Trail Ride Report 2007

Description of Ride:

Tarbell ride report 6/17/2007
I couldn't get any takers, so I went by my self. At the picnic parking lot, there was one other vehicle, a truck with a horse trailer. As I changed into my riding clothes and put on my rain gear, the air was a heavy drizzle, I heard the horseman returning. I mounted my bike and headed up the trail. The trail showed the track of a single horseman. So it looked like I was the only one out here
The 2-1/2 mile climb was good. There were only a few spots where the trail was chewed up muck. Most of the way up it was consistent rock and ruble. At about 2 miles, there is a logging operation going on, I could actually smell the gas and oil from the chain saws still lingering in the air. They have put in a new road that runs parallel to the trail for a hundred feet or so. It took me a minute to get my bearings because the trail appears to dump right out on to the road. When I looked across the road, I saw a logging spur running off through the brush and for a brief monument thought the trail had vanished.
I picked up the trail again a hundred feet or so up the new road. Here I was back on familiar ground. A short way into the woods and there was a sign that warned that the trail was closed from the 5.5 mile to the 7.5 mile mark for logging. I continued on. At the top of the climb the trail levels out somewhat and runs for a 1/2 mile or so through thick brush, very wet. The water from the brush ran down my rain paints, and soaked my feet. Thank goodness for those nice warm wool riding socks. The trail here was like always, great. Lots of rolling terrain, making this part of the trail seem like its down hill in both directions.
Continuing on, back into deep woods, I noticed tree markers for logging boundaries. It looks as though they are going to continue cutting all along the trail. I hope they at least leave a strip of timber where the trail is. The trail along here is great, not tore up at all, lots of rolling up and down, a series of switch backs (6) down to Coyote creek, then more rolling trail around the ridge, and down a couple of more switchbacks to Hidden Falls. This is where I took a break then headed back. The trail ahead looked good, but this was my destination, and that's what I had told my wife.
Great ride with bear grass, salmon berries, and lots of wild flowers blooming. The return down the 2-1/2 mile climb was, as usual great, with banked corners, lots of rocks and roots to dodge or jump, and short bursts of gentle incline to keep cranking through. Total mileage was around 12 miles or so. I didn't have my computer with me but it seems to me it was somewhere in that range. The mileage on the signs in the area are all way off.