Ride Name: Outer Limits
Ride Category: Loop
Ride Type Ratio: 97% Single-track
Ride Distance: 67 miles
Ride Time: 9-12 hours
Trailhead Directions: For the easiest route to Porter Creek CG, take
Highway 12, from north or south, to the town of Porter Creek, then just follow
the signs into the forest. Directions to the other trail heads mentioned above
can be determined from the map or should be available elsewhere on this site.
Route Description: Since this is a loop, describing the trail perimeter of
Capitol Forest, you can start at several locations along its course, including
Porter Creek, Rock Candy Entrance, Sherman Valley Y (or Margaret
McKenny CG), or Mima Falls Trailhead. The route described below starts
from Porter Creek CG and goes clockwise. From the vicinity of Porter Creek
CG hop onto North Rim#1 and follow it all the way to Rock Candy Entrance
and up Rock Candy East. Continue down along North Rim #1 and up/down
Middle Waddell to the Sherman Valley Y. Hop onto the hardball there
(Waddell Creek Rd) for a couple miles -- you'll appreciate this little break --
before regaining the dirt behind Margaret McKenny CG. From there follow
the 6A spur to Green Trail #6 to the #10 connector to Mima-Porter #8. Ride
the length of Mima-Porter #8 to its conclusion at the intersection with Green
Trail #6 near Iron Creek, then bang a left on the latter to get to the B-1000
road, which will bring you into Porter Creek CG after a short distance.
Ride Summary: The idea is to circumnavigate Capitol Forest via trail. As
such, some may point out, it should involve continuing all the way to Mima
Falls Trailhead before picking up Mima-Porter #8. I opted for the slight #10
shortcut only to mix things up, as I rarely have occasion to use that trail. Either
way, this is a long, demanding ride; and it helps to be well familiar with its
various stages before attempting to hook them all together in one go, especially
for planning purposes. Starting clockwise from Porter Creek, I believe, puts
the toughest section up front -- namely, the outer arm of North Rim #1 en
route to the top of Rock Candy East -- and leaves the more gradual clamber
out of Fall Creek to Camp Wedekind for later, when energy starts to lag. I
don't know who else has ridden this route already, or whether it exists
elsewhere by some other name, but I rode it solo for the first time in late July
04, starting at noon and finishing some time after midnight. But for the late
start, failing daylight finally, followed by a failing headlamp (alas, no support
vehicle), and new bloom along much of the final downhill portion of
Mima-Porter #8, this ride should have taken less time than indicated above.
Subtracting the darkness and the brush, some early risers could probably
complete this route in less than 10 hours. -Randall Hale
Ride Submitted By: Randall Hale
For info on this ride contact Randall halera@ix.netcom.com
Ride Category: Loop
Ride Type Ratio: 97% Single-track
Ride Distance: 67 miles
Ride Time: 9-12 hours
Trailhead Directions: For the easiest route to Porter Creek CG, take
Highway 12, from north or south, to the town of Porter Creek, then just follow
the signs into the forest. Directions to the other trail heads mentioned above
can be determined from the map or should be available elsewhere on this site.
Route Description: Since this is a loop, describing the trail perimeter of
Capitol Forest, you can start at several locations along its course, including
Porter Creek, Rock Candy Entrance, Sherman Valley Y (or Margaret
McKenny CG), or Mima Falls Trailhead. The route described below starts
from Porter Creek CG and goes clockwise. From the vicinity of Porter Creek
CG hop onto North Rim#1 and follow it all the way to Rock Candy Entrance
and up Rock Candy East. Continue down along North Rim #1 and up/down
Middle Waddell to the Sherman Valley Y. Hop onto the hardball there
(Waddell Creek Rd) for a couple miles -- you'll appreciate this little break --
before regaining the dirt behind Margaret McKenny CG. From there follow
the 6A spur to Green Trail #6 to the #10 connector to Mima-Porter #8. Ride
the length of Mima-Porter #8 to its conclusion at the intersection with Green
Trail #6 near Iron Creek, then bang a left on the latter to get to the B-1000
road, which will bring you into Porter Creek CG after a short distance.
Ride Summary: The idea is to circumnavigate Capitol Forest via trail. As
such, some may point out, it should involve continuing all the way to Mima
Falls Trailhead before picking up Mima-Porter #8. I opted for the slight #10
shortcut only to mix things up, as I rarely have occasion to use that trail. Either
way, this is a long, demanding ride; and it helps to be well familiar with its
various stages before attempting to hook them all together in one go, especially
for planning purposes. Starting clockwise from Porter Creek, I believe, puts
the toughest section up front -- namely, the outer arm of North Rim #1 en
route to the top of Rock Candy East -- and leaves the more gradual clamber
out of Fall Creek to Camp Wedekind for later, when energy starts to lag. I
don't know who else has ridden this route already, or whether it exists
elsewhere by some other name, but I rode it solo for the first time in late July
04, starting at noon and finishing some time after midnight. But for the late
start, failing daylight finally, followed by a failing headlamp (alas, no support
vehicle), and new bloom along much of the final downhill portion of
Mima-Porter #8, this ride should have taken less time than indicated above.
Subtracting the darkness and the brush, some early risers could probably
complete this route in less than 10 hours. -Randall Hale
Ride Submitted By: Randall Hale
For info on this ride contact Randall halera@ix.netcom.com
| Start/Finish |
