+ 5
West Fork to Elk Meadows and Birthday
Mountain Biking Trail
Moderate
10.88 mi
1,701 ft
One variation on a local favorite loop, with gradual climbing to a smooth and fast descent.
This is one of many intermediate loops to ride from West Fork Mink trailhead. It starts with a gentle ascent on the well-used dirt trail along the creek, and is decently shaded. This eventually joins Elk Meadows Loop, which is a motorized track that’s somewhat popular with ATV riders. It has singletrack variations that are fun for mountain bikers, though, and it accesses additional trails in the area. The route mapped here takes most of the Elk Meadows Loop but then links with Fenceline to get to the Birthday trail. Birthday is a superb singletrack downhill, bobbing through forest and meadows on the way back to West Fork Mink. Another good option for the downhill, not mapped here, is to go a bit farther south on a forest road and ride the Corral Creek trail back to West Fork.
Sources:
Written by Jesse Weber
This is one of many intermediate loops to ride from West Fork Mink trailhead. It starts with a gentle ascent on the well-used dirt trail along the creek, and is decently shaded. This eventually joins Elk Meadows Loop, which is a motorized track that’s somewhat popular with ATV riders. It has singletrack variations that are fun for mountain bikers, though, and it accesses additional trails in the area. The route mapped here takes most of the Elk Meadows Loop but then links with Fenceline to get to the Birthday trail. Birthday is a superb singletrack downhill, bobbing through forest and meadows on the way back to West Fork Mink. Another good option for the downhill, not mapped here, is to go a bit farther south on a forest road and ride the Corral Creek trail back to West Fork.
Sources:
Written by Jesse Weber
Created By
Strava Routes
Route and Elevation
Segments
| Name | Distance | Elev. Diff. | Avg. Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heading up West Fork | 0.99 mi | 246 ft | 4.6% |
| West fork to Slate Downhill | 1.54 mi | 404 ft | 5.0% |
| Full West Fork Lot to Gate | 3.50 mi | 1,001 ft | 5.4% |
| Unnamed Rd Climb | 1.58 mi | 587 ft | 7.0% |
| West Mink | 2.06 mi | 554 ft | 5.1% |
| Snotel Shortcut from Elk Meadows | 0.20 mi | 92 ft | 7.0% |
| Snotel Out | 0.71 mi | 207 ft | 4.3% |
| Birthday Loop Descent | 2.10 mi | -1,070 ft | -9.6% |
| Chimney Creek DH | 1.23 mi | -837 ft | -12.8% |
| Half West Fork DH | 1.55 mi | -413 ft | -5.1% |