China Peak

So today's ride was a grueling, 2204 feet in four miles accent up what is known as China Peak on the east bench of Pocatello. This trail is a double track trail that wides it's way up the mountain side until you come to the top where many different radio towers are present. This is a trail that is accessible by Jeep, and I have come up here a couple of times in the Jeep, but I thought I'd give it a go on the bike. Let's just say that I'll be taking the Jeep up it next time I decided to conquer that peak.
I started out from the house where I'm staying at while I'm here in Pocatello and rode along the roads for about two miles until I came to the road that eventually takes you up China Peak. The road starts out as a paved road but eventually turns into that double track dirt road. Because this is the side of the mountain that is constantly in the sun the vegetation is mainly just shrubs and tumbleweeds with very limited trees to provide shade. Did I mention the grueling four mile climb? If not let me repeat it...it was grueling! It's basically a switch-back ride up to the top. Not much more I can say about it. Seeing Scout Mountain off in the distance and knowing that last summer I was able to make it to the top of that on my bike kept me going along this horrible ride up. And yes, hike-a-bike was in play for some of the trail.
Once at the top the view of the valley is pretty spectacular. You can pretty much take in the whole city of Pocatello and Chubbuck from this height. The backside of the mountain looks to be full of green lush pockets of trees and flowers which should make for a nice ride later on (but I'll be Jeeping the bike up to the top next time). I think it took a little over an hour and a half just to drag myself up that mountain.

I didn't spend much time at the top because I was planning on taking a different route back that I was told would make for some fun downhill and I was anxious to get to that. This trail follows the crest line from China peak to the north and goes up and over a couple other little peaks. From China to the first peak it was a fun little ride with a few quick turns and some rolly polly type trails. Then came the first peak. I stopped and talked with a guy who had just hiked over the first peak on his way up to China and he asked me if I was planning on going down the peak on my bike (yes I held my tongue, but a little Bill Engvall came to mind). He then told me that it was pretty steep and rocky and made for a hard hike up. He said it might be better to walk the bike down part of it. I said thanks for the advice and continued to climb the peak. The dude wasn't kidding at all! I got to the peak and just looked down thinking holy crap! It was steeper than I had expected and also much rockier too. So I took his advice and walked down the more treacherous parts. I then jumped back on and headed up the next little peak only to find that it looked pretty tricky as well (however, not as bad as the first one). I decided to give this one a whirl on the bike and see how the two of us do. What I can say is this, my hands and legs were killing me at the bottom because of how much pressure I was putting on the breaks and how much leaning back I had to do to keep from going end over all the way down. I probably fished tailed down half that hill because of the loose gravel and rocks. But it was fun. You'll be able to see those hills on the profile picture at the bottom. They're the ones that seem to drop off.
After tackling that little descent it was all downhill from there. Again the trail was pretty much dirt and rolly polly that made for some good jumps and a smooth ride with the full suspension.
Overall I think I did about eleven miles in a little over two hours for the round trip.

City Creek

Well, it's time again for another fun filled adventure of mountains, single-track trails, and Stella. So it's been a little over a week now since I've returned to Pocatello, ID for a 5 week stay while doing my General Surgery rotation. Might as well hit the trails while I can.
The City Creek ride took place last Friday afternoon. Now I've ridden the main trail many times because it is a quick up-and-back for when you don't have a lot of time. However, I was given a little magazine that had some articles about how the city has improved and expanded upon the main trail of City Creek. So my buddy and I thought we'd get out and do a little exploring, while also hitting the famous 911 section of the trail. We started up what is known as the lower trail. This trail is a single track trail that follows the contour of the creek as it heads back up into the hills from whence it flows. The first part of the trail is mostly uphill but very mild. There are a few foot bridges that you cross from time to time, some only about a foot wide at a time. Hopefully you're lined up pretty good when you hit those bridges because if not you're taking a drink (happened to me last year on one). About a mile and a half up the trail you come to a 4 point crossroads. Here you have the option to head up to the Bench Trail (which takes you to 911), you can cross the river to the main road that leads up to Kinport Peak, take a trail know as Adrenalin, or continue up the upper city creek trail.
We started up the upper trail. About a quarter mile up you run into a challenging hill that has a grade greater than 20%. Luckily it's mainly dirt without a lot of rocks so the technical aspect isn't as demanding as the physical strength. Pushing up it tires you out quickly, but there's no better feeling than pedaling to the top of that hill and looking back down on what you've conquered. Also knowing that you get to go down it later is a good reward. After making it up and another quarter mile of biking we got off the main trail and started up a trail called Cross-Cut that is basically a push up some more hill until it intersects with the Serengeti. Now this trail is pretty easy going with a mild incline. It wraps back around one of the hills that forms the canyon for City Creek. However the change in vegetation was remarkable. It's amazing how little one has to divert from the lush grounds of a flowing stream to find death creeping around the corner. We followed this trail until it connected with a trail called Sullivans and then took that. This one is a fun climb that takes you back into that same canyon we came out of (basically a switch-back pattern) although on a little higher plane. We rode deeper into the canyon, through groves of pine trees and aspen. Eventually this trail ends in the canyon and merges with the upper part of the city creek trail.




Time to head back down. This part was unarguably the most fun part of the trail. It is a single track trail that continues along the stream through dense pines and aspens. The trail zigs and zags through these trees, often with trunks growing right next to the trail. The downhill requires a bit of technicality in it's handling because if you're not careful it's easy to clip a trunk with your handles or hand for that matter. I clipped one and it tore a pretty good chunk of flesh away leaving me with a bloody pinkie the rest of the ride. Parts of the trail ride right next to the creek and some hairpin turns make for a great adrenalin rush as you fish tail around the bend so as to not end up going over the 2 foot ledge into the creek. That downhill fun goes for a little under a mile. From there it we met up again with that little 20% grade hill, only this time at opposite ends of the spectrum, and flew down it (although not as exhilarating as the zig-zag section) until we came again to that 4 point intersection.
From here instead of following back down the original trail we took one more hill climb to the Bench Trail where we eventually met up with a section called 911. Now this is a fun ride. It's a single track, 3/4 mile ride through a gully that serves as a type of half pipe for the bike. Up and down and up and down and up and down we went. One wrong move here can send you for a nice little fall back into the bottom of the gully (and yes, I've done that too, last year) where you'll be pleasantly greeted by the fauna with dagger like projectiles jutting from their stems.
When you make it out of 911 (either spiffy clean, or feeling like a human pin cushion) it's a quick sprint back to the Bench Trail that then flows down the side of the canyon rim to meet up with City Creek trail just past the parking lot.
Over all the ride was just a little over six miles and can be done in under a couple of hours if you're in no rush (or faster if your pressed for time) and would like to take in the scenery. Physically it's not too demanding and, as I said at the beginning, is a good up-and-back ride.

Too Funny Not to Share

Really the only reason I put this up was because it was just too funny not to share. The stuttering, stumbling, seizuring reporter after being attacked by an enormous carnivorous monster with nasty big pointy teeth!

Antelope Island

So some of you might be asking how the heck is Tyler finding all this time to go biking? Well it helps to have beautiful weather and three weeks off in between rotations. Starting next week the trips will become less frequent, however, hopefully at least once a week. I think within the past week I've been biking five out of the seven days. I have to say that it's a great way to keep active and also a great way to enjoy nature. And so without further adieu I present to you Tuesdays ride around Antelope Island.
Antelope Island is the largest island in the Great Salt Lake and also, I believe I read it somewhere, one of the largest, if not largest islands in the western U.S. It's home to the largest population of bison in the United States along with some antelope (weird huh), bobcats, seagulls, and plenty, plenty of bugs! I kid you not these things were like the bugs from hell. By no means where they big, but there were plenty enough of them. The worst is they seemed to only attack while you're actually trying to ride. They swarm around your face, get in you ears, eyes, nose and mouth. They congregate on your arms and legs, set up shop inside your helmet and in you hair and if that's not bad enough, it seemed like just the presence of a few attracted the rest of the colony. And then there's the biting. I didn't get it quite as bad as my brother Chad did. Afterwards his arm was full of little wheels and flares of where the bugs munched on his arm for lunch. If you've ever wanted to see a mast cell histamine reaction his was the arm to look at.


So if you don't count the bug encounter the rest of the ride was pretty enjoyable. There are plenty of trails and loops and they're all intertwined together. If you really want to make the drive out to the island worth it (along with the $9 you have to pay because it technically is a state park) then you'd better plan on spending pretty much a good chunk of the day there. Don't leave at eight in the morning and tell your spouse that you'll be back by twelve...it's just not gonna happen, or be worth it for that matter.
We started at the north end of the island at a campground called Bridger. We started on a trail called the Shoreline loop which basically follows the shoreline...amazing huh. This trail is a single track trail that wraps around to the west of Buffalo Point and then meets up with White Rock Bay Campground. This one way trail is about 2.8 miles. Now parts of the shoreline trail are rated "expert" because there are just tons of rocks that crowd the trail. It made for quite a difficult ride, and actually for a little hike-a-bike. From there we biked through the campground and started along the White Rock Bay loop trail. This is a double track, dirt trail that leaves the shoreline and drops into a flat that, pure perception tells you it's forever, but GPS says it's only about 2.5 miles. However, these are the worst 2.5 miles of the ride, think bugs. That bug spray you bring along that says good for up to ten hours is the biggest farce in the whole history of advertising! Ten hours? Try two minutes! Along this plain it is common to see some bison grazing off in the distance and the occasional antelope. We caught a glimpse of a couple of these creatures off having a good time and wondered how they were doing with the bugs. Maybe they would like some of that bug spray I brought. One you finish the plain section of the trail you come to a 700 foot climb over about 1/2 mile. Again, the bugs do not make this an enjoyable climb. However, getting to the top seemed to help reduce the bug population. The mild breeze blowing at the top probably contributed to that. Once you climb up out of the plain and onto the higher grounds the vegetation changes as well. There are some beautiful wildflowers that grow sporadically around the island and every now and then you'll run into a patch of them. I'd tell you what they are, but really I don't know. So you'll just have to enjoy them nameless, unless you're a botanist.

Here the trail splits into two separate trails. To the left the trail continues along the hillside and around the island, this one is called Split Rock loop. The trail to the right juts west and takes you out to a little overlook point called Elephant Rock. Seeing how we were a little pressed for time we decided to make the quick 1.5 mile and go to the look out. This trail was actually quite a fun little single track that had plenty of rocks to maneuver around or over, although not to the extent that the shoreline had. This trail was pretty rideable for the entire way. There's a quick downhill and then a steep, switchback uphill to go through before coming to the overlook point, but for the most part the trail is fairly level.
The view from Elephant Head was amazing. Living in Ogden and seeing the receding lake levels makes you forget just how big the Great Salt Lake really is. Being on the other side of Antelope Island helped bring that back into perspective. The lake just goes on forever. These next two panoramics were taken from this overlook.


From the beginning of the shoreline trail to Elephant Head overlook is about 8 miles. We decided to head back to the Jeep from there. We came down off Elephant Head and then cruised down what now became a 700 foot descent onto the open plain. The bugs aren't so bad once you're cruising down around 30 mph. We hit the plains again and just sprinted back to White Rock Bay Campground. Instead of taking the shoreline trail back we looped around the east of of Buffalo Point along the road back to the starting. I believe we rode about 15 miles overall that day and took about 3 hours to do it. One thing I would suggest, pack extra water. Chad ran out just after we came off of Elephant Head and I only had about 1/3 of my camel pack left to share between the two of us. While driving back we saw a couple of bison grazing by the side of the road so of course we had to get a picture of them. Those are some big animals.

North Ogden Bonneville Shoreline Trail

Well it's about time again for another story on the adventures in Ogden mountain biking. Monday's tale takes place on a portion of the Bonneville Shoreline trail between Ogden Canyon and the North Ogden Divide. The trail head actually begins at a parking lot that is just at the mouth of Ogden Canyon. It's a single track, switch back climb of about 300 feet in a little under a mile until you reach the Pineview service road.

From there it's a quick sprint of about a 3/4 mile until you come to a spot where Ogden city is building a couple new water tanks along the mountain side. From here you have two options: you can follow the service road until the gated part and then follow a single track, lower trail that takes you to a junction where two three trails cross called Douglas Junction, or you can head east and up to where another trail that better follows the shoreline is under construction. This trail has not yet been connected to the service road but is accessible after a quick hike-a-bike to the trail. This trail then drops back through a gulch and then comes out a little higher along the shoreline. This trail also is a single track trail, however some parts of it are still under construction and so it requires just a little more hike-a-biking. It's worth it though because the trail rides along the ridge of the hill has a quick little downhill where it meets up with the Douglas trailhead.


Here you can follow the trailhead down to the road or continue along the shoreline trail towards north Ogden. The rest of the shoreline trail from this point is relatively flat. It has it's ups and downs but no major climbs or downhills. Some parts can be a little technical while trying to maneuver around, or over rocks and sometimes you even weave in and out of little patches of oak and maple groves. The trail basically follows the contour of the mountain and is relatively easy for about another two miles or so. Once you get to the trail that is right below Lewis Peak it gets pretty much impossible for a bike to go across. There are too many rocks and boulders in the way to ride across. You could hike it but then it's just not fun when you really wanted to bike. So from this point you can either double back along the trail, or drop down to another trailhead and loop back along Mountain Road which eventually gets you back to the trail head at Ogden Canyon. On this ride I decided to take the loop back because I'd been out for a little while and needed to get back quick so I thought the road would be the fastest way.
While riding back along the road I looked up at one of the canyons that I had weaved in and out of and saw a sight that I had missed while riding. A huge waterfall cascading down off the cliffs in the canyon. I had crossed over a couple of streams along my ride and I figured this waterfall is what feeds them. I kind of wished I would've seen it while I was riding, but oh well.


Now for a quick side note. The best part about the Ogden trails is that many of them connect to each other one way or another. For this ride I didn't have to Jeep my bike to the trailhead because there were plenty of trails that would take me there from my house in Ogden. I took a quick little downhill trail called Birdsong trail that ends right next to the NOBST trail head. On the way back I picked up the Rainbow Loop trailhead to make it back home. Overall the trip was about 12 miles and took a little around two hours. It took that long not because of the uphill climbing or anything like that but because I probably stopped and talked with three or four different people on the trail. I said this in my last blog and it remains true...those people that you meet out on the trails all tend to follow the same "trail code" where it doesn't matter what's going on, you can always stop and talk with a fellow trail goer. So not only do you get beautiful views of the valley and mountains, but you meet some new friends along the way.