Skookum Top Ride

[pope]

Rode Sun Top and down Skookum yesterday. We pedaled up 7315, but this road is in superb shape. I'll bet you could drive your lowered teen-ager import car up there without dragging your coffee-can-esque tail pipe even once.....if that's what you drive.

 

Gee, I suppose Sun Top isn't really ready yet. Probably spent an hour walking through firm, deep snow high on the ridge. We got suckered in because after two or three small patches of snow by the upper parking lot, the way up 1183 was casual, until we were committed to it and then we encountered snow deep enough that we had minor trouble piecing together the trail. Followed by an incalculable number of blow-downs. But as my buddy Fairweather reminded me, "You can't buy this kind of adventure." Once beyond this mess, my first ride down Sun Top did not disappoint.

 

Late to meet our running buddy at the car, we contemplated riding Hwy 410 to save time, and that's when we learned that attractive females were running down Skookum. Perhaps the bikers who informed us of the "special conditions/scenery" were pulling our legs, in order to enhance our workout by exploiting our boyish exuberance for athletic females. They seemed sincere, and so the decision to ride Skookum was thereby made easy.

 

We don't regret the rodeo ride over wet roots and rocks on our hardtails. My frozen feet regained feeling after a few miles. And no, the aforementioned eye candy was not merely fiction created to sucker us into riding Skookum. All I can say is, "Ausgezeichnet!"

 

High water near the bottom of Skookum, which forced a short woodsy detour last week, had receded allowing a boggy passage.

 

Now some pix:

 

Fairweather on wheels, Dwayner on foot.

 

 

 

Pope gettin' suckered up 1183.

 

 

 

Trail? What trail?

 

 

 

Trail! We got trail.

 

 

 

"You can't buy adventure like this."

 

 

 

Once you get past the mess, you got her licked.

 

 

 

Think your knees hurt? Shove this in your lunch hole! Post huck-n-run party at Pope's Place.

[billcoe]

Welcome back Pope Looks like a good time....you do know that this is a climbing forum? (he says in jest while cautiously backing slowly away from the monitor)

[pope]

I know, not here. But where? PeterP is always so good about helping people find correct locations for their misplaced posts. I thought about Spray, but we didn't make up any of it. It's all true.

 

Here's why I think a mtn bike forum is appropriate. Biking is just another means of traversing mountainous terrain. Whether you're accessing a distant peak, too remote for walking, or just ejoying the activity per se. The analogy to skiing is obvious. I ski very little but enjoy reading ski reports cc.com, reports about ski access to a mountaineering objective, about first ski descents, or just skiing for no other purpose than to enjoy the mountains through an exhilerating and athletic activity.

[ivan]

why isn't this a tr?

 

looks like the chilis of doom i'm always frantically yanking oughta my mouth when eating the wife's curry (does that sound as wrong to you as me?)

[billcoe]

I was just teasing, I thought your rational in the spray forum was classic and perfect.

 

It said:

 

Hi kids. It's me, Pope. Hello again, I'm back. Didja miss me? And for the record, I was not drunk, just havin' a little fun. In the future, look for mt bike TR's in the Rock Climbing Forum. That's right, the Rock Climbing Forum. Since I don't know where such a TR should be appropriately placed, and since I believe there is no moderator more qualified than PeterP to appropriately locate homes for misplaced TR's, I'm going to defer to his wisdom and experience and park all my mt bike TR's in his forum, all the while hoping he will help me locate a more appropriate location.....or perhaps facilitate the construction of a new forum. We're old buddies. I'll bet he'll do this for me.

 

 

Ivan- thought you'd be out climbing while I'm in here cubicaling. You should touch base with Bryon (Powderhound) or Kyle and get on something.... Bryans free but going on a 2 month climbing roadtrip soon, so now's the time. Spray when you come back. [/envy]

[ivan]

bill - family flies out friday so i'm building up good will to hopefully last 5 weeks at the moment i got my vida loca pretty will primed up for god to laugh at...

[hemp22]

cool TR.

but question: what kind of fork is that on the pope-mobile?

 

(also, not that my opinion matters much, but i'd also support a MTB forum - i enjoy biking as much as climbing & skiing, so it would just make sense for me personally - since I don't have time to go frequent MTB-specific websites.

there was an outstanding downhill MTB trip report on TGR several months ago from somewhere in the Andes, I think - it was better than any of the usual ski TRs)

 

 

[rob]

This is great, now I can start posting TRs for my daily bike commute. FYI the 520 trail is in good shape, go out and get it!

[pope]

cool TR.

but question: what kind of fork is that on the pope-mobile?

 

Here's a photo (not by bike) which shows more clearly a Cannondale Lefty. The "fork" or strut is designed to integrate specifically with Cannondale frames. They're available in carbon and alloy, supposedly offering the stiffest and lightest fork in their class (110mm). Instead of telescoping tubes, the interior of the fork is square in cross section with the interface packed with needle barings providing "stictionless" action during braking. They're pricey...I got mine under a warranty exchange/upgrade. One disadvantage is that few bike mechanics know how to repair them. You have to go to a dealer, and even then they might just ship your fork back to Pennsylvania for repairs. A 140mm model is called the Lefty Max.

 

[ilookeddown]

Gee, I suppose Sun Top isn't really ready yet. Probably spent an hour walking through firm, deep snow high on the ridge. We got suckered in because after two or three small patches of snow by the upper parking lot, the way up 1183 was casual, until we were committed to it and then we encountered snow deep enough that we had minor trouble piecing together the trail..

 

I made the same mistake on the 21st. Still a fun ride.