This August my friend Nick and I drove down to Mt St Helens to ride on the Plains of Abraham. Originally the plan was to start ascend via the Ape Cave Trail...the more well know and challenging route mainly due to the elevation gain involved. However, that would have entailed a few more hours of driving, more elevation gain by bike, and a longer bike ride . As well, no views of Spirit Lake unless you biked all the way to the Windy Ridge Parking Lot, no drive through the blast zone, and you don't see Helens until you're out of the trees. So the Scenic drive and easy approach won in the end. If you're there for the Views only ...go in via Windy Ridge, If you want a lot of excercise..go the other way.

So, the Windy Ridge Road being open we started from there. The narrow Windy Ridge road is Spectacular in and of itself, winding right through the Blast Zone for miles and miles, affording views of Mt Adams, Hood and Helens, passing by Spirit Lake and ending at a great viewpoint of both Spirit Lake and Mt St Helens.


First Glimpse of Helens
The Blast Zone
Mt Hood Mt Adams
Spirit Lake


The trail from the Parking lot to the High point on the Plains of Abraham is both a bike and hiking trail. The trail surface.... small Pumice rock. Not the kind of surface to take a spilll on



Route



From the parking Lot to the High Point is only a few hundred feet of elevation gain. The trail is beginner friendly and took us about 4 hours in total .... a very pleasant afternoon !!


Initially the trail is on a old well graded road bed that turns into a trail along a moraine ridge ? debri flow. A steep section had log ladders bolted into the ground.



View of route The Trail Narrows Log Ladders
looking back along road



Next a section of rounding a series of small gullies. The trail is cut into the steep hillside, dips a little for each gully and rises back up. The corners are tight. Me being a beginner rider got off the bike to make it around the tight corner. Nick being a more experienced mountain biker had no problems riding through most corners.



Trail around gullies



Thereafter the Plains open up with few obstacles on the trail... only a couple of debris flows to cross..again, I pushed through these & Nick rode partway. The Plains are about at the same elevation as when you leave the trees when skiing up Helens. I had skiied Helens just this spring and I must say the snow free scenery was a bit more striking in terms of showing Volcanic activity. The immense force of the blast stares you in the face right from when you first get a glimpse of Helens from the Road to when you are riding along the plains below the Summit of Helens.



On the Plains of Abraham
High Point Along Trail
St Helens View of Mt Adams



We went as far as where the plains dip downhill again along the Ape Cave trail and returned.




Close to Our return Point
Return

Looking down to the Narrow Moraine

Descending the Moraine
Nick & Me at the Windy Ridge Tourist Viewpoint

Way cool trip, thanks for posting. I wondered what there was for biking up there, we did the scenic drive this year on one of our family camping trips

Great TR lofty! Brought back some great memories of the Loowit trail hike.

Looks pretty cool Anja. The only Plains of Abraham I knew of are in Quebec City. I thought you were raising the bar for Mr. Traslin.

Great area!

Thanks for the report.

Good trip.

Beautiful report and photo presentation. I continue to dream about visiting that area, I will do it sometime.

K

Great report, thanks. I will have to check that area out.

awesome - we've done the Windy Ridge loop through Plains of Abraham and Ape to Windy as an out and back. Doug - we've got the links to both rides on our site. If you want gps and route info you know who to email/call

Looks like some awesome riding.