Moonrakers Signature Trails

When I go ride the Moonrakers, I'm usually thinking fast and flowy riding, mainly pedaling in the middle ring.

The ride I'm going to describe obviously has many options when you get into the heart of the trail system. What follows is some of my favorite high value fast downhill trails combined with flowing single track, and the odd steep grunt. Ride's in the Moonrakers can easily shortened or extended, depending on your time or ambition.

Start in town, or park at the pull out on the right before you go over the ski hill bridge over the Columbia River. Ride up "CBT Mainline" to Cedar Lake trail head parking area, approx 1hr. If you are short on time, or just plain lazy you can also park at the Cedar Lake trail head. Its nice to ride the few metres to the lake for a break or a swim, before continuing on. Rope swing is stellar.

Pick up the "Arrowhead" trail just past the parking area, ride north to south. It is super flowy and fast, great cornering. Half way down the trail there is the option to take "Better Than Boston", named for the Boston Marathon, not the ass kicking that they gave the Canucks. They both come out at roughly the same location.

As you finish the "Arrowhead" trail carry right on through and uphill to the Radio tower, take a bit of a break there if you want. Drop the seat and tear down "Devils Slide", and unbelievably fast insane cornering, pumping trail. Its easy to go way too fast on this one. At the bottom, stay right, now you're on "Klahowya", and keep taking the right turns until you start heading back uphill, as you pass the Canyon. Take a left onto "Bearclaw", and climb that, take a right at the top, then a quick sharp right onto "Moonraker, one of the finest fast smooooth carving single tracks known to mankind. At this point you can head back north on any of the trails to the "CBT Mainline"... or keep on riding.

Tear down "Moonraker", at the bottom you will double back onto "Klahowya" but staying tight to the right, then keep on going underneath "Devil Slide", or you can climb back up that for a bit of a short cut. Or keep on going to Sander lake (we're heading back home now), straight through onto "Ptarmigan Trot", west side of lake. Climb up "Bearclaw" until you hit the "Tower Rd.". Go straight across, and climb up "Tonight Tequila" . Keep riding until you are back on "Arrowhead" at its north end. Keep heading north, that's a right turn Clyde, and you will be slightly backtracking to the "Cedar Lake" parking area. Continue on back down the "CBT Mainline" to town.

As mentioned, there are loads of other ways to come back north from the Canyon end of the Moonraker trails. This particular linkage combines a lot of high quality downhill trails, although there are many others out there as well.

This description is quite lengthy, if you are a regular rider it will most likely take you around 3hrs. Also as mentioned there are some easy ways to shorten or lengthen it. Lots of good swimming opportunities. Also take some food. To do the "Super Loop", when you get to Canyon Creek, follow it down to Nicholson, and climb up Kallman Rd to the Cedar House Restaurant, and ride through the Mountain Shadow's trails.

Moonrakers Signature Trails

My favorite Moonrakers trail is 'Tonight Tequila' although with so many amazing trails it is hard to pick just one. I took up cross country biking a couple years ago when I moved to Golden and am still working on progressing, 'Tonight Tequila' has some great berms that are spaced beautifully for those of us who are still mastering the art of tight corners :) It is one of those trails that is pretty much as fun to go up it as it is to ride down it! Which works well if you are looking to use 'Tequila Tonight' as more of an epic loop.

If you are looking for a great epic try taking the 'CBT' trail up to Cedar Lake then the Tallis Creek road to the amazing views and downhills of 'Canyon Creek' trail, loop back up using 'Tonight Tequila' which will spit you onto 'Arrowhead', take that back to Cedar Lake and finish off a refreshing swim before riding 'CBT' back down to town!

Enjoy!!