2020 has become a year of bucket list accomplishments. A month ago my son Tim and I finished off our John Muir Trail odyssey. This past Sunday KB and I set off on the Angel’s Staircase Loop.
The adventure really started when I took my bike out to add some sealant to the tires a few days before (just to be safe) and I noticed the back wheel felt wonky. It turns out I had a broken suspension pivot axle. I took it to the great folks at Methow Cycle & Sport and they told me that they would have to order a part and the bike would not be ready until after my planned ride.
I contemplated renting a bike, but opted instead to give it a try on my fat bike. I took it out for a short test ride and made a few minor adjustments (saddle height, brake lever angle) and deemed it ready to go. I figured there was going to be a bit of hike a bike so the day would be an adventure anyway.
When KB suggested we set off from my place at 5:30 AM I flinched, but agreed. Starting early would get us riding before it got too hot and running out of daylight was a problem neither of us dared say out loud, but it was a possibility we wanted to avoid.
We arrived at the trailhead in time to dress, drink up and get rolling before 7:00. The assortment of bikes on racks and campers told us we were in the right spot. Soon we were out of the parking lot and climbing a dusty trail in thick forest.We were leapfrogging two other groups of three riders as we climbed and climbed. At each trail junction they would stop and wait for their friends and we would confirm our direction and putter on. The fat bike was doing very well soaking up the bumps and lumps of tree roots and rocks.
Although the fat bike is rigid, it does have a dropper post and more than one rider commented that given the choice of suspension, or a dropper, they would choose the dropper.
These trails are shared by hikers and bikers so we kept an eye open and at times the hikers envied us and at times they offered us pity. “I’m glad I get to hike up this steep trail,” was something we heard more than once.
Above Cooney Lake. Look carefully and you can see some sad souls... When we passed Cooney lake the trail shot up a comical climb that made me wonder if we were off the trail. The grade necessitated us pushing and then carrying our bikes before returning to ridable trail. Then after what seemed like a three-minute uphill ride the trail shot up becoming what a ride veteran referred to as “the wall.”
Nobody rides the “wall” section up or down, and we and others alternated between pushing, pulling, carrying, cajoling and cursing our bikes. The trail was like trying to climb a mountain of loose marbles. You would push your bike uphill, grab the brakes and pull yourself up even with the bike and repeat. Some carried their bikes on their shoulders with their steps sliding backward like they were climbing up a down escalator. Everyone was glad to be here but nobody was smiling. I told KB that as a hiker I found this part of the trail horrible and as a biker I thought it was more of a dare.
Although this section wasn’t that long, it took longer than it should have and knowing we had several more hours after this, we did not want to kill ourselves. When we reached the top others were seated on rocks next to their bikes recovering.
We could see Rainier to the south
We snapped some picture and ate and drank.
After a brief traverse we had a bit more climbing and then we were at the high point of the ride at over 8,000 feet.
We dropped down the Angel’s Staircase and all I can say is that I guess not all angels are good angels. The trail was a series of switchbacks where we dismounting at each corner. The loose, lumpy, steep drop corners just invited a crash and that was not on our agenda. Showing more wisdom that expected we aligned our risk aversion to our age and talked about how smart we were.
Soon the trail was traversing alpine meadows that were golden under the late summer sun. We stopped at a stream and filtered water to restock our supply. The water was cold and felt like heaven on our parched throats.
Looking SE Looking NWAfter some moderate climbing we reached Boiling Lake and paused to enjoy the mountain scenery. We began the hot, steep, exposed climb up to Horsehead Pass. About to go down here
Just came up from here (see the trail?)KB’s bike with water and gear strapped to it weighed a ton, and by a ton I mean pretty close to fifty pounds. Thirty-five pounds of bike plus seven pounds of water and a more than a few pounds of extra clothing, tools, tubes and first aid gear.
The switchbacks just kept going and we paused a few times to drink and take in calories. This was a full day and we were glad to have started as early as we did. People had been encouraging to us as we were both on rigid bikes and the novelty struck some as adventurous.
Spring, summer and fall were all in the last month at this elevation
When we reached the top we had the place to ourselves. It was a narrow ridge and we took our time refueling and taking in the view below us. An observer might wonder if we were tired, or casual about not rushing to get going. It was a pleasant combination of savoring the time and gathering ourselves mentally for a long technical descent that would require a Zen-like focus.
When we were ready, we dusted ourselves off and set off down the trail. It was the now familiar “cliff on one side, mountain on the other” that we had been riding most of the day.
Yeah, and THIS was the shit we rode....
The trail started off rough, loose and exposed. Each kilometer it got less so and our speed increased the closer we got to the trailhead. We had over three thousand feet to descend and the trail got better and more flowy by the minute.
We paused at one point on the way down and shared the observation that nine hours of riding and pushing/carrying a bike can make you tired. KB had blood on the back of his calf from multiple pedal encounters and a dirt moustache. I was likewise dirty and had some blood on me. I was glad our appearance matched the day’s effort.
The dirty smile
When we arrived at the parking lot we felt like we had experienced the full meal deal that is the Angel’s Staircase Loop. KB commented that if we did this ride every day for a couple weeks we would get in really good shape. I just let that hang in the air as I opened the cooler and fished out a bottle of cold water.
Don't think for a moment that we don't know how lucky we are....
