Scenic riding, remote, nice views of the Cascades and the surrounding hills. The first several miles of this route are gated and closed to motorized vehicles.
Maps: 1) Twin Peaks- South 2) Twin Peaks- North (8.5’x11” portrait/landscape or 8.5”x14” portrait/landscape). Note: use ‘Print Preview’ before printing to properly scale this map to a full sheet of paper.
MAP 1
MAP 2
Activity: Mountain Biking
Nearest Town: Wenatchee
Skill Level: 2 — One short section of advanced riding which can be easily walked.
Fitness Level: 3 — 2 plus or 3 minus should be fine if you take your time.
Distance: Round-trip distance of 19 to 20 miles.
Elevation Gain: Total elevation gain is between 3,100 to 3,500 vertical feet.
Recommended Season: Spring, early summer, fall.
Access:
From Wenatchee. drive up Number 2 Canyon. About .7 miles after the end of pavement, park at the gate blocking the road going straight ahead (FS Road 7101 hooks sharply left here). You’ll be going up the gated road.
Trip Instructions:
–Zero out the odometer. Walk around the gate which closes the road ahead to motorized vehicles and ride up the road, staying on the larger, better-better traveled road whenever you encounter a spur.
–2.85 miles (el. 4,280’) you’ll reach a Y in the road immediately beyond a shoulder with an expansive view over the surroundings. (The right fork reaches the top of the east peak of Twin Peaks after another .6 miles but that’s another ride.) Take the left fork and head west. The road climbs slightly, contours, and then drops steadily.
— 4 miles (elevation 3,900’). Reach a saddle with an intersection. (Road 7107-350 ends after .3 miles and road 7107-335 ends after .5 miles.) Turn right and coast along a descending contour.
–5.65 Intersection with Spur road 7107-200 (el 3480 feet). Turn left onto this spur. More descending contouring. Pass a few overgrown spurs.
–7.65 miles (elevation 3,100’) Y in road with left branch climbing. Stay right and keep descending.
–8.05 mile (el 3,050’) platform where road going right becomes less used. Turn left onto a reasonable well-used singletrack path. For an intermediate rider this trail will be tricky: Consider walking the steep descents for about .25 mile. Soon, the trail merges with another road. Follow this road as it undulates a little and then drops.
–Mile 9.5 (el 2,600’) Hit a T intersection. Turn left and climb steeply .2 miles up a draw to a saddle. At the saddle turn left and climb another .2 miles up to point 2,931’ (so labeled on topo maps). This is the end of the ride—enjoy the wonderful view at the Mission Creek watershed below and out at the Enchantments.
NOTE: Turning right at the T intersection and riding downhill leads down the west fork of Yaksum Canyon and leads to a gate in roughly 2.5 miles. Do not pass the gate without the permission of the landowner (Walter Hill).
Return Trip:
1) Retrace route or…
2) For the adventurous and more advanced rider. Leave point 2,931’ in a generally SE direction and follow faint trails along the ridge. Considerable vegetative damage has been inflicted by very few motorcycles on the steeps you’ll be following—giving a good example of why both motorized and non-motorized bikes should not be cutting straight lines down the fall line of these fragile areas. Ride and hike the bike along the ridge until it intersects a road (about 1 mile of travel, elevation 3,170’).
–Turn left, ride about 250 yards downhill. You are now at the Y mentioned at mile 7.65 above. Retrace the approach route from this point.
Uses Allowed: Hiking, trail running, mountain biking, horseback riding.
Uses Not Allowed: The first several miles are closed to motorized vehicles.
Land Ownership: Primarily Forest Service Property.
Fees/Permits Needed: none required.
Other Maps: USGS 7.5 minute series: Monitor Quad
Trip Reporter: Andy Dappen 6/05
Leave It Better Than You Found It: This should be every outdoor user’s goal. Pick up trash left by others, pull noxious weeds along your route, disperse old fire rings (they encourage more fires), throw branches over spur trails and spurs between switchbacks (make it harder to do the wrong thing than the right thing).
Important Disclaimer: Treat this information as recommendations, not gospel. Things change, conditions change, and those contributing these reports are volunteers–they may make mistakes, fail to give complete information, or may not know all the issues affecting a route. So forget about finger pointing: If things go wrong, you are completely responsible for yourself and your actions. If you can’t live with that, you are prohibited from using our information.
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