Oly Dirt - Bikes On Olympia Dirt

big strange shaped lollipop loop... (yes no capitals)

yellow up and pink down = a loop that i have done a bunch of times a long time ago, was resurrected today (thanks jim for the inspiration from your last post)...



back when i lived on the west side i use to road ride to the cap frequently, it seemed a little closer.  now that i am living on the eastside, i’ve not done one of these for years.

also i use to have a landscaping client at the end of alpine drive, so i knew of a secret portal up into the cap’.  i figure the ride was 35+ miles, but i’m no strava geek, so the mileage is approximate.

the silent and meditative climb up into the hills off delphi offered some solitude well needed, no one takes this line, no one rides too their ride - but the waddle basin trails where on my mind and the sweet descent down into the basin were supposed to be the reward.  took C-9200 up, the eastern flanks of which were making me salivate with their ripe forest conditions.  (too bad i don’t live down there at the end of alpine drive)

along the way on the uphill i met the basin trails and had an awesome time climbing further on the nicely dried out southern exposed segments as they were in perfect condition,

but i was searching for the jedi’ descent that i’ve remembered from previous years, yet to come...  indeed the first south western exposed segments were golden,  i thought i was in for the ultimate topper on the cake, and even had watermelon slices for some hydration -

but it seemed that the spring mythicals turned into want for summer dried outs & i was wrong (my memories must have been from deep summer rides).  once hitting the descent line down waddle basin east, towards waddle basin west it turned into slightly northern exposed wet and soggy moto troughs – a wet mecca of orange puddles and a slow way-too tacky and slippery mud.  i ripped it as much as i could, BUT! there were a few several minute sections that attained the “jedi status" descent that i was looking for.  once reaching the waddle basin west segment, my blood levels of dopamine had turned more into oxytocin, and “Stairway to Heaven” started filling my mind with it’s soundtrack.  i was actually longing for the c-8000 road to come into sights.  i got a wiff of enjoyment though from pretending those last puddle filled orv whoops were instead pump-track styled left-to-right puddle dodge practice instead of a trudge to get to the road... 

everything turned out great, the weather was forgiving and sunny in a lot of places.  the stop for my albacore tuna sandwich on sprouted whole grain bread and chocolate soy milk at the “y” was the re-metabolism i needed to haul all the way back home...

hold on a second, the black lake market was right there with cold beer,

oh thank you nectar of the gods that actually really made me enjoy the last 7 miles of this journey...  (the secret is the side pocket on your pack with room for a tall-boy and a straw)...

and thank you capitol lake for the last jaunt, i love you!