By Corrine
WOW Ride #17 - Birch Hill/Steele Creek/Gilmore Trail Gravel
Only Ephy and I showed up to ride tonight. We lucked out on the weather. It had rained earlier today but stopped and the sun came out before we started riding. There were dark clouds all around us, but it didn’t start to sprinkle until the last 5 minutes of our ride with the rain starting just as we got back to our cars. We timed it perfectly.
This week’s ride was a fun, climby ride that John Estle had taken me on earlier this year. We started with a fast descent to Chena Hot Springs Road. We both had our windbreakers on but quickly took them off when we turned on to Rainbow. Then it was a good climb followed by a nice descent followed by an even bigger climb all the way up to Gilmore Trail. Ephy said she was questioning her decision to come tonight on that climb. The temperature was just right, though, for not overheating.
Then it was the nice swoopy descents on Gilmore Trail and Bennet Road. We turned right on Fabian which I love biking on. You feel like you are in a secluded country valley in the lower 48 complete with horses and a couple of little farms. After crossing back over CHSR, we had to climb back up to Birch Hill. Just to add more climbing, we descended down the Birch Hill Road bike path and came back up through the subdivision with a tiny bit of trail riding to get back to our cars. We both agreed it was a fun ride. Ephy decided that she was really glad she came tonight!
Stats:
Distance: 16.59 miles
Elevation Gain: 2162 feet
Avg. Speed: 10.5 mph
