Pacific NW Mountain Bike Adventures – Part 3

After a couple damp days in what looks more and more like the Twilight Zone every day, we packed up the bikes and headed back to the mountains. The wind continues to blow our kayak fishing hopes to little bitty pieces. We’re grateful there are options to enjoy the Pacific Northwest outdoors.

We set up camp in one of our favorite spots. Sun for the solar power and close to great singletrack trails.

Morning MTB camp
Mountain bike in the morning sun

The day’s ride took us past another huge blown down tree. This another old giant, over a hundred years old.

Large blown down tree and MTB

Dirt roads turn to overgrown roads that turn to trails until they either hit another road or trail or disappear.

Riding mountain bikes near Mt Adams

Nearing Mt Adams, a large, burned out area of forest has been taken over by large bushes that have overgrown the trail. The trail is there, you can’t see it. In another month, these bushes will be over six feet tall.

Trail disappears into thick bushes in burned out forest

Leaving the overgrown trail for another day, we headed back down the mountain. The trail leads through sections of deep forest that are completely dark, even at noon on a sunny summer day.

MTB riding on dark forest trail

There are sections of great Cascade Mountain singletrack trails. Be sure to stay on the trail because hazards are only inches away. If you fall, you will probably hit wood.

Cascade Mountain singletrack trail

You also do not want to casually brush against trail side bushes. Some of these bushes are blackberries whose thorns are like fish hooks.

Blackberry bush thorns

Mountain streams run from Mt Adams, through the Cascade Mountains and down to the Columbia River.

Cascade Mountain stream

Day after day of great weather and great mountain biking on some of the best trails in America.

Mountain biking near Mt Adams

Singletrack trails wind through the forest of pine trees and mountain flowers.

Cascade Mountain singletrack trail

Trail conditions, like the weather, change all the time. Quickly.

Fallen tree blocks trail

As if riding bikes up and down the side of a mountain isn’t enough excitement, Mother Nature always seems to have a little something for you. This morning, as we were getting to go riding, we noticed bear hanging around the campsite. It’s not like there’s a lot of food here, but enough for this bear to have a look.

Just a short distance from that bear, we saw this one, closer to camp, circling around to the side.

If you make a lot of noise and jump around, bears usually leave. Otherwise, they eat you. Thankfully, these two bears left for the campsite down the road with more food. I did see another, even larger bear, on my bike leaving camp and saw plenty of various size bear tracks on the sandy trails. It was another great day of riding, although we kept an especially close eye out for bears.

Cascade Mountain singletrack trail

After the pesky bears and a great bike ride, the clouds moved in and it began to rain. Light rain started in the early afternoon and did not subside until the next morning. The somewhat dusty trails were now perfect again and everything else was dripping wet.

Cool damp morning in Cascade Mountains
Perfect PacNW trail conditions

Another great day of mountain bike riding in the Cascade Mountains with perfect trail conditions due to overnight rain.

Cascade Mountain singletrack

Great riding, but everything was wet and/or muddy. Pretty much what mountain biking in the Pacific Northwest is all about.

Wet and muddy MTB

That wraps up this edition of Adventures in Mountain Biking, Cascade Mountain style. We are looking forward to more great mountain biking, so check back soon!

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