Fun in the sun! (not really)

Today it was raining all day.  We really wanted to go riding- regardless of the weather.  We headed out about 1:30 and headed for Panther Gulch.  1 hr 40 minute ride and we rode 15 miles, nearly 2000 feet vertical.


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The rain really starting coming down for the Findley downhill.  It was a mudbath...  Here is a pic of us after the ride.  We should have waited to wash the bikes off till after the picture was taken. 

Findley Peak

My new Christmas present- a Garmin Edge 500.  Took it up Findley Peak:





You can download the KML file and import into google maps.  Here, I embeded a google earth view of the route.

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Back to 30 minutes

Headed out on the bike this morning and it was very cold. I waited until about 10:00, hoping it would warm up a bit. The sun was out and it was a beautiful day, but it was still very cold. It has been difficult for me lately to get up Findley ridge in 30 minutes (my best time yet). Today I was hoping for a good time and I was able to keep a good pace most of the way up. Regardless of the cold temp I had to put my jacket in the backpack for the climb. It took 30 minutes to get the ridge from the bottom of the road- junction of williams hwy and Findley road. I'm confident by the end of the break I'll be able to get up to the top of the ridge in less than 30 minutes.

Layton Ditch Trail- 1000 miles turned over today

I turned over 1000 miles on my new bike today.  I've had it since early February.  There has been a lot of great miles on it.  I'm looking forward to the next 1000. 

Marty and I took off from his place up Panther Gulch on a sunny but cold morning.  We rode up Panther gulch to the Layton Ditch Mine Trail and took that until it turns into a logging road.  Here are a few pictures from the trail.  There are a few sections of what I'd call a Manzanita cave. 

 There also some nice sections of large trees with lots of canopy cover.  It was a lot colder in these sections with all the shade.

Look close you can see Marty...

We explored a few of the logging roads at the end of the ditch trail and then headed back on the trail.  We crossed over Panther Gulch where the ditch picks up again.  Just about 40 yards in there is an old road that runs adjacent to the panther gulch road.  It is the same trail that we took last time we got out on the bikes.  It picks up down on panther gulch again where you can see the residential area. 

Round trip was about 9 miles.  Not a long ride but a lot of fun.  The new road off of panther that Mike showed us last week is a fun downhill.  There are a few sections with down logs that need to be cleared out.  You have to hop off the bike- which isn't a huge deal. 

Findley to Panther via Layton Ditch Mine trail

We have been riding the same routes for quite some time.  Thanks to Mike we have been introduced to some new trails.  Today was a fun new route off of one of our fairly standard rides.  We headed up Findley- it isn't getting any flatter (thank goodness it isn't any steeper either).

Dan tearing it up that last section up to the Findley Ridge.

The 3 of us took the same ride I took a few rides back- The Findley Peak Loop.  On the way up to the ridge on that loop there is a fairly steep section.  Due to the tank trap about 200 yards back there is very little travel on this section.  Lots of deep madrone leaf litter.

From there, we headed south just below the Findley peak and headed down until we hit the Layton Ditch Mine Trail.


On the way some very nice vistas of the valley.

One the trail it was very technical in places.  It is a flat run, but very interesting.  Lots of dips into the ditch and back out to the top where you have about 10-12 inches of room to stay balanced on.  There are a few sections where you need to walk over logs and down trees.  Here is what one section looks like.

 

There are some very nice old growth sections as well as the Manzanita sections as shown above.  There is even a nice section of a Ponderosa Pine forest that transitions into the large old growth sections of Douglas Fir.  After we came out on the top of Panther Gulch there is another trail Mike showed us that keeps you off of the washboard and loose gravel of the Panther Gulch main road.  A nice old jeep trail/ skid road that was a lot of fun.  Thanks Mike for the new trails!

Up to Findley Ridge

A fairly standard ride tonight- up to Findley Ridge and back.  I was feeling pretty strong but I only manged to get up to the ridge in 32 minutes from the bottom.  If I rode a little more I really think that I would be able to challenge the record of 30 minutes.  My "sweet" new brakes are giving my annoying squeaks!  Very high pitched.  Maybe they need to be broken in a bit more. 

Got to ride!

After a busy weekend I had enough time to get out on the bike- just for a bit.  I got pretty lucky with my hydraulic brake issues.  Basically they wouldn't bleed out and the were consistently rubbing on my rear rotor.  The shop called the company and they decided to warranty them.  I got a brand new pair of Avid X7 brakes with carbon levers.  They are nice!  Just rode part way up findley and back.  About a 35 minute round trip- enough time to try out my sweet new brakes!

Findley Peak Loop

I explored a new route today up on the top of findley.  It was an area that I have been up before to connect with panther gulch.  We had noticed an old trail heading towards findley peak and always wanted to check it out. I have the map posted below.



I snapped a few photos up on the ridge and on the peak.

This one is looking towards panther gulch.  Over this mound and you will hook up with a motocross trail that will connect with panther gulch road.

Looking on the trail- not well traveled.

looking to the north from findley.


I'll have to record the time and mileage next time.  I forgot to record it.