Looks like its the last weekend to drive up to Larch for a while:
https://multco.us/roads/news/upper-larc ... november-6
Upper Larch Mountain Road closure(seasonal) coming Nov 6th
- Sean Thomas
- Posts: 1647
- Joined: February 25th, 2012, 11:33 pm
Re: Upper Larch Mountain Road closure(seasonal) coming Nov 6
Thanks for the heads up, because a fun alternative requires a bike, biking steadily uphill from the snow gate for 1.5 miles to forest road 315 at the hairpin, locking it up, ... and coasting home at the end of the day.
- Sean Thomas
- Posts: 1647
- Joined: February 25th, 2012, 11:33 pm
Re: Upper Larch Mountain Road closure(seasonal) coming Nov 6
hey that is a good idea, ive always just sagged out that stretch to the 315 but a bike would be a nice change!
Re: Upper Larch Mountain Road closure(seasonal) coming Nov 6
Thanks for the heads up! I've never driven to the top, but I suddenly have the urge. Might be a good weekend for some quick mountain cloud views.
- adamschneider
- Posts: 3710
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:02 pm
- Location: SE Portland
- Contact:
Re: Upper Larch Mountain Road closure(seasonal) coming Nov 6
Does that mean the gate is at the intersection with Road 20? If so, here's the elevation situation:mcds wrote:Thanks for the heads up, because a fun alternative requires a bike, biking steadily uphill from the snow gate for 1.5 miles to forest road 315 at the hairpin, locking it up, ... and coasting home at the end of the day.
About 450 feet in 1.5 miles. On a bike, that's a workout!
Re: Upper Larch Mountain Road closure(seasonal) coming Nov 6
YAY! I love the solitude of Larch Mountain that comes when the gate closes and the snow falls.
oh-beer-ah
Re: Upper Larch Mountain Road closure(seasonal) coming Nov 6
Adam - that is about right, just a steady climb with full opportunity to switchback up the road to make it less steep by making it longer (by 57% for semicircles). I did it once with a 50lb-ish trailwork pack. It burnt out my thighs for the rest of the day, so on subsequent trips I hopped off before the burn started and walked the bike up the rest of the 1.5 miles. Lots of road cyclists like it.
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=la ... +road+bike
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=la ... +road+bike
Re: Upper Larch Mountain Road closure(seasonal) coming Nov 6
More than 10 years ago now I woke up one morning & decided I needed to cycle to the top of Larch mountain from Crown Point. I've always cycled to work but those rides have never been more than about 3 miles each way & that was the only cycle riding I did.
With no preparation I drove to Crown Point & hoped on the bike thinking it was a 10 mile ride to the top, well those 10 miles were actually 15!
I didn't get off the bike until I reached the top but when I did I nearly fell over ..
Had a hell of time getting my leg back over the cross bar for the ride back down but once back on the bike it was a lot of fun!!
In my much younger & more care free days of the 1980's myself & two friends free wheeled backwards in a Ford Pinto weaving between spring snow drifts that were still on the road from the Summit to the gate. Not an advisable activity that I'd recommend repeating
With no preparation I drove to Crown Point & hoped on the bike thinking it was a 10 mile ride to the top, well those 10 miles were actually 15!
I didn't get off the bike until I reached the top but when I did I nearly fell over ..
Had a hell of time getting my leg back over the cross bar for the ride back down but once back on the bike it was a lot of fun!!
In my much younger & more care free days of the 1980's myself & two friends free wheeled backwards in a Ford Pinto weaving between spring snow drifts that were still on the road from the Summit to the gate. Not an advisable activity that I'd recommend repeating
Re: Upper Larch Mountain Road closure(seasonal) coming Nov 6
On October 3, I hit the trail before sunrise (at the last hairpin turn on Larch Mountain Road) and spent a day hiking the area (*cough* geocaching *cough*). At 9:30am I had Sherrard Point all to myself in bright early sunlight ... until a fellow walked up the stairs to the point, carrying his road bike. He had cycled there from Woodlawn in three hours. I was humbled.
Re: Upper Larch Mountain Road closure(seasonal) coming Nov 6
Can anyone verify that the gate is actually closed now? I may be taking advantage of that this weekend...