Sept 12, 2026

Gravel, singletrack, and backroad riding from a rebel outpost in Maple Falls, WA. Featuring Red Mountain, Black Mountain, Bald Mountain, Canyon Creek, Bay to Baker trail, and Silver Lake.

Now featuring four route options, departing 9am on Saturday Sept 12 (8am recommended for Extremo riders):

• CORTO (MTB): the Smuggler’s Cut – 18 miles with around 2600′ elevation (mostly in The Maw). Only have 2-3 hours and want to get some new, interesting semi-technical trails under your belt? Okay, then this will be the money loop for you.
• MEDIO: head straight out the Bay to Baker trail to Glacier, climb the main climb up Canyon Creek Rd. but bomb down to Boulder Creek with the option to finish on the Maple Falls Park town trails. This is 42 miles and 5,000′ of climbing (option to shave off climbing and singletrack at the end).
• GRANDE: the classic Kessel Run (minus Red Mtn). Do The Maw then the The Pit (aka Rising Skyward in the Bellingham/Whatcom County Gravel Guide with a bonus climb to start) and drop straight back to the starting point in Banditland with a dramatic descent off Black Mountain! Same distance as the Medio but with 1K more climbing and a bigger commitment but with more rewards!

• EXTREMO!: all the loops, all the mountains! – a 69 mile epic with nearly 9,500′ elevation. New for 2025: we climb Red Mountain twice! First the Calaron Sector (included in Short route) then again from the west side up & over! This route is designed for a few elite rebels, and you should start at 8am or bring real good lights!

Camping, BBQ, and games both Friday and Saturday nights. Can you win the Millennium Falcon in a game of chance?

A detailed GPS route with waypoints for water, services, and information, will be provided via RideWithGPS.com but you must RSVP for the event to get the maps. You can ride with a group, or ride alone, but we encourage you to finish in under 12 parsecs!

Friday night camping is suggested to make your Saturday morning easier, but will require you to make a reservation at Silver Lake Park. Stay through Sunday to check out the trails around the park and take a swim or paddle. A group ride back to Bellingham will depart Sunday.

2026 Changes: Camping is no longer provided on Bobcat Lane. The start line is now the parking lot immediately across Silver Lake Rd. from the Silver Lake Park entrance. This large meadow with old logging equipment is technically the Black Mountain Forestry Museum with a trail up to the Gerdrum Historical House. For overflow parking, go inside Silver Lake Park and look for a large lot near the boat launch. Camping within the park requires a reservation which may already be full, but you can call and look for late cancellations.

The Silver Group Camp reservation for this weekend was attempted last December, but another group always gets it first. To remain on the same weekend as the Mt Baker Hillclimb but not put pressure on Ryan’s neighbor on Bobcat Lane, we had to move the party to somewhere within Silver Lake Park.