Western Spirit Mt Hood MTB trip review

[gnat23]

Day 1:
Meet the guides! Fill the camelbaks, put the bike on the rack, drive up to the campsite. Set up camp. Ride! Hey, this isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Zippy! Green! Beautiful! Wow! ~ 12 miles, 1800', out and back, really nice and buff trails with only a few sandy sections. Lots of big trees around. Eat. Swat bugs. Drink (BYOB, and the Oregon Beer tends to be pretty good). Chill by the fire. Sleep.


Day 2:
Wake. Coffee. Breakfast.
Ride! Ooof, way more technical. Crash twice, once on each side. Get frustrated at roots and sandy patches. Opt out of the longer ride, thus clock 11mi, 2100'. Eat. Swat bugs. Drink. Chill by the fire. Sleep.


Day 3:
Wake. Coffee. Breakfast.
Sketchy downhills. Crash again. Super grump attack. Lunch. Magically feel better. Kick all the boys' asses on the climb back up. Feel amazing. 15 miles, 2800'. Eat. Swat bugs, etc. Have trouble sleeping, due to fist-sized bruise on left hip, a pulled right hamstring, various open wounds on legs and arms. Ow.


Day 4:
More climbtastic. Finally feeling like I can conquer 90% of the obstacles. Switchbacks curl beneath me, rocks and roots are attacked, balance becomes a zen-like experience. 11mi, 2800'. Kill a bottle of Port, get retarded and giggly, sleep awesome.


Day 5:
Pack up camp, then shuttled to the top of Dog River Trail. Ridiculous downhill that was worth every ounce of legend. Splash through mud puddles with a grin. Deep breaths of crisp mountain air. Finish wanting MORE. 12 miles, dunno the elevation since the Garmin finally died.


The food was AMAZING, definitely redefines "camp menu" for the rest of your life.

Guides were great! Super cheerful, great stories, had everything in the backpacks from extra water to tire patches and bandaids.


Despite my frustrations and bruises, a GREAT trip, and I'd highly recommend Western Spirit for guided bike vacations!

My photos, and my boy's photos (with a much better camera!) and some breweries we hit on the trip there and back.

-- gnat! (have now about doubled the miles on my MTB)