Darrington - North Mountain
Info
Completing this project marks a major milestone for both Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance (Evergreen) and Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR). North Mountain delivers on a post Oso Landslide promise to help spur economic activity in and around Darrington.
After opening a beginner and intermediate skill building ride park in 2017, the new upper mountain trails round out the trail network with a unique user-experience that’s unmatched elsewhere in our state.
As part of creating a unique trail experience in Darrington, Evergreen and DNR collaborated to develop a 1-year pilot to allow Class 1 e-MTBs onto this brand new network.
“Piloting e-bike access on a brand-new purpose-built system is ideal in a location without prior use or management objectives that require modification,” says Evergreen Executive Director Yvonne Kraus. “In partnership with DNR and in carefully evaluating access opportunities for the fast-growing e-MTB user group, we believe we are on track in our approach to carefully, responsibly, and sustainably introducing e-MTB access where it makes sense.”
To help DNR and Evergreen gather e-MTB user data, experiences and other feedback, we encourage everyone to go ride North Mountain and complete DNR’s survey. Data will be evaluated by both DNR and Evergreen staff for ongoing e-MTB policy and access decisions.
Ride Reports
In all my years with Darrington as my "Happy Place", when I descended on Skyline, I'd stay on Skyline. Today's goal was to climb as high as possible, hike a bike as needed, and do Jackpot for the first time. I parked at the bottom of Skyline, and with limited time, turned the Levo on in Turbo mod...
The heat wave and the southern facing side of North Mountain on the Out of the Blue trail, made for a snow free climb on its access road and a hero descent on the lower segments. There is still a tree to cut across the third lowest segment still but I cut several branches off so you can at least...
This morning was a pretty, late, winter day after an inch or so of snow fell on the Darrington area in town last night. Lower Skyline had 3 inches on its upper half but was ridable. Out of the Blue's lowest two segments were almost ideal and the third segment from the bottom has snow and a 10" tr...
As a former ski patroller for 17 years, that was one of my favorite phrases to describe the day on the slopes in fresh powder. Today was the same, but instead of skis, this time it was using my Levo instead. I took it up the lower shuttle road which had a single, double track truck tread to use t...
Today's task was to determine where the snowline was and how 'free from snow', the upper trails were on North Mountain. I parked at the gate near the bottom of Out of the Blue, went around the gate, and began climbing the road. I initially descended the lowest segment of the trail which was reall...
I left the shuttle area at 10 o’clock this morning to do two runs on the Lower Skyline Trail. It is in great shape with the exception of some gravel from the heavy rains and berm, or uphill ‘high side’ erosion. I also became a ‘professional’ mountain biker today when I got paid for climbing...
I drove the truck up to Darrington after the rotten 'week and a half' of winter weather and almost 3 weeks away from the bike. The road is not for lower clearance vehicles yet (snow rut height) but after the pavement, the road is clear to the shuttle lot now. The shuttle road to the top of Lower...
This morning I went up to Lower Skyline and grabbed the tools and cleared the middle third of the trail that I didn't get to on my last Skyline report. After that, I grabbed the bike off of the truck, and enjoyed a cleared, hero, trail with only a little bit of crunchy frost in spots to be aware...
Got up early this morning and made it to the lower shuttle lot about 7am. I climbed up the lower shuttle road with lights and had a blast descending Lower Skyline. It was overgrown and I put the bike back on the truck and pulled out the tools and cleared brush on the upper third starting at...
Got my new truck Saturday and needed to take it out for a simple off road spin to make sure I got what I paid for. I drove it to the upper lot, parked, and did two loops up to the Lookout. The loop starts down Out of the Blue, then on to Hoot Owl, back up to the upper lot to climb to the top agai...
Drove out to Darrington this morning to get in a couple runs on the lower trails today. I parked at the lower shuttle road and began climbing and noticed that DNR, Snohomish County, or another entity brought up their shoulder shredder to eliminate all the overgrowth on each side of the road! It i...
The clouds started at about 1800’ this morning before lifting a little higher at the end of the ride so there were no ridgeline views today to photograph. I parked at the shuttle area and did Lower Skyline three times and also Pathfinder to do Lower Showcase Showdown. Kudos to you all who clear t...
I started early this morning climbing up to the upper shuttle lot looking for snow and as much of a Skyline descent I could get. Snow got too thick at around 3100' on the last road switchback before the upper lot. It was hike a bike from there on, and then down to the Jackpot junction.
Got my bike out of the shop and took it to North Mountain to do Lower Skyline twice. I left Everett early and went through two rain squalls in Marysville and Arlington on the way. I figured I was going to be soaked on the ride but it is amazing how well Whitehorse Mountain wrings out the rain fro...
Sing this report to John Denver's song....
He was reborn in the summer in the year of twenty twelve
Seizures cleared, after successful surgery
He left twenty years behind him, and got his Driver’s License back
You might say he found the key to the outdoors
When he firs...
Had a wonderful trip today exploring above the snowline and descending on the Skyline trail from the Upper Shuttle entrance. I parked at the bottom of Lower Skyline and climbed the shuttle road and up through Pathfinder and then continued hiking on the road until the upper lot. Snow appeared at 2...
Sing report to the title song....
Climbing in light rain, with the cloud layer low
Couldn’t get a shuttle, was a solo show
Heard a roar of some jets, but could barely see
Climbing came to a crawl, as road switchbacks Z’d
I have been away from my MTB for a month while I waited for a torn bicep to heal enough to control the handlebars in the gnar again. I went back to Lower Skyline and Pathfinder to test the arm's functionality and to see if the trees have been cleared since my last reports. As far as snow goes, th...
Went back to North Mountain this morning to go clear Lower Skyline and check its condition. The road is clear to drive all the way to the lower shuttle lot, and then some, but does have some places where trees could be cleared a little more. I parked below Lower Skyline and started hike a bike up...
I went back to Darrington this afternoon to find the snowline and began cleaning up this Winter's mess on the trail. The road is still one lane through the deep snow shoulders but there are a few more pull out areas so opposing folks can pass if necessary. I parked at the Out of the Blue gate and...
Took a buddy back to North Mountain to do the Lower Out of the Blue segment described last time and also gave him a tour of the Skills Park. The road up is still climb-able but with a couple more inches of snow, it will be tough and time to wait for the thaw. The trail is in great shape so it is...
Went to Darrington this morning and parked at the gate at the bottom of Out of the Blue and climbed the road up to the first trail crossing to descend the last segment of Out of the Blue. There was 4-6 inches of snow at the top of that last segment but the bike tracked fine. There were a ton of w...
Started climbing up the shuttle road at 7 this morning to do Lower Skyline and see what wind and water damage occurred from the two atmospheric rivers. There was 1-2” of snow at the top of Lower Skyline and then three 8” blown trees over the trail that I cut up so the trail is clear now exc...
Plenty of wet leaves, wet rocks, wet roots and hero dirt if your tires can get through the leaves. I caught a break in the rains this morning and went up the lower shuttle road to go down Lower Showcase. Showcase is hard enough as it is, but add wet leaves over all the terrain challenges and it i...
It was a comfortable cool morning when I left the shuttle area at 7 AM to climb to the summit and come down the Out of the Blue trail. It was in good shape and had good traction most of the way down. Then I went back up and did Lower Showcase Showdown to get my vertical in for the day. It w...
Today I had one goal in mind: Make it down Lower Showcase Showdown without a stop, or tentative hesitation. At 58, and out there alone, I get pretty cautious and walk one or two drops on this lower half of the Showdown. Today I was going to just keep going up the lower shuttle road, up Pathfinder...
Got to the lower shuttle zone at 630am and started the climb to the summit. I went up the Lower Skyline road, then Pathfinder, and then met back up with the summit road to finish up at the lookout around 830. I got my views and began the descent down through Hoot Owl and all of Skyline and...
Started early this morning at the base of the lower shuttle road to Lower Skyline. The snow started after the first switchback around 2100'. You can pedal for a bit but have to walk it soon after. There is a tree across the road for the big saws and I took care of two others. Upper Skyline has se...
After an hour at the skills park, I drove up to the lower shuttle road at the bottom of Lower Skyline. I climbed the freshly cleared and packed shuttle road (great job DNR or contractor!) and noted a tree needing the big saws a...
Just had a wonderful day running Lower Skyline and the lower half of Out of The Blue. I parked at the bottom of Lower Skyline and noticed the lower shuttle road has been regraded so that made the climb easier. Thank you DNR. I climbed past Lower Skyline and then climbed through Pathfinder a...
Had a nice couple of runs down Lower Skyline this morning with ocassional light rain at times. The access road to the Lower Skyline trail has 5 trees over it and those will need the bigger saws. The road could use a brushcutting too if maintenance cars still want to use it. The trail is in good s...
First time up to North Mountain and I'm thoroughly impressed! We only had time for one run - parked at the lower shuttle lot, drove up to the upper and went down Skyline. What a beauty of a trail - serious kudos to the builders! It was absolutely thrilling and my whole party agreed. I definitely...
There is 6" of snow left at the top of Pathfinder, 2400'. The lower half of the mountain is clear of snow. Last week's snow put a vivid white glow on all the high peaks.
Did a single loop on Lower Skyline. The lower shuttle access road was flooded by the first creek's culvert that was clogged, or overwhelmed, and water rushed down the road. The road is no longer passable by car, or relaxing bike climb, for 50 yards. It will need regrading. The road, after the dam...
Had a good time making two runs on the Lower Skyline Trail in a very light mist and overcast skies. There were three trees on the main road after the pavement, but now passable, need clearing of remnants. Lower Skyline is running great and clear of snow. It's shuttle road only had slush in spots....
Had a wonderful time catching the break between frontal systems to do two loops on Lower Skyline. Started climbing the midway road at 7am near the shuttle zone under lights and then the rest was great. Even with all the rain we've had, the trail is hero with the exception of a half inch of snow m...
Tried to time the weather so the rain shadow was over Darrington when I got there. I nailed it and parked at the mid mountain shuttle zone. I rode up the lower trail access road to do Pathfinder/Quick Release/Lower Showcase Showdown. Then climbed it again to do Lower Skyline. All were hero...
My first visit, and likely my last. I was hoping for more flow and less tech., although the lower sectiton was pretty fun. Sure wish there was a low angle up trail so you wouldn't have to shuttle or ride the booring road. I also wonder how many people prefer this kind of steep down hill (but I'm...
You still have a some time to enjoy the whole mountain until the snows come again! No snow at the summit lookout (4000') at this time. Last weekend I broke a chain and on...
Parked up at the base of the downhill and the two of us began the climb to the top. About halfway up, a full Landcruiser offered to tow us up the rest of the way, and we said YES! Thanks Devin. With straps pivoting around the stem and gripped at the handgrips, we got the tow for the last half of...
Took the dog for a walk on this trail to see how it has matured over the last couple of years. The newest trail starting at the lookout gate is a really challenging, "black diamond" personality that will be a challenge for everyone. I just walked it "out and back" with the dog, but it was neat to...
Took the day off to make a nice epic at North Mountain. If you haven't done the park yet, come enjoy those trails. On this trip, I started early, parking at Whitehorse Park and rode the road up to the summit, had lunch at the lookout, and then came back down halfway and continued North around the...
Decided to go see the slide at Oso and go up to the lookout for a little excercise. For the ride, I parked at the Whitehorse Park ball fields and then rode the 13 miles up to the lookout for the nice views. The road is paved for 2.8 miles then turns to dirt. It can be done by car all the way up t...