Warm Springs Ridge: A Great Bitterroot Valley Mountain Bike Ride

Jen climbing up to the ridge. You can see the trailhead below, where the white camper is parked.

On October 3, Jen and I finally made it over to the far southern end of the Bitterroot Valley to ride Warm Springs Ridge. We did it as a big loop, beginning near Lost Trail Hot Springs at Indian Trees Campground, climbing 7-8 miles on a Forest Service Road to Porcupine Saddle Trail Head, getting on the Warm Springs Ridge Trail and riding it all the way south back to Highway 93, and then back 7 miles on 93 to the car. All in all, it was a 30 mile loop with 5000 feet of gain, but since most of the climbing is gradual and the descending relatively non-technical (similar to the standard Rattlesnake rides), it's a less strenuous ride than Sheep Mountain or Curly Lakes. We had a ball, and I highly recommend the ride. The only change I'd make is to start and finish at the Sula store.

Climbing up the road from Indian Trees Campground.

After 7 or so miles, the sign to Porcupine Saddle. The mountain on the left is Lost Trail.

The beginning of single track at Porcupine Saddle.

Early climbing.

Open fields on Warm Springs Ridge. Boulder Peak in the distance (left).

A close-up of Boulder Peak.

Warm Springs Ridge Trail.

I got a side wall cut and learned that a 10 dollar bill is not strong enought, but a Hammer Gel packet is.

Fixing a flat.

More ridge riding further on. Trapper Peak comes into view and the Bitterroot Valley looking north.

Jen descending late in the ride.