Riding out: from easy to challenging

■ G RAVEL RIDES

• Bear Creek Road & Pearrygin

Loop: A good beginner 12-mile loop with 900 feet of elevation gain, about half pavement and half gravel, passing by Bear Creek Golf Course and Pearrygin Lake State Park. Electric assist bikes allowed.

• Wolf Creek to Mazama Lollipop: This 33.4-mile valley floor route from Winthrop to Mazama and back again is a great spring and fall ride. Follow Wolf Creek Road up from Winthrop, then cross over to Goat Creek Road up to Mazama. Retrace your steps, or ride the highway back down to Wolf Creek. Elevation gain of 1,484 feet.

• Bear Creek & Balky Hill Figure 8: This 35.4-mile tour is a quintessential Methow Valley gravel ride, with beautiful views of the valley and surrounding hills. Take in the wildflowers in the spring as you climb up and over

Balky Hill to Highway 20, then retrace your steps back to Bear Creek and all the way back down into Winthrop. A moderate ride with 27 miles paved and 8.4 unpaved, and 2,362 feet elevation gain.

■ M OUNTAIN BIKE RIDES

• Buck Mountain Loop: A 14.5mile loop can be pedaled the traditional route from Cub Creek Road or the alternate route from Buck Lake. Both options offer long, flowy descents and spectacular views. Ride the new Buck Up Track from Cub Creek, or climb a Forest Service road from Buck Lake. Combine portions of the two loops for additional miles and a double dose of the flowy descent. No pass required for parking or riding. Electric assist bikes not allowed.

• Cutthroat Pass: A great alpine out-and-back 11-mile trail with exceptional views of the North Cascades and a rippin’ descent. The ride is one of few alpine routes in the North Cascades open to bikes, and the trail is shared with hikers so keep your head up and ride courteously! The trail switchbacks steadily almost five miles to Cutthroat Pass. Boulders and tight switchbacks will demand your attention, but pause frequently for the views of Cutthroat Lake and the Cascade Crest. Remember, no bikes allowed on the PCT, so when you get to that intersection at the pass, turn back around. Northwest Forest Pass required to park at trailhead. No pass required for riding. Electric assist bikes not allowed.

• Big Valley Trail: The vast majority of this ride is a flat smooth doubletrack that is great for families with small children (on bikes or in trailers), beginner riders and canines. The trail passes close to the Methow River and a nice river rock beach to access the river on a hot day. This ride/trail is a simple “lollipop” that is easy to follow through forest, meadows and along the Methow River. Stop at the beach on the river for a peaceful break or a quick splash if the weather is warm. The trailhead is accessed by turning on Dripping Springs Rd. off of Highway 20 near milepost 186.Thanks to an agreement between the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Methow Trails, no pass is required for parking or riding. Electric assist bikes not allowed.

■ R OAD

Rides

• Sun Mountain: A nice climbing ride to add to longer loops or do on its own. From town, it’s a quick 3-mile jaunt up Twin Lakes Road to Patterson Lake Road. From there, about 6 miles uphill gets you to Sun Mountain Lodge, with views and perhaps a cold beverage. Electric assist bikes allowed.

• Chewuch Loop (with options): T his is an easy, 14-mile loop ride on quiet roads, with undulating terrain and some short moderate climbs. Ride up West Chewuch Road and then back on East Chewuch Road, or reverse the direction. For the ambitious, the mileage route can be easily increased by continuing up the Chewuch Road to Andrews Creek, about 24 miles from Winthrop and a steady climb. Or for those for whom no ride is complete without some suffering, add Boulder Creek Road, a moderate climb, or Falls Creek, the local Alp D’Huez, which is very steep at the start and eight miles or so of constant climbing. Electric assist bikes allowed.

• Tour De Okanogan: This is the ultimate overachiever ride for the local area. This 105-mile loop takes riders south to Twisp and then up over Loup Loup Pass (a pretty steep and long climb), down to Malott and South to Brewster and then Pateros. The return journey is up Highway 153 from Pateros to Methow, Carlton, Twisp and then Winthrop. Food stops are in the major towns, but take plenty of food water and some money. Repair opportunities are non-existent once you leave Winthrop, so take necessary repair gear. Watch the wind because in the afternoons it usually blows down valley and riding 40 miles into a headwind is no fun. Electric assist bikes allowed.

■ E -BIKE RIDES

• Winthrop to Carlton & Beaver Creek & Balky Hill: For a mix of pavement and gravel, take the East and West county side roads to Carlton but add some distance and elevation by returning via Beaver Creek Road then down Balky Hill for a more 45.2 mile ride with 2,000-plus feet of elevation gain.

• Boulder Creek Loop: A 21.6mile ride with 3,000 feet up and down. Great local gravel loop. Beautiful climb on quiet Forest Service roads accessed from Winthrop via the East Chewuch Road. Wonderful views and fun descent.

• Rex Derr trails: At Pearrygin Lake State Park, beginner to intermediate rolling hills on single and double track trails with a beautiful lake and mountain vistas. Start at the Lake Creek trailhead or other multiple access points and create your own ride. Do a loop or out-and-back, add the Bear Creek Road, make it long, make it short, it’s all up to you.

Information from Methow Cycle & Sport (methowcyclesport.com); Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance (evergreenmtb.org); and MTB Project (mtbproject.com) Maps of most r ides are available at methowcyclesport.com.

Information on riding

• Winthrop’s website, winthropwashington.com, has information on mountain and road bike riding, and offers a free “Winthrop Washington” app.

• The Methow Trails office on Horizon Flat Road in Winthrop has information on mountain bike and road rides, and on its website: methowtrails.org.

• Methow Cycle & Sport’s website, methowcyclesport. com, provides trail descriptions, maps and a calendar of events.

• Stop by local Methow Valley sports shops in person for current trail conditions and maps.

• Trailforks.com, a mountain biking database, has up-to-date maps and trail information.

• MTBproject.com, affiliated with the REI outdoor store, offers a comprehensive guide for mountain biking trail maps and information.