Photo: Xanadu serves up a healthy dose of good scenery along with technical riding.
May 2014: Over the winter and spring of 2014 a variety of private land issues have been impacting access to and the use of the Xanadu ride. These issues have, at times, had the route temporarily closed. Trail users don’t really need to know the whole history of what’s gone down here, but they do need to know that, if they aren’t good and respectful visitors, the future use of Xanadu will be threatened. The sign (see photo below), prepared by Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, outlines what being a good and respectful visitor entails.
All of this boils down to pretty basic decency. While accessing the ride and doing the ride, make sure you stay off private property. When driving vehicles on the Derby Canyon Road, don’t speed — this pisses off residents living along the road. Keep your dogs leashed when riding through areas bordered by private property. Pick up all your trash and trash found along the way. Finally be respectful of the people you meet while riding — having our group stereotyped as courteous and respectful will go a long way in mending bridges. The opposite is also true.
Attractions: The mtbr.com describes the ride like this: “Crazy, sick, fun, relatively easy fire road duo track climb up to the ridgetop and then a gnarly steep, narrow single track descent with no room for error. Two highly technical sections. The first is a hairpin turn followed by a nasty 6 to 8 foot boulder drop that’s rideable followed a short time later by a huge slick rock that’s super steep with just enough loose gravel and sand on it to keep you traveling at a good clip before bailing off another steep drop which is also rideable but tricky. If you can find it you will most likely really like it or hate it. “
Fitness: 2 (intermediate)
Distance: 6.3 miles
Trail Type: Forest roads for access and singletrack descent
Getting There. Follow Highway 2 to the Peshastin light (milepost 103.6), and take the bridge over the Wenatchee River and follow Main Street into the town of Peshastin. Drive about a quarter mile to a T-intersection just beyond the railroad underpass and turn right. Follow alongside the Wenatchee River for about 0.8 miles and then take a hard left into Derby Canyon. Go up the canyon 2.4 miles to a split in the road. Hang a right and drive about a quarter of a mile farther to a pullout on the right side of the road.If you aren’t doing any shuttling, this is the place you want to park. No permits are needed. Elevation (1,425 feet).
The Route. From the pullout and parking, start pedaling your way up the road. In 2.1 mile (at 2,200 feet), Road 7402 splits off to the right and Road 7403 splits off to the left. If you are shuttling, this is as close as you can drive to actual trail, and is a good place to park. Take Road 7403 (the left road) and follow it another 2 miles uphill to where the single-track trail starts on your left at an elevation 3,070 feet. Follow the ridge that the trail follows about 2.2 miles downhill to where you parked.
Information: Visit Mtbr.com for more and comments about the trail.
Maps: See map below for more information.
Date: Originally posted July 2006. Updated August 2012, August 2013, April 2014, May 2014.
More Rides: Maps and details of over 100 regional rides in our mountain biking guidebook.
Don’t Ride Soft /Wet Trails. Please stay off trails and when they are wet/soft and you’re leaving wheel ruts that are deeper than 1/4 inch (these become grooves for water and greatly accelerate erosion). A rule of thumb to consider: Could 100 people ride the trails in this condition without messing up the surface? If the answer is ‘no’ please turn around.
Leave It Better Than You Found It: This should be every outdoor user’s goal. Pick up trash left by others, pull some noxious weeds along your route, throw branches over spur trails that are not part of the formalized trail system (make it harder to do the wrong thing than the right thing).
Important Disclaimer: Treat this information as recommendations, not gospel. Conditions change, and those contributing these reports are volunteers–they may make mistakes or may not know all the issues affecting a route.You are still are completely responsible for yourself, your decisions, and your actions. If you can’t live with that, you are prohibited from using our information.
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