| Rode Galbraith with Russ Lambert. We parked on Galbraith Lane, and then rode the road all the way up to the fork to the old tower, where The Big Easy begins. We headed the other way, though, taking a trail that goes right and winds up at the rifle range at the north Lake Samish exit off I-5.
After the last two days of heavy rain, the trail was
pretty slimey. At least it wasn't too torn up by traffic we told ourselves. Then we
discovered why. About an hour into it, we came to a large clearcut that completely
obliterated the trail. We bushwhacked across this and hit the rifle range road on the
otherside.
Climbing to the top of the road, we got a couple great vistas down on Lake Padden, etc., and a fern grotto (the best fern grotto was blocked by water on the trail, though). Retracing, we looked for a trail that Russ had ridden with Jim Sullivan last spring. We did eventually find it (great drop in at the top), but it didn't look like it had been ridden since Russ was there last. So we rode down to the rifle range on the road, and then back up old Hwy. 99 to Galbraith Lane.
Although not terribly memorable as a ride per se, I was delighted because it represented the realization of a childhood dream of mine. When I was a kid, I frequently looked up at at that side of Galbraith Mt. from the car on old Hwy. 99, and thought it would be cool to wander in those mountains. Now, 40 years later, I have done that.
After a quick dinner, I drove to Birch St and rode the Ridge Trail until dark. Actually got a photo of the Angry Young Man, who spoke to me.
Approximately 2400 verts.
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