Grassy Knoll – Alway Trail, and a bike ride back.

[Don Nelsen]

I took a tip from Chip yesterday, (July 7th) and took my bike to avoid a 5 ½ mile road walk. This worked out great but since I haven’t ridden a bike in years, I’m feeling the results from lots of long neglected muscles. Ouch!

I arrived at the Grassy Knoll TH at the unspeakably early hour of 9 am, but waited an hour to start my adventure due to wet low clouds racing past and low visibility. Finally on the trail, the 54 degree temperature was a delight after so many days of heat. I reconsidered that after the first hour or so of hiking as I got wetter and wetter from the dripping conifers and brush along the trail. There was so much water dripping off the trees that puddles were forming on the trail.

The Grassy Knoll trail is in good shape as far as tread goes, and not a single fallen tree over the route. It seriously needs a brush-out on much of it though.

I didn’t know what to expect and was delighted to find a nice section of magnificent old-growth along the lower section of the trail. The rest was very old second-growth or perhaps mature post-fire regeneration. Very old, for sure and very scenic.

There are three or four nice mini grassy knolls along the way to the main event. Also, some nice rocky outcrops and viewpoints as well. I took my time, waiting for the sun to come out and explored all the meadows.
Grassy Knoll didn’t disappoint and the clouds had lifted a bit by the time I got there.

I continued up the trail and was pleased that there was a continuous series of open, grassy meadows all along the route. There are lots of flowers and lots of scenic, weather beaten trees to enjoy.

I explored a bit on a ridge above Alway's Cold Springs Camp and checked out the Cold Spring and descended the trail to road 68 and my waiting stashed bike. The bike ride back to the car, 5 ½ miles, is mostly downhill but I took it easy on the sometimes rocky road.

Cold Springs has a small pool but is barely flowing:

The hike part of this adventure totaled 5.3 miles with about 1538 EG due to my off-trail explorations.

Oh, one last thing: I saw no one all day. Another car was parked at the Grassy Knoll TH when I got back so that's the closest I came to anyone else.
Hike # 61

[johnspeth]

I've been doing bike then hike trips over the past few years. I've found it really saves time and human wear and tear to gain longer range. For me, riding uphill is no faster than walking uphill but downhill is where the payoff is realized. The bonus is the refreshing wind in my face on my returns. [5 miles at 5 MPH is only one hour.]

I've been using 27 x 1.25 tires on a commuter bike, my only bike. It's not what I'd recommend unless the road is paved. If I had the desire to accumulate bikes, I'd use a mountain bike with spring suspension.

[adamschneider]

My old "hybrid" bike (also my only bike) recently blew out a tire. I'd had fairly skinny, smooth tires for 20 years, but I replaced both of them with new tires that have a little bit of tread, because on my hike-'n'-bike trips, I was getting annoyed when my wheels would spin while going uphill on dirt roads.

Having some grip seems to have really helped, especially on the back wheel. (There's nothing that says your two tires have to match.)

[johnspeth]

my wheels would spin while going uphill on dirt roads.

Yes, me too. That's an important point that I failed to mention. And gravelly roads make the problem worse.

[Don Nelsen]

John and Adam: Thanks for the comments. I know what you mean about smoother tires. I almost brought my street bike but decided on the mountain bike with knobby tires. Glad I did. The full suspension made the bumps more manageable and I think the flexibility helped with the courser sections of gravel and the occasional ridges.

I'm using 26 x 1.95 on the front and 26 x 2.10 on the rear. The bike is about 25 years old and works great.

dn

[Chip Down]

I was wondering about the weather. I don't think it rained in Portland, so I wondered if I should have gotten out. Looks like it's good that I didn't.

I want to get back to GK and Huckleberry someday. I've done the hike twice, once in the snow, and then later when bare. I'm thinking it would be pleasantly nostalgic to repeat it now.

[Chip Down]

I seriously considered pushing my bike up that ridge and riding it down. There's a little bit at the top that's slightly steeper than I feel comfortable with, so maybe it's best I didn't.

[Don Nelsen]

I seriously considered pushing my bike up that ridge and riding it down. There's a little bit at the top that's slightly steeper than I feel comfortable with, so maybe it's best I didn't.

You have way more guts that I do to even consider doing that! Or, perhaps, it's the memory of serious bike mishaps I've suffered in my youth that keeps me sane.

BTW, It never rained while I was on Grassy Knoll, the water all came from condensation on the plants and especially the fir and hemlock needles.