And because it’s located at low elevation and includes no sustained climbing, your chances of respiratory failure are minimal.

After dropping off one vehicle at the Kalama Horse Camp (see directions below), park at the Blue Lake Trailhead and head toward Red Rock Pass on Trail 238. The first mile is rocky, technical, and demanding. Once that is out of the way, you will find yourself amidst big trees for approximately two miles before the trail spills out onto an amazing lava flow. You may need to walk your bike for a bit at this point. Weather, permitting, you’ll have a great view of St. Helens to the northeast.

At Red Rock Pass , cross the 8100 and continue on Trail 238 toward the Kalama Horse Camp for 5-6 miles. You’ll pass McBride Lake —the headwaters of the Kalama River —and then follow the stream to the horse camp. The trail is a little rooty in places, but the overall pitch is downhill, which makes for easy pedaling.

If the weather is dry, there’s a good chance that the lower part of the trail near the horse camp will be dusty and churny as a result of horse traffic. If you can catch this one after we’ve had some moisture, it will be more enjoyable.

From Interstate 5, take the Lewis River Road (503) east from Woodland . Before you reach Cougar, turn left on the 8100 and drive for approximately 5-7 miles to the Kalama Horse Camp. Leave one vehicle there. Continue on the 8100 until you reach the intersection with the 8123, which will take you to the Blue Lake Trailhead.

Lewis River

Lewis River 31 is known as “the roller coaster” because of its end-to-end undulations. The trail parallels the river, traveling through luxuriant old-growth forest and offering eye-popping canyon views.

For beginners, the best strategy is to leave one car at the lower trailhead off FR9030 (see directions below) and take another to the Lower Falls Campground, located farther up FR90. Because the trail from the Lower Falls Campground to the intersection with FR90 (approximately 2 miles) is treacherous, it would be wise for less-experienced bikers to ride down FR90 from the campground and then pick up the trail. From there, the 9.5-mile route to the lower trailhead will take you from 1,600 feet to 1,100, so you’ll have the advantage of running slightly downhill.

Intermediate and advanced riders may want to park at the lower trailhead and ride out and back, continuing across FR 90 to the Lower Falls Campground. Roundtrip is 23 miles.

One caution—the Lewis River Trail can lull you to sleep with its compact tread, rushing water, and seemingly benign up-and-down. However, there are a number of nasty spots, some on the upper portion near the falls where a missed corner will result in a long tumble and another where the trail runs along a cliff approximately 7 miles up from the lower trailhead (2.5 miles from the intersection with FR90).

From Interstate 5, take Lewis River Road (503) east from Woodland (becomes FR90 east of Cougar) 52.3 miles to FR9039. Take a left on FR9039 and drive 0.8 to the lower trailhead, located just before the river crossing.

Ape Canyon

If you are looking for one ride that epitomizes mountain biking in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, this is it.

Beginning at 2,800 feet, Ape Canyon Trail 234 opens with spectacular views of the Muddy River Lahar that rolled down the southeast side of St. Helens during the 1980 eruption. Within a few hundred yards, the trail launches into a 4.5-mile climb through old-growth forest. The ascent ends at Ape Canyon, which offers broad vistas of Mount Adams and the Smith Creek Basin. Stop here to catch your seventh wind and to snap a few pictures.

In less than a quarter-mile, you will reach an intersection with Loowit Trail 216. Bear north along the east side of the mountain. After traversing several rocky washes, you will emerge onto the Plains of Abraham. The lunar-like Plains can be soft in dry weather, but the tread is good in most places. The two-mile ride across the Plains is fast, flat, and easy. When you reach an intersection, head north on Abraham Trail 216D toward Windy Ridge. (If your tank is nearing Empty, turn around at the intersection.)

After switchbacking through several ravines that are thick with lupine in the summer months, you will reach a bare, knife-edge ridge that is one of the highlights of the ride. The terrain slopes off on each side, then plummets for several hundred feet. It’s important to maintain your focus on the trail, even if your legs ignore the command to stop shaking.

At 9.5 miles, you will reach a series of wooden steps. Head back for a 19-mile total. When you reach the Ape Canyon descent on the return trip, remember to be on the lookout for hikers and bikers on their way up.

From Interstate 5, take the Lewis River Road (503) east from Woodland for 34 miles to FR83. Go 11 miles on FR83 to the Ape Canyon trailhead.

Capitol Forest—Mima Falls

Capitol is a working forest, so the trails traverse innumerable logging roads and a mixture of clearcuts, jack firs, and 30- to 50-year forest. Tread can be soft and dusty in open areas—especially near trailheads where horse activity is heavy—but the ground is typically firm under the canopy. Because the climbing and technical challenges are modest, this is a good venue for beginners and intermediates, while still packing a thrill for veteran riders.

From the Mima Falls Campground, take a moment to search out the beginning of Green Line #6 on the northeast side of the campground (If you find yourself on Mima-Porter #8, don’t panic. Stay on #8 for a couple of miles to #20. A right on #20 will put you back on #6). The ride north on Green Line #6 translates into a moderate but steady climb. The exception is a fast downhill that cuts back and forth across a steep ridge at about the 6-mile mark.

At 10.9 miles, you will reach the Fall Creek Campground. Beginners should turn around here. Enjoy the gradual downhill back to the Mima Falls Campground (Keep in mind, however, that you will need to climb that hill you blasted down on the way out). Depending on which of the trail markers you believe, this route totals approximately 22 miles.

If you decide to stretch the ride on Green Line #6 past the Fall Creek Campground, be prepared for two miles of roots, rocks, and ruts until you reach a paved logging road called the C Line. Take a left on the C Line and ride approximately two miles until you reach an intersection with Mima-Porter #8 on your left. Fast and swoopy, the four-mile downhill back to Falls Creek Campground is the highlight of the ride. At Fall Creek Campground, intersect with Green Line #6 and ride back to the Mima Falls Campground to polish off a 30-mile roundtrip.

Take Interstate 5 to Exit 95. Go west through Littlerock, then take a left on Mima Road, a right on Bordeaux Road, and another right on Marksman Road to the Mima Falls Trailhead.

A Road Biker Hits the Trail
by Michael Perry

When Jim LeMonds invited me to go mountain biking and give a “road biker’s” impression of the sport, my initial inclination was to beg off.  In my mind, I’d already had enough exposure to “mountain” bike riding.

In May 2002, while vacationing in Hawaii, I rented a bike to ride down Haleakala, the 10,023-foot volcano. This ride, on paved roads, is virtually downhill all the way to the ocean. Guidebooks say there is at least one serious accident per week, but I thought I was a better rider than average. Wrong.

After riding 22 miles down to Kula Lodge at the 3,000-foot level, I met my wife for lunch, and then rode another 13 miles around the flank of the volcano to the Tedeschi Winery. After a couple of discreet sips, I headed for the beach 25 miles away. While coasting down the steep, narrow and winding road into Pa’ia, I made a mistake that resulted in my going airborne at 35 miles per hour. Even though I was wearing a helmet, the resulting crash gave me a concussion, broke off three of my front teeth, and fractured my upper jaw from ear to ear. Not a pretty picture! It took four months to get the courage to ride a bike again and I am riding regularly now.

I had never been on a mountain bike, however, and had second thoughts about flinging myself down narrow trails towards unforgiving trees and rocks. But I decided I owed it to myself to try. Using Jim’s spare bike, we went riding in early August.

He and some friends have built an impressive 20-mile network of trails in the forest near his Castle Rock home. The first couple of trails were relatively easy and gave me a chance to hone my skills while enjoying the scenery under the canopy of trees. Jim gave me a few pointers about shifting my weight when going up or down steep sections, and how to jump logs.

Many of the single-track paths follow animal trails, but the group has built several trails where no animal or—to my way of thinking—sane person would choose to go.  Their “Dead Man Left” trail is built across the side of a steep slope – any mistake to the left results in a nasty fall down the hill. The “Buffalo Jump” and “Terminator” trails brought back memories of Maui; a large decayed log near the bottom of the “Terminator” is responsible for many bikers going head-over-heels when they misjudge it.

After two hours, I was ready to call it a day. While I am not going to trade my road bike for a mountain bike, I certainly enjoyed the experience and would do it again in a minute.