Capitol State Forest

 

The plans were loose when my friend Gabi invited me to Olympia for her spring break (she works as an educator). All her plans had fallen through and I was nervous about missing work, but when she said she was driving and that I could take my bike, I was in.

I scoured Google Maps trying to find a good place to ride. Google searches were useless so I decided to just try and see what was there. A stones throw from the tiny capital of Washington was the Capitol Forest a 91,000 acre state forest that just seemed to scream gravel roads, perfect for my monster crossed Surly. I dedicated a full day hoping that the rains wouldn't soak me through; thankfully, they didn't.

Unlike the dead grass of CA, WA is very green.

I love me some maps. The State Capitol Forest maps are very modern and detailed.

Their signs on the other hand were rustic and faded.

These are a geological mystery called the Minna Mounds, a giant field of lumps. The most unsettling part of here was the sound of the nearby rifle range.

The trail passed creek after creek after creek.

These were the bridges. Very nice trail work.

I had no set destination but I saw waterfall and figured I should try to find it. I thought I missed it, but was stoked when I found it. There was a sweet little campsite right next to it too. Wish I had more time, some friends along, and my camping equipment for this place. Some day, maybe.

Mossporn.

Rainier looks over Olympia and everything else. I never had an interest in mountaineering until I saw this giant mountain, just staring it somehow invites you to try and get on top of it and see what it looks like from there looking down as opposed to being down here and looking up.

Down with equestrian snobbery. Up with bikeable singletrack.

After a brutal singletrack up, I decided to hop on what I really came here for, some gravel grinding.

The logging road was paved after a big, I guess with the rain this makes sense. I remember my host in Bend, OR describing how on the West side everything was paved because of the rain and for cost savings on the East side, the dry side, it was unpaved, making the West side roadie heaven and East for mountain bikes. 

Every sign had at least a half dozen bullet holes in it. When I left my friend told me that Capitol Forest is where people go to shoot their guns. I prefer all black kit, no hunter's orange. Glad I didn't get shot.