Seattle vs Portland Country Bike Rumble - June 1st

[Andy Smitty Schmidt]

Details are still being worked out. Just putting this out there so people can put it on their calendars. 

Looking at something with enough elevation to get views, perhaps a stint on the Willapa Hills Trail or something in the vicinity of Mt St Helens. I'm open to route suggestions if you're familiar with the area (I'm not). 

Would people be interested to do an overnighter?

Feel free to post here or message me with comments, suggestions, rsvp, etc.

--Smitty

[Scot Brooks]

Seattle side here. I think both the Willapa Hills idea and the overnighter idea are awesome. I'd be in for both, especially since I just transformed my Sam into a hardcore rambler. 

[Aaron Young]

I'm "xpressing interest, but I'll have wait for more details before I can express commitment. Sounds like great fun though. 

-Aaron "stuck in the middle in Vancouver" Young

On Tuesday, May 7, 2013, Scot Brooks wrote:

Seattle side here. I think both the Willapa Hills idea and the overnighter idea are awesome. I'd be in for both, especially since I just transformed my Sam into a hardcore rambler. 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en-US.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
 
 

[Mike]

I'm interested. It looks like I'm off that weekend. Transportation and obtaining a hall pass from the boss (my wife) will be the main issues.

 

--mike

[charlie]

Would like to do this but do not want to bust a gut cranking up hills......a SO24 would be fun. Finding a safe route with some climbing but not crazy would be nice. I live north of St. Helen's and my area is pretty hilly (foothills Mt. Rainier) I've ridden the Cheahalis area around the asphalt plant but that's not too scenic......perhaps contact Jan Heine 

On Tuesday, May 7, 2013 9:46:03 AM UTC-7, Andy Smitty Schmidt wrote:

[charlie]

the WillapaTrails idea looks good however........

[Scot Brooks]

I'm just gonna give this thread a gentle bump since there's no good reason not to do this. I hope it happens. 

[Andy Smitty Schmidt]

Gentle bump appreciated, Scot. 

I've been going over maps and searching the interwebs for info to put together a route. Frankly, I'm coming up pretty empty handed so far. That's not to say this won't happen, 'cause it will, it just might be a little more "make it up as we go" than an organized group ride usually is.  I assume that anyone who would show up for something called a "Country Bike Rumble" would be fine with that. 

One piece of info I did get is that the Willapa Hills Trail is largely RR ballast and is not really rideable very far outside of Chehalis. Bummer. With that piece of info I stopped looking west of I-5.    

This is the general area I'm focusing on now. It's equidistant from PDX and Seattle and if I/we find the right starting point, it's accessible via Amtrak. The area south of Alder Lk is in the Gifford Pinchot Nat Forest. The area west of that looks like private timber land. Public may or may not have access to roads on timber land. There are a small handful of lakes in the GPNF that look forest road accessible... could be gems or trash dumps. 

I welcome any input. 

--Smitty

  

[Scot Brooks]

I think your choice of midway point is perfect, Smitty; Centralia is dead-on halfway and there's an Amtrak station as well. I'll try to have a staring contest with the map tonight after work and see what sort of secrets it reveals. 

[Manuel Acosta]

I imagine some type of face off where Seattlers and Portlanders meet and start snapping fingers while circling around each other on bikes. 

Twine verses twine war where the shellac and cloth tape will fly! Just imagine this but on bikes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ecsGvqvskXw

On Tuesday, May 7, 2013 9:46:03 AM UTC-7, Andy Smitty Schmidt wrote:

[Manuel Acosta]

Or like this..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecsGvqvskXw

[Brian Hanson]

This is close to Randle/Morton/Packwood - could try something interesting?  It may be a bit of a ride from the train station, but if we have time, it would be cool. Babyshoe Pass?

http://janheine.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/rides-to-remember/

Brian

Seattle, WA

--Smitty

  

[hsmitham]

Manny,

Funny! I liked Jackies knickers. Too bad he didn't have a Nitto S83 post :-)

~Hugh

[Andy Smitty Schmidt]

Randle, WA to Babyshoe Pass looks pretty great. 30-ish miles with a few steep bits but looks like mostly reasonable grades. Plus there're 4 campgrounds within a mile or 2 of the Pass.

couldn't get the "link" button to work... did a quickie map job... http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2508110

I called the Gifford Pinchot Cowlitz Ranger Station this afternoon. The woman I spoke to was great. I told her what we wanted to do and she suggested that we head west on Forest Rd 74 (sort of near the the town of Mineral) into the GP Nat Forest. She said there are lots of decent dirt roads that just meander through the hills and valleys. She said access from the south (off Hwy 12) is possible too but it's largely checker-boarded with private timber land and Nat Forest land so access isn't as easy. 

Randle to Babyshoe Pass sounds more straight forward and plan-able so that has my vote. Logistics of getting to/from the meet-up can be worked out. 

--Smitty

[Christopher Chen]

Fantastic! I can't wait. Manny, you comin' up or what?

--Smitty

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/_1oYzXv0mBE/unsubscribe?hl=en-US.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en-US.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
 
 

--
"I want the kind of six pack you can't drink." -- Micah

[Christopher Chen]

Yes. I've cleared my schedule that weekend. Let's make it happen. Mt. St. Helens, Lewis River maybe?

On Mon, May 13, 2013 at 2:56 PM, Scot Brooks <scothi...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm just gonna give this thread a gentle bump since there's no good reason not to do this. I hope it happens. 

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/_1oYzXv0mBE/unsubscribe?hl=en-US.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en-US.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
 
 

[Andy Smitty Schmidt]

One thought about starting/ending in Randle... not sure we have many options for places to leave cars... especially if we go overnight.  

[Brian Hanson]

Isn't everyone biking there?  :)

Brian

Seattle, WA

On Wed, May 15, 2013 at 10:21 AM, Andy Smitty Schmidt <54c...@gmail.com> wrote:

One thought about starting/ending in Randle... not sure we have many options for places to leave cars... especially if we go overnight.  

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.

[charlie]

Andy,the Randle area is beautiful and Alder is my old high school stomping grounds I live maybe 20 miles from Alder lake and the road toward the Morton, Randle, Packwood area is pretty nice......quite a bit of forest land. Morton is approximately 107 miles from Portland and about 90 from Seattle......just checked Googe maps and Mossyrock Park to Packwood Washington on highway 12 is about 48 miles with Mossyrock Park about half way between Portland and Seattle....the town of Centrailia is about half way off I-5 but about 80 miles to Packwood so its a little long. I've driven Highway 12 through the Morton, Randle and Packwood area and it has a decent paved shoulder.....one could Google map the entire route and look at the road its pretty nice. I'll bet there are plenty of decent campgrounds in the area too. Facebook me yo!

[Andy Smitty Schmidt]

Poking around I stumbled upon an option that I think is worth considering. 

In short... this route is a 40 mile loop that begins/ends at the Iron Creek CG. 

The CG appears to have 50+ sites available the weekend of June 1-2. 

I like the idea of looping out of a CG both so we can ride light and to provide the possibility of a shorter out-n-back option.

I'm a little concerned that a 5100ft high point will be snowy forcing the whole ride to be an out-n-back, but I'll look into that. If the high point is accessible, there's a short (1 mile) trail to the Burley Mtn Lookout Tower at the top. 

Not trying to shanghai the Babyshoe Pass option, just thinking that a loop originating at a CG provides parking and lets us ride light. Would love to hear opinions of those who think they may be going. 

I picked up a topog road map of the Cowlitz Ranger District... lots of excellent looking options. Even a few loops that involve Rd 23/Babyshoe Pass. 

Really excited for this... wherever we go. 

--Smitty 

[Andy Smitty Schmidt]

More poking around... perhaps a better + more seasonably appropriate loop. 

Blue Lake Creek CG to Babyshoe Pass. 

Less climbing and lower elevation. 30 miles and tops out at 4300ft. I haven't looked but I'd guess CG availability is similarly plentiful. 

--Smitty

[Mike]

There are tons of options for riding in Gifford as long as all the passes are clear. Babyshoe Pass is a fun climb but can the descent can be tricky as the road gets pretty washboarded. I've ridden it a few times on a loaded bike and have always hoped to ride it one day unloaded. Sadly this won't be the time as I don't see being able to do this trip. : (

 

 The campgrounds at Lake Takhlakh which are just north of Babyshoe Pass offer a stunning view of Mt Adams when it's clear. I'm sure you could find a place to park the cars in Packwood. Or Randle for that matter.

 

Lake Takhlakh:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41335973@N00/6029150477/in/set-72157627404530358

 

FR 90 is a winner and connects with Babyshoe Pass.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41335973@N00/6029703326/in/set-72157627404530358/

 

--mike

[Mike]

This route goes right by Lake Takhlakh.

On Sunday, May 19, 2013 12:19:11 PM UTC-7, Andy Smitty Schmidt wrote:

[Brian Hanson]

It looks like there is about 77" snow at white pass today (5800 ft).  Perhaps 4 ft of snow a thousand feet lower would be my uneducated guess.  If temps stay in the 40s for the next few weeks, we may be OK.  I like the looks of both routes, but would go with the lower one this time of year.

http://www.nwac.us/weatherdata/whitepass/

Brian (who is putting albas on the Hunqa for this trip)

Seattle, WA

--

[Andy Smitty Schmidt]

It sounds like an even lower elevation Plan-B would be wise. There's 4ft of snow at the Lone Pine SNOTEL Station at 3930ft. The LP station is a couple hundred feet lower than and a few miles west from Babyshoe Pass. But the real clincher is that Babyshoe Pass is still snowed in. The ranger said her last report is about a week old, but the road became not drive-able about 10 miles before Babyshoe Pass. 

Back to the drawing boards...

--Smitty

[Mike]

A lot of the prime routes in Gifford might not be doable at this time. Last year the passes didn't open until July.

--mike

[Brian Hanson]

Can we get a Seattle headcount on this ride?  Who's in so far?  I can take one person with me in my pickemup truck.  Also - are we aligned on a date/time yet?  How about meeting up in Randle/Packwood at noonish on Saturday the 1st?  Folks (like me) that are overnighting can head out Sunday from the campground, with others leaving Saturday night?

Brian

Seattle, WA
 

[charlie]

I plan on it and live near Eatonville Wa. I'd like to camp but my Hillborne isn't set up to carry a sleeping bag, tent and extras. I do have a Big Agnes tent and a summer weight mummy bag but don't think I'd fit into it these days......the bag anyway.

[Scot Brooks]

Seattle checking in, Brian. I've got my own ride, but thanks. 

[Andy Smitty Schmidt]

I think our best bet is to meet/camp at the North Fork CG off of FS Road 23 (here). 

It looks like the CG is wide open. I'd be happy to make a reservation (I can look into the group site but we may not have enough people to make it cost effective) but I imagine we could just show up and get sites. Then for a ride we could out-n-back as far up the valley as possible (up to snow). From the N Fork CG we have what looks like 2 good options... the main road (FS 23) along the main trunk of the Cispus River or Road 22 along the North Fork Cispus River. 

Maybe plan to roll out of the CG for the Rumble Ride shortly after noon? 

There was talk amongst some PDXers of taking the Amtrak to Centralia. Wondering if Brian or Charlie (or anyone else) might be willing/able/interested to assist with rides from the train station in Centralia to the CG? The first train Saturday morning gets to Centralia at 10am. If not, we're looking into other options too. Just putting out feelers and exploring options. 

--Andy

[charlie]

Wouldn't mind picking one person up as I have a tiny Suzuki Swift similar to aGeo Metro but I have a two bike, bike rack.....so my bike and one other.

[charlie]

Yea from Centrailia to Randle is 76 miles one way so I'd want to make one trip ..... :-/

On Tuesday, May 21, 2013 4:05:34 PM UTC-7, Andy Smitty Schmidt wrote:

[Brian Hanson]

Ready and willing. 

Brian Hanson

[Scot Brooks]

I can pick up someone as well. I've got a two-bike rack on the back of my little Honda. 

[Andy Smitty Schmidt]

We've got a side email going around the Portland crew. Sounds like 2 of us are thinking train. Waiting to see what the rest of our contingent is up to before buying tickets. 

Stay tuned...

--Smitty 

[Christopher Chen]

So is there any interest in renting a van or truck for the weekend? I'd gladly pitch in generously for it.

I'd even gladly drive out there from PDX.

I'd love to ride back to Centralia and take the train at the end, however.

cc

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/_1oYzXv0mBE/unsubscribe?hl=en-US.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.

[charlie]

Any idea on the final route elevation gain......trying to decide if I should ride my Simple One on this? Wondering what the road conditions are and may make a tire switch depending......if mostly smooth paved no change otherwise I'll go wide with pride.

[Andy Smitty Schmidt]

Hey Charlie (and whoever),

I'm not sure about road surface conditions. 

It seems like we have 2 good riding route options...

FS 23 towards Babyshoe Pass is paved, but not sure how good the pavement is. This would be the longer + more gradual route. I imagine this road has more traffic (not that I expect there to be much). I don't think we would make it all the way to Babyshoe Pass (20+ miles one way from the CG). We'd be at 3500ft at mile 17. I'd guess that's about where we'd hit snow. 

FS 22 goes along the North Fork Cispus River. It appears to be less of a road... it's hard to get a good view of the road on Google. The bits I was able to see appear to be dirt/gravel, but it's hard to tell. This road is a bit steeper and leaves the river at about mile 9 to climb in earnest. 3500ft is around mile 12. This option would be shorter but would be steeper for a few miles at the end. 

My inclination is 60/40 in favor of FS 22 merely because it seems the road less traveled and is a bit more unknown. I'm sure FS 23 would be fun too if other's want to explore that way. 

FWIW... it sounds like the Portland crew (3 of us) will be driving up so no rides from the train station needed. 

--Smitty

[charlie]

Looks like I might have to make a gearing change too................

On Saturday, May 25, 2013 11:56:01 PM UTC-7, Andy Smitty Schmidt wrote:Hey Charlie (and whoever),

[Andy Smitty Schmidt]

It sounds like this coming weekend has got more than it's fair share of Rivendell type rides... Nice. 

Anyone in the Northwest is welcome to come out for the The Seattle vs Portland Country Bike Rumble in the Cispus River Valley. 

We have the Bear Group Site reserved at the North Fork Campground and the weather forecast is in our favor. Even though it's unlikely we'll fill the group site, it made sense to get it because of the "additional car" fees we would have been paying at regular sites. Plus this way we can camp "together" but still have room to spread out. We certainly have room if anyone wants to bring a spouse or a friend. 

The main event (the ride) will be Saturday afternoon. Pedals will start spinning when it seems that everyone who's going to show up is there and ready... maybe 12 noon... hopefully no later than 1. We'll play it by ear. 

As previously discussed, there's more snow than was initially anticipated. There is 4+ feet of snow at 4000ft so we'll be confined to the valleys, which limits our options to ride a loop. Our route will be out-and-back. The Campground is at the confluence of the North Fork Cispus River and the main trunk of the Cispus River. There is a road up each fork that we can ride to the snow line. Road 22 along the North Fork is shorter and has a more pronounced flat-for-a-ways then steep-for-a-ways thing about it. Road 23 is more evenly gradual and goes to Babyshoe Pass, but we'll be stopped by snow well before the pass. 

The Portland crew will be providing a spaghetti dinner Saturday night after the ride. That is the only thing provided on this trip... BYO camping gear, eating utensils, food, etc. We'll take up a collection to buy a few bundles of firewood. 

Directions to the North Fork Campground HERE. When I made the reservation the CG map made it look like the group sites are away from the main campground loop. I imagine there'll be signs. 

If I forgot anything or you have other Qs, post them here or send me a message. Looking forward to meeting + riding with everyone on Saturday. 

--Smitty

[Andy Smitty Schmidt]

Since we have the group site, there'll be plenty of parking if anyone wants to come for day, ride with the group, then head home to sleep in their own bed. If you do that, you're likely to miss out on the fire and whatever impromptu morning ride might happen. So day trip at your own risk.  

--Smitty

[charlie]

Sounds fun, any idea how much it costs for a campsite etc. ? So I imagine a 9-10:00 a.m. show for set up etc. Do you think your average old, fat cyclist could get away with riding a Simple One or are we in for some real climbing fun? I hear the weather will be in the low 70's Saturday (subtract a few degrees the higher you go). Night time temps will probably be in the 40's.

[charlie]

Here is something that might interest you Andy in regard to the area.........http://janheine.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/rides-to-remember/

[Andy Smitty Schmidt]

We've got plenty of space (both parking and camping) if anyone's on the fence about coming to this, we'd love to have you come out. Feel free to bring a spouse, friend or kid. 

Daytime forecast looks great. There's a small chance of precipitation Saturday night so if anyone was thinking to forgo shelter, as I was, you've been warned. 

--Smitty

[Brian Hanson]

I plan to head down around 8-9 in the AM if anyone needs transport from the Seattle end. 

Brian Hanson

Seattle, WA

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.