Cache Creek Exploration

Once I got back from Denali, I still had a couple of extra days off work. I asked Eric if he had time and wanted to do a little day adventure together. He didn’t hesitate.  He was ready to drop his writing and home duties and do something fun.  We had both wanted to explore Cache Creek Road as neither of us had ever been all the way back on it. We were both hoping there was some way to do a loop, but Eric had scoured satellite maps and didn’t think there was.  It would still be fun to see where the road ended.  So, Monday morning we drove up Murphy Dome Road to Cache Creek Road and started.

It was a glorious morning for a bike ride.  The road started as a good gravel road with some soft spots but easily bikeable. Once we got past the turnaround point for the Cache Creek Run, the road got a little more eroded. We passed a large vehicle brushing, but that was the only vehicle we saw on the road.

Good gravel road to begin with

Some erosion on the road

A few people live back on Cache Creek Rd. We didn't trespass!

We crossed Cache Creek on a one lane bridge.  We followed a fox for a while on the road until it realized we were behind it.  It immediately took off when it saw us.  The road meandered down and up and back around to cross Cache Creek a second time.  This time there was no bridge and there was a beaver dam.  Eric asked if I wanted to continue as it would mean wet feet.  Of course I wanted to continue.  We had to see how far the road went.

1st crossing of Cache Creek

Fox on the road

2nd crossing of Cache Creek.  Got wet feet but worth it!

Beaver Dam

The road continued to be more eroded and soon became a fun double track. We had to duck under some trees and walk our bikes over some very eroded and muddy areas.  We started climbing again in the direction of Murphy Dome.  Maybe we could do a loop!

Maneuvering under trees

Fun riding!

Murphy Dome way off in the distance.  Would we get there?

We passed a decrepit old cabin on a trailer.  It looked like it hadn’t been used in ages.  It was in a cleared area and we thought the trail might end there but it continued on, getting even rougher.  We continued to climb for another mile or two until the double track just ended. What?  In the middle of nowhere. No great views.  Just in the middle of some woods.  That was disappointing.

Little cabin on a trailer

But then Eric looked around and saw what looked like a very, very rough, barely there ATV trail.  We looked at each other.  Should we turn around?  No way!  We both wanted to keep going.   Thus, we started an approximately 2-mile hike-a-bike. We had to climb over some trees, around others, walk through some swampy areas, pushing uphill the entire time.  It was hot and buggy! At times the trail almost totally disappeared but we would find it again.

hike-a-bike

 We came across a bear baiting station and after that the ATV trail got better.  Bikeable if we had been going downhill.  Whoever used the bear baiting station had come down from above.  We now knew that it was going to hook up somewhere on Murphy Dome.  We pushed for about another mile before the trail leveled out and we could finally ride.  We still had to ride through thick alders that sometimes stopped us in our tracks before we finally hit Murphy Dome Road.  Success!  We found a way to make the ride a loop!  Yay!  We high-fived and kissed.  

Bear baiting station

More hike-a-bike

Pushing through alders

Should we continue up to the top of Murphy Dome?  We were so close. We could see the radar station on top and I knew it was only about a mile.  Heck, yes, we both wanted to summit. And it looked like we had time before the dark clouds that were building would get there. Nope.  About 1/2 mile from the top a small hailstorm started pelting us.  We got to the top, added some layers and headed back down. There was just enough rain to make the road wet and we got coated in mud on the way back down.  Other than that, it was smooth sailing all the way back to the truck.

Getting pelted by hail

We made it.  Now for some warm layers for the way down.

4 hours, 25.3 miles, 3400 feet elevation gain.  Another fun mini-adventure together.  It’s great that we can still find new places to explore in our back yard.