Friday, January 18, 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
Summer/Fall 2012 - Miscellaneous
Solid from mid-July through September and into October, a forty or fifty year record almost broken last year by the longest rain-free streak in decades. Make the most of it we did as we always do, living each precious sunny weekend as if it were our last. And so, what follows is a little bit of what else we do to pass the time during the dog days of summer (and Fall).
Monday, January 7, 2013
Angels Staircase MTB, October 2012
For the final ride of the 13th Baktun, Eric and I set our sights on this 25-mile Methow classic. Typically done as a clockwise loop, Angel's Staircase features the highest singletrack in Washington. We spent a good amount of time pedaling at 7000 feet and up to as high as high as 8000 feet as we crossed over a ridge shortly SSW of Martin Peak. Probably best when the vibrant colors of Fall are on full display, this ride is all about panoramic mountain vistas, scenic alpine meadows dotted with azure lakes, a grueling ascent and exhilarating descent with plenty of tedious hike-a-bike throughout. Despite needlessly second-guessing our bearings on the final grind up to Horsehead Pass, costing us precious calories and daylight, the ride went off without a hitch and to me ranks among the top 5 in the state. Combine this with one of the other excellent rides out in the Methow for a weekend well spent.