Oct. 13, Rocky Top - Yakima

Kevin navigates the rocks, below the summit of Rocky Top.

Francine had been hearing news of some new trails being built on the hillside above Yakima.   We usually hit Yakima in the spring and head for Cowiche Canyon.  This new area "Rocky Top" is just south of Cowiche canyon.  I believe the bulk of the trail was built this spring.  We ended up doing an 11 mile lollipop loop.  Weather was perfect and we enjoyed blue skis.   As always, whenever considering riding in the Yakima area, check the wind forecast, before you make the drive.  High winds can suck the fun out of these areas.   I brought the hardtail and would have really appreciated some rear suspnsion.  The trail is quite "fresh" and will take some time for the bumps to smooth out.  Not to mention, there are a lot of rocks.  We did a clockwise loop, and generally rode the entire perimeter of the area.  Singletrack starts from parking area, on the Wholly Moses trail - to Green Harvester - to Orange Harvester - then stayed left and left to climb up towards the summit of Rocky Top.  After a steep initial descent, the trail gets more interesting as it works its way along the edges of the area.  Of course, would be much more fun with a bike that has rear suspension.   Nice loop, needs some more usage and work to smooth out the rough spots, but nice to see something new getting built.