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Trip

Chelan Mountain South Aspect MTB

Bike

Trip Chelan Mountain MTB
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Advanced riders rejoice - this PNW backcountry trip is for you.

Ride the best of the backcountry in central Washington’s Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on this 1-day guided adventure with our partners at Trans Cascadia Excursions. We’ll head for Lake Chelan, perhaps the best kept secret in the state of Washington. The trails surrounding this lake are world class, providing an endless inventory of huge 5,000 ft descents and grandiose views of the Northern Cascade Mountain Range. This ride tours the South side of the Chelan Mountains and offers 3 big descents along the Southern drainage.


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Itinerary
Itinerary
  • 1
    Day number 1
    Make your way to Lake Creek Trailhead outside of Chelan and Wenatchee to meet up with your Trans Cascadia guides and the rest of the crew by 9:15AM for a 9:30 shuttle departure (more meeting details will be confirmed after registration). Hop in the shuttle van for our first uplift, and the same uplift we’ll do 3 times on the day. Our ride is about an hour each time, full of views and a perfect way to catch up with your mates. Our first drop is along the Devils Backbone where we’ll head out to the Four Mile trail junction and our first decent of the day. The Devils Backbone is an undulating ridge line, along our 3 miles out to the Four Mile Trail Junction, we have roughly 700ft of gain and loss. Once we hit the Four Mile junction, we have a 9.5 mile descent with just over 5k of descending and 700 ft of climbing to our van pick up. Angle eventually feeds into Lake Creek Trail and Lake Creek leads to our car. It’s a solid shot, tighten those packs and drink up, it’s gonna be a long decent!
  • 2
    Day number 2
    We’ll hop back in the van for another shuttle bump to the top and this time we’ll head out the same direction on Devils Backbone, but this time our destination is Angle Peak. It’s the same 3 mile commute to our trail junction and still well worth the effort. Angle Peak from the ridge line follows a creek and a sweet little ribbon of trail following the drainage. From the top to bottom is another 10 Mile descent with 4,700 feet of descending and 500 feet of climbing… we siphon back into lower lake creek and to our van for our 3rd and final shuttle.

    Shake out the hands and grab some food, there will be plenty of time of relax and refill the system. Our 3rd and final shuttle drop is on Lake Creek, both upper and lower sections. As we exit the van, the pedal to our decent is so close, we talk in minutes vs miles. We’ll quickly hit the start of our final descent and a sweet 4,500 feet of descending with only 450 ft of climbing as we descend the entire Lake Creek Trail.
  • 3
    Day number 3
    This massive day of shuttling provides incredible views of the Cascades and our largest single day of descending on a bike. After an epic day of riding in the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness, we’ll shuttle back to the trailhead as our time together comes to end, at least for now!
Trip Package Includes:
  • Professionally guided tours of remote single track
  • Shuttles (to and from meeting location)
  • 10% off bike rentals at evo stores
  • 20% discount code at evo.com (exclusions apply)
Trip Package Does Not Include:
 
  • Flights or transportation into Methow, WA (trip start location)
  • Any lodging before or after the trip 
  • Travel insurance (we recommend World Nomads)
  • Medical evacuation insurance (see FAQ)
  • Mountain bike
  • Flat repair kit

Questions? Call or email us!
Area Information

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

This vast region comprises 3.8 million acres along the eastern slopes of Washington’s Cascade Mountain Range. The landscape here is diverse, from western boreal forest to eastern high-elevation steppe, and including hundreds of thousands of acres of old-growth forest. Within the National Forest lies the 153,000 acre Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness.
Trip Planning

Trip Planning

For this backcountry adventure, as we’ll be deep in the forests and mountains we recommend being prepared for the elements. Expect colder temps at elevation, with highs averaging in the upper 50’s in September. In the Lake Chelan area, it will be warmer with average highs in the upper 70s and lows around 50. We are often riding in exposed area without much forest cover so be sure to wear sun protection. Rain while less common on the eastern slope, is possible so make sure you bring some rain gear as well!

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FAQ
FAQ
  • Is the trip guaranteed to run?
    This trip has a minimum number of guests to run, please do not book travel or flights until Trans Cascadia has confirmed your departure.
  • When and how should I meet up with the group?
    Make your way to Lake Creek Trailhead outside of Chelan and Wenatchee to meet up with your Trans Cascadia guides and the rest of the crew by 9:15AM for a 9:30 shuttle departure (more meeting details will be confirmed after registration).
  • What skill / experience level is required for this trip?
    This trip is geared towards advanced level riders, with many trails rated black diamond. Riders should be comfortable riding a mix of ground conditions, soil, rocks and roots, as well as varying steepness. On a given day we will ascend around 3,500’ (with some longer climbs as well) and descend around 6,000’ over the course of approximately 20 miles (note: these are averages).
  • Do I need to purchase trip insurance? What about medical evacuation insurance?
    While neither is required, we strongly recommend purchasing both trip insurance and medical evacuation insurance. We partner with World Nomads for trip insurance. As for medical evacuation insurance, since we’re in remote places and you never know what can happen, we like to err on the side of safety. For the cost, we think it’s more than worth having. Trans Cascadia recommends Life Flight, for $65 annually, you're covered for a year in OR, ID and WA. Another good option is Global Rescue, we use both and it depends on where your travels will take you this year.
  • What gear should I bring? Do you offer rentals?
    Please see the packing list above. The best bike for this trip will be a full suspension XC bike. All participants are required to have their bikes in excellent working order before the trip begins. Rental bikes are not available through Trans Cascadia, please inquire with evo about possible rentals (you’ll get 10% off).
  • What is the maximum number of guests on this trip?
    Trans Cascadia will cap this trip at 6 guests to ensure everyone gets as much riding as their hearts desire.
  • Is there a minimum age required for this trip?
    No, but any minors must be accompanied by an adult on the trip.
  • Who builds and supports the remote trails we will ride on this trip?
    Trans-Cascadia Expeditions partners with Trans-Cascadia Incorporated a non-profit whose larger mission is to promote and build sustainable trails in the Pacific Northwest. Trails are supported by Trans-Cascadia, Santa Cruz Bicycles, Evergreen Mountain bike Alliance and more. If you are interested in trail stewardship in the Pacific NW please visit Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance or check out Trans Cascadia’s page for trail fund donation information or volunteer opportunities.
  • What if I need to cancel?
    Should you need to cancel for any reason, evo will default to Trans-Cascadia’s following cancellation policy: For cancellations prior to 60 days before departure, a $50 fee per person is retained and the remainder of your trip cost is refunded. For cancellations 60-31 days before departure, 50% of your trip fees are refunded. For cancellations 30 days or less before departure, no refunds. Trans-Cascadia must adhere to their cancellation policy, no exceptions. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you purchase trip insurance to protect your investment, we recommend World Nomads. Trans-Cascadia Excursions reserves the right to cancel any trip. Full refunds will be made in these instances. Trans-Cascadia Excursions is not responsible for non-refundable airfare.
Testimonials
I don’t think I’ve ever posted a company review in my life but Trans Cascadia Excursions is deserving of all 5 stars. Nick and Jessi made our trip to Oakridge a fantastic 72 hours of riding. Not only did they provide top notch shuttles, but gave great trail recommendations, camping suggestions, and were super friendly and fun. I most definitely plan to return to Oakridge and recommend these guys to anyone looking for a guaranteed good time!
Michael B
Trip Guest
In summary - the best mountain biking excursion trip I have been on. Having hosted an annual mtn bike weekend for a school event of up to 50 pp., I understand the complexity and hard work in pulling this off (camping, shuttles, guiding, cooking, setup, cleanup, entertainment...). It is not easy and the Trans Cascadia team nailed it.
Mike B
Trip Guest
We had a blast with Trans Cascadia! Super knowledgeable and friendly staff. They went above and beyond what we asked for and couldn’t have been nicer about it. We will be back for sure!
David A
Trip Guest

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1-866-386-1590
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Questions? Let us help! Call us at 1-866-386-1590

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Sorry, this trip is sold out
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Questions? Let us help! Call us at
1-866-386-1590