![\"NoTrail\"](\"https:\/\/watermanatwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/NoTrail.jpg\" "\\"NoTrail\\"")
<\/p>\nSummer may be officially over and the famous rainy PacNW weather may be right around the corner so we have to get the most out of the nice days we have left. This past weekend had perfect weather for riding so Don and I took full advantage of it to go on one of the best rides of the season.<\/p>\n
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We started out from the Snowden ranch and rode through the high country above the Columbia River. Leaving the regular singletrack trails behind; we rode on grown over logging roads that turned into nearly invisible game trails. Safe to say we were the only bike riders here all season; maybe no mountain bikers had ever ridden this way before.<\/p>\n
![\"WideOpen\"](\"https:\/\/watermanatwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/WideOpen.jpg\" "\\"WideOpen\\"")
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Using a combination of dead reckoning and data from the GPS; we emerged from the mountaintop woods onto a wide open field leading down to the Columbia River.<\/p>\n
![\"DropIntoTheGorge\"](\"https:\/\/watermanatwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/DropIntoTheGorge.jpg\" "\\"DropIntoTheGorge\\"")
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In about four miles; we dropped nearly two thousand feet into the Columbia Gorge. <\/p>\n
![\"CliffEdgeTrail\"](\"https:\/\/watermanatwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/CliffEdgeTrail.jpg\" "\\"CliffEdgeTrail\\"")
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When we got to about five hundred feet above the Columbia River; the world famous Gorge wind became a factor. As we rode on rocky trails on the very edge of cliffs that dropped off nearly to river level; the wind made it very hard to ride; the 40 mph wind gusts blowing us off the trail over and over again. Pretty sketchy when you are on a rocky trail riding a couple feet from the edge of a cliff.<\/p>\n
![\"RockyDownhill\"](\"https:\/\/watermanatwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/RockyDownhill.jpg\" "\\"RockyDownhill\\"")
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The last mile or so of downhill were on knarly, jagged, loose rock “trails”. It was tough enough to negotiate these rugged, rocky trails; add the 35-40 mph wind gusts; it was really dangerous; especially when we were a long way from home with a tough ride into the wind back. We had to walk a few of the knarly parts of the rock trail near the edge of the cliff; one mistake and it would be over the side. It was tough walking the trail; it would take a heck of rider to make it down on the bike.<\/p>\n
![\"ElevationProfile\"](\"https:\/\/watermanatwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/ElevationProfile.jpg\" "\\"ElevationProfile\\"")
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As we rolled back into the Snowden ranch; we had been on the bikes for over four hours and ridden nearly twenty six miles with more than 4700′ of climbing and about the same distance ridden downhill. In this part of the country; there is very little level ground. Don and I were both about as worked as you can be; a worthy ride in one of the best spots in the USA for off road cycling.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"