RR out my back door

Hubby proposed the tower loop. Now I've done a lot of up and backs, been out to the Rocks of Sharon
once, but that was years ago when I bonked on the ride and had a general bad time.

This is out my back door, we live right below a ridge that has lots of trails and old jeep roads all
over the place, radio tower and a large satellite installation. It's the first really warm day we've
had, and I was pulling juniper stumps all morning so yes, need to play for a bit. The usual suspects
are my, DH ( dear hubby) Kamikaze #2 and Carl the ti-man.... ( hip replacement due to climbing fall
a few years ago) The first three miles are just a dirt road climb, but at least it's been bladed
recently. About 1200' of climbing, hit the single track at the top, then through the logged area
where a road was put it, then back onto a nice wide dirt track up some more over to the Rocks of
Sharon. It's a beautiful, the greens are very intense, flowers are blooming and we get some great
views. We stop at the Rocks for a while and enjoy the view over the Palouse. Then it's along the
crest of the ridge for a while, and then DOWN... Here's where the trail gets wild. Originally a dirt
bike track, now it's just a deep gully with a narrow track on either side. At one point there's a
creek running down middle. Sketchy to say the least if you don't keep your line. I manage to loose
the line as the trail portion turns into a trail surface of about a 30 degree slope, 12" wide and
slide into the ankle deep water right in front of some guys pushing pig rigs up the trail. But
everyone's laughing including me, we decide I get bonus chick points for that one.

Then the trail mellows into a long run with other creek crossings. There are hikers, a dirt bike and
ATV, and then a mountain biker(?) with no helmet, flip-flops and an FSR. Some suburban gal out for a
fitness ride I guess. Almost at the trail head for the other side, we turn off for the return. More
jeep road climbing. At one point we turn onto a nice piece of singletrack that gently traverses the
ridge at a gentle grade. Then more jeep road climbing... this is beginning to feel like all up. At
9.5 miles I'm really wishing I had a few more gears to shift down to, and at the last push for the
top we're all walking.

Then, downhill all the way home...both on some single track that's one way and on the bladed road.
12.5 miles, 2927 feet of elevation gain... we are all beat. Dang those steaks tasted good
last night.

we did some GPSing too.

www.specialtyoutdoors.com/images/bike/rxsharonmap.jpg map.
www.specialtyoutdoors.com/images/bike/rxsharonmap.jpg elevation profile

These were all taken looking south over the Palouse (wheat growing region) form the top.
www.specialtyoutdoors.com/images/bike/palouseview.jpg
www.specialtyoutdoors.com/images/bike/prxsharon.jpg

www.specialtyoutdoors.com/images/bike/rxsharon2.jpg www.specialtyoutdoors.com/images/bike/pview2.jpg

all links have been tested. ;-)

Penny

 

These are trails out of "your" backyard"? Wow!

--
- Zilla (Remove XSPAM)

"Penny S." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Hubby proposed the tower loop. Now I've done a lot of up and backs, been
out
> to the Rocks of Sharon once, but that was years ago when I bonked on the ride and had a general
> bad time.
>
> This is out my back door, we live right below a ridge that has lots of trails and old jeep roads
> all over the place, radio tower and a large satellite installation. It's the first really warm day
> we've had, and I
was
> pulling juniper stumps all morning so yes, need to play for a bit. The usual suspects are my, DH (
> dear hubby) Kamikaze #2 and Carl the
ti-man....
> ( hip replacement due to climbing fall a few years ago) The first three miles are just a dirt
> road climb, but at least it's been bladed recently. About 1200' of climbing, hit the single
> track at the
top,
> then through the logged area where a road was put it, then back onto a
nice
> wide dirt track up some more over to the Rocks of Sharon. It's a
beautiful,
> the greens are very intense, flowers are blooming and we get some great views. We stop at the
> Rocks for a while and enjoy the view over the
Palouse.
> Then it's along the crest of the ridge for a while, and then DOWN... Here's where the trail gets
> wild. Originally a dirt bike track, now it's just a deep gully with a narrow track on either side.
> At one point
there's
> a creek running down middle. Sketchy to say the least if you don't keep your line. I manage to
> loose the line as the trail portion turns into a trail surface of about a 30 degree slope, 12"
> wide and slide into the ankle deep water right in front of some guys pushing pig rigs up the
trail.
> But everyone's laughing including me, we decide I get bonus chick points
for
> that one.
>
> Then the trail mellows into a long run with other creek crossings. There
are
> hikers, a dirt bike and ATV, and then a mountain biker(?) with no helmet, flip-flops and an FSR.
> Some suburban gal out for a fitness ride I guess. Almost at the trail head for the other side, we
> turn off for the return. More jeep road climbing. At one point we turn onto a nice piece of
> singletrack that gently traverses the ridge at a gentle grade. Then more jeep road climbing...
> this is beginning to feel like all up. At 9.5 miles I'm really wishing I had a few more gears to
> shift down to, and at the
last
> push for the top we're all walking.
>
> Then, downhill all the way home...both on some single track that's one way and on the bladed road.
> 12.5 miles, 2927 feet of elevation gain... we are all beat. Dang those steaks tasted good last
> night.
>
> we did some GPSing too.
>
>
> www.specialtyoutdoors.com/images/bike/rxsharonmap.jpg map.
> www.specialtyoutdoors.com/images/bike/rxsharonmap.jpg elevation profile
>
> These were all taken looking south over the Palouse (wheat growing region) form the top.
> www.specialtyoutdoors.com/images/bike/palouseview.jpg
> www.specialtyoutdoors.com/images/bike/prxsharon.jpg
>
> www.specialtyoutdoors.com/images/bike/rxsharon2.jpg
> www.specialtyoutdoors.com/images/bike/pview2.jpg
>
>
> all links have been tested. ;-)
>
> Penny

 

Zilla wrote:
> These are trails out of "your" backyard"? Wow!
>

yes, we rode that from my house. As usual I screwed up one of the URL's

this is the elevation profile for the ride.
http://www.specialtyoutdoors.com/images/bike/rxsharonprofile.jpg

penny

 

"Zilla" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> These are trails out of "your" backyard"? Wow!

Ditto, makes me feel like I'm planted in the wrong place.

 

James Messick wrote:
> "Zilla" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> These are trails out of "your" backyard"? Wow!
>
> Ditto, makes me feel like I'm planted in the wrong place.

actually they are 1/2 mile down the pavement then two miles up the dirt road...

penny

 

On Sun, 11 May 2003 08:34:49 -0700, Penny S. <[email protected]> wrote:
> This is out my back door, we live right below a ridge that has lots of

Nice ride Penny!

Thx for the GPS data too. I love to see the El profile and maps of a ride. Since I've been keeping
some GPS data myself and am getting familiar with what profile = what kind of work, seeing the maps
is the next best thing to actually taking the ride myself!

G

 

"Penny S." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Zilla wrote:
> > These are trails out of "your" backyard"? Wow!
> >
>
> yes, we rode that from my house. As usual I screwed up one of the URL's
>
> this is the elevation profile for the ride.
> http://www.specialtyoutdoors.com/images/bike/rxsharonprofile.jpg

Is that all? The 3ZSSE is 6,000ft gain from The Shack.

JD pissing higher on the tree

 

JD wrote:
> "Penny S." <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
>> Zilla wrote:
>>> These are trails out of "your" backyard"? Wow!
>>>
>>
>> yes, we rode that from my house. As usual I screwed up one of the URL's
>>
>> this is the elevation profile for the ride.
>> http://www.specialtyoutdoors.com/images/bike/rxsharonprofile.jpg
>
> Is that all? The 3ZSSE is 6,000ft gain from The Shack.
>
> JD pissing higher on the tree

that's double mullet to you.

 

On 12 May 2003 00:08:22 GMT, Stephen Baker wrote:
> James Messick says:
>
>>Ditto, makes me feel like I'm planted in the wrong place.
>
> That's what I thought until I looked at the profile. Glad I live on a nice flat island now. ;-)

Yeah, that's the problem with having climbs right near the house; the temptation to keep climbing
them. I can see mine right out the front window.

--
-BB- To reply to me, drop the attitude (from my e-mail address, at least)

 

Gman wrote:
> On Sun, 11 May 2003 08:34:49 -0700, Penny S. <[email protected]> wrote:
>> This is out my back door, we live right below a ridge that has lots of
>
> Nice ride Penny!
>
> Thx for the GPS data too. I love to see the El profile and maps of a ride. Since I've been keeping
> some GPS data myself and am getting familiar with what profile = what kind of work, seeing the
> maps is the next best thing to actually taking the ride myself!
>
> G

for us we're trying to see how various area's trails all link up... sometime you'll have three
people that know three different routes, so we ride them all and see how they connect up...

penny

 

"BB" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> On 12 May 2003 00:08:22 GMT, Stephen Baker wrote:
> > James Messick says:
> >
> >>Ditto, makes me feel like I'm planted in the wrong place.
> >
> > That's what I thought until I looked at the profile. Glad I live on a
nice
> > flat island now. ;-)
>
> Yeah, that's the problem with having climbs right near the house; the temptation to keep climbing
> them. I can see mine right out the front window.
>

Yeah, I have the same "problem". I just try to work through it when I can.

Penny that's looks like a nice one. That's pretty big vertical for such a short distance. I have a
~3000' loop out my back door too, but it's 20 Miles and doesn't seem all that flat.

...and JD - if you loop Old Monarch and Agate with me sometime it's about 6500' (actually that's
what it is weather you join me or not). I like my gears on that ride but my buds will SS it. Maybe I
will sometime too.

> --
> -BB-

Matt

 

"Penny S." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Gman wrote:
> > On Sun, 11 May 2003 08:34:49 -0700, Penny S. <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> This is out my back door, we live right below a ridge that has lots of
> >
> > Nice ride Penny!
> >
> > Thx for the GPS data too. I love to see the El profile and maps of a ride. Since I've been
> > keeping some GPS data myself and am getting familiar with what profile = what kind of work,
> > seeing the maps is the next best thing to actually taking the ride myself!
> >
> > G
>
> for us we're trying to see how various area's trails all link up... sometime you'll have three
> people that know three different routes, so we ride them all and see how they connect up...
>
> penny

Very Nice! Glad you have the techno wherewithal to share the pics, etc. Reminds me of Schaeffer
Butte just a tad south of you...

Paladin