The plan was to hit Pole line pass, Ant Knolls, Ridge Trail 157, upper Mill plunge and dive, lower Mill to Tibble Fork Reservoir.
We met at the split and waited until 6:15.
Terry, Royce and I drove up to Tibble Fork and parked. We started riding up to pole line pass in pleasant 45 degree weather.
Before we left I noticed Adam and Aaron had pulled up. They were also on their way to ride up to pole line pass. Terry and I were riding with them for a ways until we could no longer keep up.
Somewhere we lost track of Royce. Later he caught up with us and told us he had a pinch flat.
The ride up to pole line pass is not very technical, it's just a graded mountain road, but it is relentless and climbs from 6540 to 8920 (2380) in about 8 miles.
After getting up Pole Line Pass, we went to the left and started up Ant Knolls.
After some riding up Ant Knolls, there is a fork, we went left.
At that point it was just Terry and I, Royce was out of time and had to head back.
This was the best trail of the day, just beautiful scenery, views into mineral basin, peaks all around us and soft trail winding up and down across the mountain.
This ride is an out-and-back which ends where 157 drops down the hill to the east or west.
Thus ended the easy part of our journey. We rode the beautiful trail back to Pole Line Pass and then followed 157 to Mill Canyon.
I must say that part of the ridge trail was tough, climbs that rob you of your breath, not so much breathtaking, as breath robbing.
Finally after many terrifying climbs which started as awesome, then tough, then hike-a-bike, we finally started downhill towards Mill Canyon. The upper part was rideable, but really you were surfing many baby head boulders, well I mean baby tyrannosaurus rex's. Because the boulders were more pointy.
After upper Mill Canyon, we got on Lower Mill Canyon and it has recently been rerouted. I liked it, wide switchbacks that were groomed. This was welcome trail after the loose rocks of torment that we had ridden down. We did see a Moose mama and her calf.
Finally we got to the parking lot at Tibble Fork a mere six and a half hours after we started.
Total elevation gain: 4500 feet.
Here's some extra photos of the trip...
Forest Lake...
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