2500FT Ascension

Today, I left my home with the 3000FT trip in mind. I left at 8:30, and arrive at Wallace Lake at 10:30. On the way up, I surprised a bird on the trail:


I was told this is a wild turkey.
Once at the lake, I looked for the forest road highlighted in my previous post, and found it easily. The road though, was very steep, no way I could ride the bike, so I walked up for about an hour until I got stuck by this:


I tried to walk in the snow while pushing the bike, but the slope made it too hard, so I turned back at that point. Before starting the descent, I used my topographic map and the compass to find where I was:


2650FT, that's almost 2500FT ascension from my house. Not too bad! I was 900FT above Wallace Lake, but the forest prevented me to see it.
It was 11:30.
I then started the descent, with the intent of taking pictures of what I saw climbing up, but was too focused on my effort to stop for a pic.

Beginning of the descent. The trees help figuring the steepness of the slope.

I crossed many small water falls feeding Wallace lake or North Fork Wallace River, and took a picture of each of them. One of them is visible from my house. It is a very long and thin waterfall, that only flows when it rains, and for a few days after. I hope after the trail switchbacks (area I couldn't reach today), I will have a better view and identify this waterfall. It's fun to identify landmarks I can see from my house.

Waterfall 1:

Waterfall2:

What looked insignificant at this point, will later become a major problem for this forest road:


A few 100s FT down:


Big erosion:


This hole was several feet deep:


Water dug the road in 2 areas on that section:


Eventually, the water ran out of the road, making a big hole on the side in the process:




Majestic Mount index and Mount Persis.


Waterfall 3:

Waterfall 4:

Last picture, showing the snow level compared to the valley floor, that is how much I climbed today:


I was home at ~ 12:45. This was another awesome ride. Coming home, my bike was making unfriendly noises, that seemed to be coming from the crank bearings. I'll have to send it to the shop for its 100miles free checkup (I put about 60 miles on it).
I will have to wait a few more weeks to reach 3000FT.

Prospective Trips

Looking at Google maps with Terrain option, I can plan future trips.

From Wallace Lake, there are nearby forest roads that lead to 3200FT altitude in a fairly short distance (=hard climb!).

Here is my "3000FT challenge" trip. From the trailhead at ~200FT altitude, to 3200FT altitude:

Wallace Lake April 26

This time, most of the snow was melted. I reached the lake in 2 hours from my house, rode half an hour around, and took 1 hour to go back home.

Around Lake Wallace. This tree, across the trail, was not there at my last trip in February. There are teeth marks on the wood. Looks like beaver work:


Same tree as the pic before. It was cut by a beaver:


A smaller tee, more beaver marks:


That beaver was helped by Mother Nature. The tree broke before the beaver was done:


This was another very nice ride. On the way down, I surprised a bobcat on the trail. He ran in the woods too fast to allow me to take a picture.
Next time I may try to climb higher, maybe 2500 feet? The lake is at 1800FT altitude, my house, 160FT.

First trip, February 2009

I have been living in Gold Bar for 8 years, I even see Wallace Falls from my living room, and I never got to go to Wallace Lake, until now.
This winter, I decided to buy a mountain bike, and scout the surrounding mountains with it. This blog will tell about my trips.
Here are pictures from my first trip to Wallace Lake.

On the way to Wallace Lake, about 1/3 of the way. Nice view of nearby mountains from DNR road. The first 1/3 is a narrower trail in the forest, while the DNR road is wider and easier:

The Olympics, visible on the horizon, just above the sea of clouds:

A Cascade in the side of the trail:

Reaching snow level:

Snow cover is full, and temperature was noticeably lower at that level. About 3/4 of the way:

hummm ... does that mean " From now on, you are on your own "? No other way to the lake:

The last break in snow cover:

Going downhill, for the first time. the lake is close ...:

That's the top of the mountain:

Some good size cat tracks:

Swampy area around the lake:

A bridge ... blocked by a big snow drift:

No other choice that jump:

Another bridge, with 2 feet of snow on it. Below is Wallace River. Crossing the bridge with the bike was scary:

The birth of Wallace River, view from the bridge:

First glance at Wallace Lake, at last! View from the same bridge:

A Giant bike for a giant ride:

Wallace Lake was beautiful that day. The far end, sunny, was free of ice. All the rest was frozen and covered with snow. I did not see breathing holes that are sometimes reported:

Snow covered lake:

Dead trees roll down the slope to the lake, and end up in Wallace River:

On the way back. Snow drift on the trail:

Not sure what is this. Big cat or small bear? tip of the claws are visible, plus the opposed thumb tells me it 's a small bear:

Glove for size scale:

While I was relieving myself on the trail edge, I was admiring this lichen art on a stone:

Another cat trail, likely a mountain lion:

Half way down. View from the same mountain pictured earlier, but from higher up:

Index and Persis on the horizon:

Going downhill for now own, down to the trailhead, very nice ride. The rest of the ride is in heavily forested area, very rough and technical ride.
This was an awesome 4 hour ride.
Who comes with me next time?