June 29, 2008 – Matt’s Two-Hour Ride
Matt, my son-in-law, called me up and said he found a great mountain bike ride. It was called the Three-Corner Rock Loop. The part we would ride would take about 2 hours and end at the Washougal River in Washington. Ilene and Zida, my daughter, and the grandkids, Caleb and Charis could play in the river while we were riding. Sounded good for them. The weather decided to go “summer” all of a sudden. We went from 40’s, 50’s, 60’s to 95 and 100 almost overnight.
Oh well, Matt and I are macho men. We can do this, especially since we were going to start at around the mid-way part of the trail and go down-hill. It would only be 16 miles, about two hours.
We were to meet at Matt and Zida’s house in Vancouver at 10:30 a.m. – we were a few minutes late. Oh well. We put my bike on the rack of their mini van and started out. A little ways out Matt discovered he didn’t have his shoes. Since he needed a new pair anyway, we stopped at Joes (formerly G.I.Joes) and he bought a pair of shoes. It was quicker by far than going back home. We continued our journey passed the towns of Camas and Washougal. It was a beautiful drive. We paralleled the Washougal River. The pavement quit and we continued on a gravel road. People were parked everywhere. Swimming and picnicking was the theme for the day.
We drove to the top of the mountain, hill, whatever. It was a two-lane road, but you needed all of it to keep from falling in the pot holes. It was so bad you had to drive on the sides of the road. It was 1:55 p.m. and we lifted our bikes off the rack and started our “two hour” ride. Ilene, Zida and the kids drove back down to cool off and wait for us in the nice cool river.
We were still on the road and there was a nice down hill for two miles. What fun. Then it was up the other side on the road. It was about 100 degrees and we stopped often. Three miles and the top. Yea!
There were six roads but Matt had a map and he could read it. That might be because he makes maps. Well off down the road and look for the trail. This road has trees all over it. You could ride around some of them but you had to climb over a lot of them. This took time. The view from the road of the three corner rock was something to see (I asked Matt if he would like to climb it at another date. He said, “Yes.” It looked like fun to me too), and the valley was something to see all covered with trees. It gave you the feeling of being out in the wild. After about two miles there was a creek and Matt said the trail was close. I rode by it but Matt saw it in the brush. I usually don’t miss much but I did miss the trail big time.
Well let me kind of like tell this as I saw it. The trail was over grown and you couldn’t see the ground. It was steep - like going down the embankment at the side of the road. You dropped off the side of the road and are now in the trees. The brush was gone. There were trees on the trail about every hundred feet. This means carrying your bike over them and lifting your bike up past your waist and then fighting with the branches to get it on the other side. Don’t forget it is very hot! You are on the ridge and one side or the other is very steep. How steep is very steep you ask? Well, if you were standing on the side you could put your hand on the bank. This went on for a mile but seemed like forever. One of my falls was over big rocks where a creek had washed out the trail. It was not steep on the side here and when I fell my ribs broke the fall on a big rock. Ouch! It still hurts. This made me gun shy which was not good. I was getting tired of lifting my bike so much. The next fall was where there was a vine maple over the trail. It got my helmet and tore off my mirror and threw me down a little hill with me still clipped in. This is a problem because I can’t get unclipped and my head is down and I am kind of hanging from the clips in the brush. I finally got myself loose and found my mirror. The big wet rocks were a problem. You think you can ride over them but they stop you. My hip broke the fall on a rock - Ouch! With lifting your bike over all the trees and the heat, it was hard to think and use good judgment. It was hard to make a decision on whether to push the bike to the next tree or ride it. After two miles of this we saw a saw cut and Matt said we are out of it. I said, “I bet you a beer we are not. “ I lost. We were rewarded with a mile of steep down hill and switch backs. Yes, I would unclip on the switch backs and walk it around. I did unclip one foot and fell the other way. There were about 12 of them to the bottom and a big creek to cross. I was scared to do the switch backs on the bike because if you missed there was no telling when you would stop if you went over the edge. It was that steep and the turns were sharp. Matt fell one time into a gully. The nettles and rocks broke his fall.
We all know what happens when you cross a creek. The trail goes up. It is a good trail, but up a lot. After a mile or so of riding and walking we are at the ridge. Now it is up and down a lot and the old thing of whether to get on the bike or just walk comes into play again. I am eating and drinking a lot. We filled our empty bottles with creek water so if we ran out we could use it. Oh yes, after the creek, it is hot and starting to rain. The big black clouds we saw at the top were over us and we were getting near the top. Lightning! There must have been 30 to 50 strikes as we were working our way to the top. There was thunder that went “bang” and there was also thunder that just rumbled for about 30 seconds or so. There were both over us. We finally got to the top and started down the other side. On the down hill I never let up on the brakes. I don’t know how hot they got and don’t really care. I was getting off the ridge as fast as I could. The lightning was really loud but we were now on the side of the hill. I felt safer and the rain was coming down harder. We were soon on the road and going down it and looking for the van. It stopped raining and was now hailing - no coat - ouch. I thought I was going fast but when I looked down, the odometer was reading 11 mph. Matt and I were jumping the pot holes -Three feet across and making it. There was no going around them.
The van came up the road. Matt asked if we could get in. Zida said, “No way. I just cleaned the van.” We rode to a wide part in the road and they let us in. We loaded up the bikes, and as the hatch rose, I rammed my head into it. Oh well, we weren’t proud; we hitched a ride and were saved from riding the last 3 or 4 miles. It was 7:00 p.m. - 16 mile ride cut short by three so it was Thirteen miles. It only took five falls and five hours to complete our two hour bike ride - what fun.
We exchanged stories. We were telling Zida and Ilene about our adventures. Zida was telling how Caleb almost floated away crossing the river. It was a good thing she was hanging onto him because his life jacket was holding his feet above the bottom of the river and he was about ready to float off.
They played in the river until about 5:15 p.m. Clouds were forming, there were a few sprinkles, and the kids were getting tired and hungry. They hiked up the river bank and got in the car. They decided to drive back up the road to where the trail came out only they missed it and ended up back where we started. They turned around and drove back down the hill to where we were to meet them. It’s now 6:20 p.m. and really, really raining. There’s thunder and lightning too. We weren’t back yet so they struck out again to where the trail was to come out. Just before they got there, two drowned rats on bicycles showed up. “And now you know the rest of the story.”
We stopped on the way to Zida and Matt’s house and bought Mexican food. At Matt’s I had to get out of the van – sore, cold, and tired. I brought dry clothes and Zida helped me out of my jersey and said, “Ick, now I will have to wash my hands.” Like she’d never done that before. With dry clothes and Matt’s fleece, I felt better but still let Ilene drive home. I need to wash my bike it is still dirty.
The next day Vellen was wondering if I had been trimming some black berries. There were scratches all over my legs and arms. It looked worse the day of the ride with the blood running down my legs.
Yes, all in all, I would say it was a good day – WE MADE IT BACK ALIVE!
There are 20 bike rides on Matt’s map. I have done two of them with him. I am thinking it is your turn to go with him. On the other one I put my finger on the rotor and got a blister from the heat. There is some up and down on these rides. One thing for sure and not to worry about - there are no flat trails on these rides.
If you are bored with riding a bike, have Matt take you on a two-hour ride. It will give you something to talk about. Then try to find someone to talk to who knows what it is really like on this kind of ride and has done one like it.
Hurting Byran on the side.
Matt, my son-in-law, called me up and said he found a great mountain bike ride. It was called the Three-Corner Rock Loop. The part we would ride would take about 2 hours and end at the Washougal River in Washington. Ilene and Zida, my daughter, and the grandkids, Caleb and Charis could play in the river while we were riding. Sounded good for them. The weather decided to go “summer” all of a sudden. We went from 40’s, 50’s, 60’s to 95 and 100 almost overnight.
Oh well, Matt and I are macho men. We can do this, especially since we were going to start at around the mid-way part of the trail and go down-hill. It would only be 16 miles, about two hours.
We were to meet at Matt and Zida’s house in Vancouver at 10:30 a.m. – we were a few minutes late. Oh well. We put my bike on the rack of their mini van and started out. A little ways out Matt discovered he didn’t have his shoes. Since he needed a new pair anyway, we stopped at Joes (formerly G.I.Joes) and he bought a pair of shoes. It was quicker by far than going back home. We continued our journey passed the towns of Camas and Washougal. It was a beautiful drive. We paralleled the Washougal River. The pavement quit and we continued on a gravel road. People were parked everywhere. Swimming and picnicking was the theme for the day.
We drove to the top of the mountain, hill, whatever. It was a two-lane road, but you needed all of it to keep from falling in the pot holes. It was so bad you had to drive on the sides of the road. It was 1:55 p.m. and we lifted our bikes off the rack and started our “two hour” ride. Ilene, Zida and the kids drove back down to cool off and wait for us in the nice cool river.
We were still on the road and there was a nice down hill for two miles. What fun. Then it was up the other side on the road. It was about 100 degrees and we stopped often. Three miles and the top. Yea!
There were six roads but Matt had a map and he could read it. That might be because he makes maps. Well off down the road and look for the trail. This road has trees all over it. You could ride around some of them but you had to climb over a lot of them. This took time. The view from the road of the three corner rock was something to see (I asked Matt if he would like to climb it at another date. He said, “Yes.” It looked like fun to me too), and the valley was something to see all covered with trees. It gave you the feeling of being out in the wild. After about two miles there was a creek and Matt said the trail was close. I rode by it but Matt saw it in the brush. I usually don’t miss much but I did miss the trail big time.
Well let me kind of like tell this as I saw it. The trail was over grown and you couldn’t see the ground. It was steep - like going down the embankment at the side of the road. You dropped off the side of the road and are now in the trees. The brush was gone. There were trees on the trail about every hundred feet. This means carrying your bike over them and lifting your bike up past your waist and then fighting with the branches to get it on the other side. Don’t forget it is very hot! You are on the ridge and one side or the other is very steep. How steep is very steep you ask? Well, if you were standing on the side you could put your hand on the bank. This went on for a mile but seemed like forever. One of my falls was over big rocks where a creek had washed out the trail. It was not steep on the side here and when I fell my ribs broke the fall on a big rock. Ouch! It still hurts. This made me gun shy which was not good. I was getting tired of lifting my bike so much. The next fall was where there was a vine maple over the trail. It got my helmet and tore off my mirror and threw me down a little hill with me still clipped in. This is a problem because I can’t get unclipped and my head is down and I am kind of hanging from the clips in the brush. I finally got myself loose and found my mirror. The big wet rocks were a problem. You think you can ride over them but they stop you. My hip broke the fall on a rock - Ouch! With lifting your bike over all the trees and the heat, it was hard to think and use good judgment. It was hard to make a decision on whether to push the bike to the next tree or ride it. After two miles of this we saw a saw cut and Matt said we are out of it. I said, “I bet you a beer we are not. “ I lost. We were rewarded with a mile of steep down hill and switch backs. Yes, I would unclip on the switch backs and walk it around. I did unclip one foot and fell the other way. There were about 12 of them to the bottom and a big creek to cross. I was scared to do the switch backs on the bike because if you missed there was no telling when you would stop if you went over the edge. It was that steep and the turns were sharp. Matt fell one time into a gully. The nettles and rocks broke his fall.
We all know what happens when you cross a creek. The trail goes up. It is a good trail, but up a lot. After a mile or so of riding and walking we are at the ridge. Now it is up and down a lot and the old thing of whether to get on the bike or just walk comes into play again. I am eating and drinking a lot. We filled our empty bottles with creek water so if we ran out we could use it. Oh yes, after the creek, it is hot and starting to rain. The big black clouds we saw at the top were over us and we were getting near the top. Lightning! There must have been 30 to 50 strikes as we were working our way to the top. There was thunder that went “bang” and there was also thunder that just rumbled for about 30 seconds or so. There were both over us. We finally got to the top and started down the other side. On the down hill I never let up on the brakes. I don’t know how hot they got and don’t really care. I was getting off the ridge as fast as I could. The lightning was really loud but we were now on the side of the hill. I felt safer and the rain was coming down harder. We were soon on the road and going down it and looking for the van. It stopped raining and was now hailing - no coat - ouch. I thought I was going fast but when I looked down, the odometer was reading 11 mph. Matt and I were jumping the pot holes -Three feet across and making it. There was no going around them.
The van came up the road. Matt asked if we could get in. Zida said, “No way. I just cleaned the van.” We rode to a wide part in the road and they let us in. We loaded up the bikes, and as the hatch rose, I rammed my head into it. Oh well, we weren’t proud; we hitched a ride and were saved from riding the last 3 or 4 miles. It was 7:00 p.m. - 16 mile ride cut short by three so it was Thirteen miles. It only took five falls and five hours to complete our two hour bike ride - what fun.
We exchanged stories. We were telling Zida and Ilene about our adventures. Zida was telling how Caleb almost floated away crossing the river. It was a good thing she was hanging onto him because his life jacket was holding his feet above the bottom of the river and he was about ready to float off.
They played in the river until about 5:15 p.m. Clouds were forming, there were a few sprinkles, and the kids were getting tired and hungry. They hiked up the river bank and got in the car. They decided to drive back up the road to where the trail came out only they missed it and ended up back where we started. They turned around and drove back down the hill to where we were to meet them. It’s now 6:20 p.m. and really, really raining. There’s thunder and lightning too. We weren’t back yet so they struck out again to where the trail was to come out. Just before they got there, two drowned rats on bicycles showed up. “And now you know the rest of the story.”
We stopped on the way to Zida and Matt’s house and bought Mexican food. At Matt’s I had to get out of the van – sore, cold, and tired. I brought dry clothes and Zida helped me out of my jersey and said, “Ick, now I will have to wash my hands.” Like she’d never done that before. With dry clothes and Matt’s fleece, I felt better but still let Ilene drive home. I need to wash my bike it is still dirty.
The next day Vellen was wondering if I had been trimming some black berries. There were scratches all over my legs and arms. It looked worse the day of the ride with the blood running down my legs.
Yes, all in all, I would say it was a good day – WE MADE IT BACK ALIVE!
There are 20 bike rides on Matt’s map. I have done two of them with him. I am thinking it is your turn to go with him. On the other one I put my finger on the rotor and got a blister from the heat. There is some up and down on these rides. One thing for sure and not to worry about - there are no flat trails on these rides.
If you are bored with riding a bike, have Matt take you on a two-hour ride. It will give you something to talk about. Then try to find someone to talk to who knows what it is really like on this kind of ride and has done one like it.
Hurting Byran on the side.
posted by Byran on the side at 5:54 PM
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