Skip to main content

Yankton Yin Yang - March 17th


Dust off those Ouija Boards, light up the sacred herbs, and turn up the Black Sabbath. It's time to kickoff the Occult Adventure Series! 

For the first gravel ride of the season, we do so in observance of the Vernal Equinox.  This is a day to celebrate the birth of spring, death of winter, and first day of the new year with equal daylight and darkness.  Harmony has once again been restored!  

In honor of this day, we will ride the Yankton Yin Yang.

☯------------------------------------☯

Soothsayer Says...

The tarot card drawn by our soothsayer for this particular ride reveals the number Two and the Pentacle suit that represents the Earth.  Change is the is the only constant on Earth; the card is thus called 'Lord of Harmonious Change'.


The card displays two Pentacles, one above the other; they are similar to the symbols of the Yin and Yang. One wheel is dextro (spinning towards light) and the other laevo-rotatory (spinning away from light). They thus represent the harmonious interplay of the Four Elements in constant movement. About them is entwined a Serpent, tail is in his mouth. He forms the figure Eight, the symbol of the Infinite...

☯------------------------------------☯



Route Options, etc....

  • There will be a full adventure version of the route and also a shorter version for those feeling less adventurous. 
    • The first 20 miles of both routes are the same, and both finish with the same Pittsburg Rd. descent. 
    • This is not an easy ride. There is a lot of climbing on the main route. Some of which will be on loose gravel and potentially soggy, clay roads. Your legs will be tired by the time you finish.
    • This is NOT a race.  Cruise at your own pace; enjoy the ride and company.  Even if you show up by yourself, you will find a group riding at your pace.  
    ☯------------------------------------☯


    Main Route: 

    Yankton Yin Yang
    (9 a.m. start)

      • ~60 miles with ~4,600 ft. of climbing, ~65% unpaved/35% paved roads
        • The route will offer you gravel roads, single track, double track, and a few obstacles to maneuver over or around.  There is a significant amount of climbing on this route, and some of it is loose stuff.  
          • Recommended tire size is 38c or larger.  Some sections contain larger gravel/rocks and debris, anything smaller than 38c+ will likely result in pinch flats and less enjoyment.  40c or larger is ideal here.  A couple sections along this route have been known to flatten tires, BRING SPARE TUBES & A PATCH KIT!  Even you Mr./Mrs. Tubeless, bring a spare tube for safe measure.
          • Ride will start at the Yankton Arthur Academy. (33035 Pittsburg Rd, St Helens, OR 97051)
            • There should be plenty of parking available but carpooling is highly encouraged.
            • A small market (Yankton Store & Restaurant) is located across the street and caries beverages and a few snacks.
          • There are a couple of spots to collect water along the route:
            • Around mile 19.5 as you first veer onto Schaffer Rd., you will see a pipe on the right side that supplies natural spring water (pictured below).
            • Near mile 37 there is a nice creek below a bridge to filter water.
              ☯------------------------------------☯

              Shorter Route: 

              ☯ Yin Yang Light ☯
              (9 a.m. start)


              This shorter route might be appealing to those new to gravel riding, those still recovering from winter, or those who do not enjoy a healthy dose of suffering...
                • 38.5 miles with ~3,100 ft. of climbing, roughly 50% unpaved/50% paved roads
                  • There is still  a significant amount of climbing on this route relative to the mileage.  This shorter route still offers some gravel roads and the really fun descent at the end (best part of the ride).
                    • Recommended tire size is 38c or larger.  Some sections contain larger gravel/rocks and debris, anything smaller than 38c will likely result in pinch flats.  40c or larger is ideal here.
                      • 1 main water source along this route (without filtering)
                        • Around mile 19.5, veer left onto Schaffer Rd., you will see a pipe on the right side that supplies natural spring water.
                      ☯------------------------------------☯








                      *******This is a self supported ride in a remote location.  
                      You are responsible for your own safety and well being.*******

                        • There will be no place to obtain food along the route.  
                        • You will likely not have mobile phone service.
                        • Load the route onto your device.
                        • Weather can be unpredictable, bring layers.
                        • Be smart and come prepared, hope for the best, plan for the worst.  
                          • Bring more food than you plan to eat
                          • Bring water (duh)
                          • Bring a water filter
                          • Bring 2 spare tubes, a patch kit, and a pump
                          • Bring a multi-tool
                          • Bring lights 
                          • Bring a spare power supply/battery
                          • Bring a spare brake & derailleur cable
                        ☯------------------------------------☯

                        See you out there!



                        Comments

                        1. Link to the short route (hey, still early season for me) doesn't appear to be working. Says "route not public.".

                          ReplyDelete
                        2. Show of hands how many people are doing the short route? I won’t be the only one riding it, right?

                          ReplyDelete
                        3. Replies
                          1. Thanks for coming out! Next gravel ride is April 22nd.

                            Delete

                        Post a Comment

                        Popular posts from this blog

                        VC Bikepacking Trip - Portland to Cape Lookout and back

                        Saturday morning, we met up at the Rose Quarter MAX station just before 7 a.m. and caught the 7:07 train out to Hillsboro.  Well, most of us anyway.  A couple of rogue lunatics (Ryan and Matt) decided to add another 25 miles to the already difficult day by riding out from Portland.  The two of them were already waiting for us in Hillsboro when we arrived, making our group a total of 12 now.  Most of us grabbed a quick coffee and used the facilities at the coffee shop just before rolling out around 8:30. The weather was brisk but dry for the start of our day.  The first ten miles or so went through the western side of Hillsboro, through Cornelius, and Forest Grove; it was mostly flat which allowed us to warm up our legs.  Not far into the ride, Justin got the first flat of the day in Forest Grove from running over a staple that was on the shoulder of the road.  Once out of Forest Grove, we hit some rolling farm roads and started seeing ...

                        Yankton Classique - April 13th, 2019

                        Route, details, etc.... This is not an easy ride . There is a fair amount of climbing on this route, some of which will be on loose gravel and could potentially be soggy depending on conditions. Your legs WILL be tired by the time you finish. This is  NOT  a race .  Cruise at your own pace; enjoy the ride and company - even if you show up by yourself, you will find a group riding at your pace.   x------------------------------------x x------------------------------------x Route:  Yankton Classique (9:30 a.m. start) ~49 miles with ~4,100 ft. of climbing , ~55% unpaved/45% paved roads Download the route and save it to your device: Link to route The route will offer you some gravel logging roads, double track, and a few obstacles to maneuver over or around.   There is a significant amount of climbing on this route, and some of it is loose.   Recommended tire size is 40c or larger. ...