Capitol State Forest
Sunday, August 21, 2011
The last time I rode at Capitol State Forest was in the early Spring of 2005. On that day I had a wet and miserable ride on the southern side of the trail network on a segment of the Mima Porter Trail #8. Relentless mud and a few wrong turns made for a very long afternoon. Portions of the trail were so chewed up from horses that I eventually bailed out on D-Line road and made my way back to the Mima Falls Trailhead convinced I would never ride here again.
Fast forward to this past winter when I stumbled upon the Capitol Forest Mountain Biking website and ride guide doing some general trail research. I knew if I waited until late summer I’d be able to give this trail system a second chance. With temperatures in the mid 90s for the weekend I waited f
or a slightly cooler Sunday morning to head north to Littlerock, WA. I pulled into the large Middle Waddell Trailhead parking area off of Waddell Creek Road where there were a few trucks and trailers with ATV and motorcycle riders getting ready to head out.
I got organized in short order at my car and set off on the paved Waddell Creek Road heading north and turned left shortly thereafter on Sherman Valley Road. The road transitioned to gravel at C-Line and started uphill at a mild grade. Motorcycles were buzzing all around as I marched uphill and at one point a few riders stopped to let me know there was a race event about to take place. Not wanting to get caught in a stampede I picked up the pace and passing elevation 1000 I turned onto C-7000 where the gravel road steepened sharply. From this initial segment there were some impressive, but hazy views of Mt. Rainier due east. As I continued on it was slow and tough going with noticeable humidity in the air. I didn’t stop and kept attacking the grade and eventually came to a race checkpoint of sorts where a large group of motorcyclists were gathered. The 20 plus riders gave me a few curious looks as I crawled by on leg power alone turning uphill yet again passing a spur road they were using as part of the race.
Passing to the south of Capitol Peak I reached a second race aid station at elevation 2350 and was offered a drink by the attendants and I asked them if I’d won. Sadly, no. The road joined up with C-4000 and the good news was a stone’s throw later I finally came to the junction with the Green Line Trail #6. The bad news was I barreled onward heading uphill on the westward leg, totally missing the downhill segment that was part of my intended loop. Rumbling back along the rocky singletrack I found the trail heading south and crossed a gravel road picking up some immediate speed on the smooth tread. This is exactly what I was looking for as the trail dove into the forest. Hitting a few tight switchbacks I picked up some nice speed making my way down to and across C-Line. Raging through a few open clearings the trail danced in and out of the trees and I eventually made my 
way to the Fall Creek Campground. Here I rode to the back of the campground and took a short break along the creek.
Back on the trail I reached the Fall Creek Trailhead and headed south to the junction with Mima Porter. Staying on the Green Line I rode east and started to climb on the narrow singletrack up and away from the creek valley. The 600 foot climb was steady and being 15 miles into the ride made it a bit more difficult. I pulled aside for two horseback riders coming down the trail and made my way up the balance of the final climb. The last downhill segment of the trail was a total roller coaster that passed through a large clearing and over several gravel roads. Coming to a junction with Trail #6A (where my GPS cut out) I took this connector trail to the Margaret McKinney Campground which then lead me back out to Waddell Creek Road. Turning north I completed the loop on the paved road pulling back into the parking area.
This 22 mile loop is a grind on the way up, but the long downhill return is well worth the effort. Pick a shorter or longer route from the ride guide or just go exploring. The Capitol State Forest map is a must have resource for route planning and way finding out on the trail however, all major junctions are signed with mileage. Riding here when the trails are wet is a bad idea, hold out till July/August to make your move.
Making a long overdue return trip to Capitol State Forest, I planned to do a tough gravel road climb leading to a sweet downhill run on a portion of the Green Line Trail. With some bonus views of Mt. Rainier, this strenuous loop had it all.
