Road 490 -- Lotsa Walkin'

We decided to drive to Youngs River Falls and then navigate the loop on Road 490 up to the crest of the ridge and return on the lower access road. Driving cuts 8 miles of riding on the highway out of the equation.

Trail starts at "001" which is the parking lot at Youngs River Falls -- actually the quarry. Then up to "R490" which is the junction between the "upper" route and the lower route. Ride sequence runs "Road 7" to "Road 1" in descending order. I first navigated on the Google Earth map, and out on the trail from "Road 1" to "Road 7" to figure out the route -- and got lost about "Road 3" where I turned right and descended down to Youngs River instead of taking a left and ascending to the ridge.

Entering at Youngs River Falls ("001"), the route is a long uphill. Between the loose gravel and the incline, it's more pragmatic to walk than ride. The lowest gears on the bike don't provide enough forward speed to balance on the loose gravel. The bike bounces and lurches on the gravel, gets off the line, takes a lot of energy to steer.

Road 411 is a climb up to Road 490 -- Then 490 becomes a long steep climb, very long, very steep. Walking and pushing the bike is a significant workout.

(We opted for budget, "Hi Tech" trail shoes. These are ankle height, with a bit of a "lug" sole. They seem perfect for riding and walking on these roads. More comfortable and secure than the Avocet shoes, which are intended mostly for road touring.)

Navigation entailed a lot of GPS checking. I had intersections marked w/ numbered flagged waypoints, and was able to confirm location, find the route to the next flag/junction.

There are a LOT of side roads which don't appear on the maps. (This is the character of logging areas.)

Coming down the back side of the ridge I was getting entirely disoriented as to direction and where I might be headed. I checked waypoints/flags and kept anticipating which way to turn at the next two junctions. This worked for me.

Finally, coming down the slope, I recognized the road I was on the other day -- when I got "lost" . . .

And we got a clearer view where the roads lead, what the intersections look like. There are plenty of options for getting lost!

8.41 miles, lots of walking. The elevation gain says 1256 ft. 1 hr. 20 min.

Lots of varied pace, intervals in essence. Walking and riding.

We're getting less anxious about "washing out" the front wheel on turns in gravel.