I took your word for it and did it. Last night in fact! Light cloud cover slightly obscured the moon, but of course, the moon was showing full frontal nudity by the time we made it back to the trail head. Thanks for the advice and great videos!
A word of warning: the pumice stones from the eruption can inflict serious to your machinery. They're nearly weightless, hard as granite, and extremely abrasive. Out of 5 riders crossing the Plains of Abraham, we had one terminally chipped fork stanchion from a flying stone and one exploded chain where a pebble got between the chain and the chainring. You will hear a constant clinking as these lightweight stones are picked up by your knobbies and rain down on the drivetrain. You also don't want to go down on them as they will make hamburger of your flesh. But this is still one of the most amazing trails I've ever ridden. Oh, and the volcano is still smoking, almost 40 years after the "big bang".
Love your reviews man. I ride because I love our Pnw nature but most reviews out there are about the technical details or the downhill rush. I like seeing the awe and reverence you have for nature and it needs to be a much bigger part of mountain biking than it is so that there is respect and not exploitation as the sport inevitably mushrooms.
After discovering the cave in approximately 1950, a logger told his spelunker friend. That friend explored the cave with his sons and their friends, who called themselves the Mount St. Helens Apes. Thus the name of the cave. from: www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/ape-cave It is also in the Ape Cave pamphlet you can pick up when you go there.
Good overview of Ape Canyon. I just did a vid of it too. I don't think the miners were "drunk" in the original story though. I'm sure you put that in for effect. I subbed nice channel.
Don't bring your dog if you're on a bike. There are a lot of hikers and a dog would be a huge liability off leash. There are also lots of exposures that would be dangerous for the dog.
Smith creek: if you love overgrowth and getting lost its just for you! Smith creek: if you know how to bunny hop you'll be able to make it over 50% of the downed trees! Smith creek: hope you know which turn to take! there are no signs! rode the ape canyon-smith creek loop this weekend, holy hell was it amazing!! was supposed to be a maybe 4hr ride and 22mi but after getting lost at the creek crossing on smith creek i added 3hr to the ride and 8 miles extra (1k ft elv gain too extra). if its your first time riding smith creek i recommend bringing photos and paper maps so you can find your way because there are ZERO signs on where to go and its very easy to get lost or take a wrong turn. if you hit "lava canyon" you've gone too far.
TheGreenMachine we haven't gotten up there yet to buff it out this year. Also, the Creek crossing changes every year. You just sort of have to know if you're riding it before one of us gets up there and marks it. How was the snow on Plains of Abraham, btw?
Voice Over Trail Reviews only snow I had to cross was on Ape Canyon. Overgrowth was the main issue pretty much everywhere where there's a bush next to the trail
Voice Over Trail Reviews let me know and I'll show up and help! I don't want people to have to experience what I did. One section of the trail where it's between the 2 creeks is literally 2ft wide, I think that section is on its last leg
Last I heard it was pretty brushed in and there were over 100 trees down. Also, route finding was an issue at the creek crossing. Yeah, it's around 25 miles. Keep in mind there's a 1200 foot climb out of there back to the parking lot.
I took your word for it and did it. Last night in fact! Light cloud cover slightly obscured the moon, but of course, the moon was showing full frontal nudity by the time we made it back to the trail head. Thanks for the advice and great videos!
A word of warning: the pumice stones from the eruption can inflict serious to your machinery. They're nearly weightless, hard as granite, and extremely abrasive. Out of 5 riders crossing the Plains of Abraham, we had one terminally chipped fork stanchion from a flying stone and one exploded chain where a pebble got between the chain and the chainring. You will hear a constant clinking as these lightweight stones are picked up by your knobbies and rain down on the drivetrain. You also don't want to go down on them as they will make hamburger of your flesh. But this is still one of the most amazing trails I've ever ridden. Oh, and the volcano is still smoking, almost 40 years after the "big bang".
Love your reviews man. I ride because I love our Pnw nature but most reviews out there are about the technical details or the downhill rush. I like seeing the awe and reverence you have for nature and it needs to be a much bigger part of mountain biking than it is so that there is respect and not exploitation as the sport inevitably mushrooms.
Thanks for the kind words! I just do this because I love to.
Best mountain bike video I seen. As someone who lives in Vancouver I am going to take this ride. Thanks again for this.
Planning a moonlit ride in September! Nice review!
dude this epic, planning to do this in mid august. Thanks for sharing!
After discovering the cave in approximately 1950, a logger told his spelunker friend. That friend explored the cave with his sons and their friends, who called themselves the Mount St. Helens Apes. Thus the name of the cave. from: www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/ape-cave It is also in the Ape Cave pamphlet you can pick up when you go there.
Bryan Smith Sounds more plausible than the Wikipedia account I read. Like everything Squatch related, there are competing stories.
Good overview of Ape Canyon. I just did a vid of it too. I don't think the miners were "drunk" in the original story though. I'm sure you put that in for effect. I subbed nice channel.
DreamSideOut I just restated the Wikipedia article, TBH. But yeah, this isn't exactly journalism. Thanks for the sub!
DreamSideOut thats because bigfoot is real duh
DreamSideOut fredbeck said they weren't drunk
They got a massive lump of gold that day so it could be true.
They were miners. Of course they were drunk.
I appreciate this channel so much lol
Thanks!
Good description
😊
Really nice narrative, like it!
Great video, I really liked the commentary!
The beginning of this video doesn’t do the rest of it justice. I really like this one. It reminds me why I need bike lights.
Is this a touristy place or kinda remote? Would like to bike and bring my dog.
Don't bring your dog if you're on a bike. There are a lot of hikers and a dog would be a huge liability off leash. There are also lots of exposures that would be dangerous for the dog.
Smith creek: if you love overgrowth and getting lost its just for you!
Smith creek: if you know how to bunny hop you'll be able to make it over 50% of the downed trees!
Smith creek: hope you know which turn to take! there are no signs!
rode the ape canyon-smith creek loop this weekend, holy hell was it amazing!! was supposed to be a maybe 4hr ride and 22mi but after getting lost at the creek crossing on smith creek i added 3hr to the ride and 8 miles extra (1k ft elv gain too extra). if its your first time riding smith creek i recommend bringing photos and paper maps so you can find your way because there are ZERO signs on where to go and its very easy to get lost or take a wrong turn. if you hit "lava canyon" you've gone too far.
TheGreenMachine we haven't gotten up there yet to buff it out this year. Also, the Creek crossing changes every year. You just sort of have to know if you're riding it before one of us gets up there and marks it. How was the snow on Plains of Abraham, btw?
Voice Over Trail Reviews only snow I had to cross was on Ape Canyon. Overgrowth was the main issue pretty much everywhere where there's a bush next to the trail
Awesome. We're thinking of setting up a work party this summer to get at that overgrowth. It's hard to keep up on it. It's like a jungle in there.
Voice Over Trail Reviews let me know and I'll show up and help! I don't want people to have to experience what I did. One section of the trail where it's between the 2 creeks is literally 2ft wide, I think that section is on its last leg
Let's be sure to do this ride again this summer
Totally!
Who says they were trying to get in? You read squatch minds?
Have you built a cabin before? By hand?
Awesome!
Why don't you try camping a few nights in Ape Canyon? You'd wish you had a cabin made of logs.
It would be pretty hard to camp INSIDE Ape Canyon. I certainly have camped in the nearby area and never encountered any cryptids.
Is the smith creek return route doable? Approx 25 mile loop I'm guessing?
Last I heard it was pretty brushed in and there were over 100 trees down. Also, route finding was an issue at the creek crossing. Yeah, it's around 25 miles. Keep in mind there's a 1200 foot climb out of there back to the parking lot.
How many miles is from Ape Canyon to Windy Ridge - out and back ?
Not sure since I've only done it with Smith Creek as a loop. It's gotta be over 20 miles. Still better than the drive to Windy Ridge.
Thanks! This is on my agenda for August. Just need to find out if camping is permitted on Plains of Abraham.
Glad nobody was attacked by the alleged hundred of Bigfoot monsters running around in ape canyon.
The miners didn't kill the sasquatch by accident and they weren't drunk
Sasquatch let himself be killed. It was all part of the plan.
Now I don't need to go
Gil Hoffman That's the spirit!
looks like fun for my ebike
Beautiful but dry looking
And not very tasty.