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!