Mid Winter Mountain Bike Riding

So far in 2014, we’ve had one significant snow event followed by a significant deep freeze and a good dose of fog and freezing fog with some on and off rain showers. Not bad weather for this time of year but wet enough to turn the local trails into mud. Even without a lot of rain, there has been a near constant “freeze-thaw” cycle that keeps the ground wet and muddy. Unfortunately, many mountain bike riders, mainly the “weekend warrior” types have ignored the pleas of the trail stewards to not ride on the trails and have done considerable damage to them by riding through the mud with packs of riders. It takes a lot of volunteer work to keep these trails in shape, you have to wonder how long the trail workers are going to keep their enthusiasm for maintaining the trails when other riders have no regard for the trails or the work that is required to repair the damage they do.
It is really a shame that these selfish riders choose to damage muddy trails where there are literally hundreds of miles of dirt and gravel roads that wind thorough the same forests that the singletrack trails do. Of course everyone would rather ride singletrack, but would it kill them to ride on the same kind of surface through the same woods on a path that is a few feet wider for a month or two?
These Forest Service and old logging roads have nearly zero motorized traffic, especially in the winter months. The scenery is just as good as on the singletrack and these roads go just about everywhere in Washington and Oregon.

This is the time of year we do a lot of riding on the back roads searching for new singletrack. There are many trails out there; overgrown logging roads, old wagon trails and motorcycle trails that are no longer used. A little trail maintenance and you have a new section of mountain bike trail that allows you to get away from the crowds and enjoy riding a bike through the beautiful Pacific Northwest forest.

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