Rendezvous Basin

An 11 mile singletrack loop in the Methow Valley near Mazama.    

How to Find It

Getting there:   From Winthrop head west on Hwy 20 about 9-10 miles and turn right on Goat Creek Road.    From Goat Creek Road turn right on East Fawn Creek Road, and go uphill on gravel to the intersection with Rendezvous Basin Road, above Edelweiss, passing through an open steel gate.   You will park immediately to the left, but note that the trail starts up immediately on the right side of the intersection.    From Goat Creek Road to the trailhead is 1.7 miles. 

Turn by Turn

Average ride time is about 90-120 minutes. Distance is about 11 miles. All single track!

1. The Ride: Start on the right, opposite from the trail finish, at the entry sign into single-track marked “Start Me Up”, an arrow and Rendezvous Basin Loop sign.   
2. After a switchback climb follow single-track to the right.  Follow this section as it curves around the south side of the hill, with great views from a couple of open overlooks.
3. Turn right at a junction and follow the obvious trail.   It will curve around a big down tree and over 3 small creeks on ladder bridges. 
   Continue, following the single track.  This is the “$8 Rake” section.
4. Continue following single-track, well into the Grizzly Mtn area.   Cross a dirt double-track and continue following the trail, signed as “Cowtown”,  on single -track.  This winds around for about another mile, and eventually drops steeply onto a narrow dip, then up and quickly turns right, crosses a dirt road and onto single track again onto the “Raisin Bran” section.
5. Exit single track from “Raisin Bran” onto Gunn Ranch Road and straight across the road onto more 1-track.  In a few yards look for the wooden sign marked “Witches Run” and follow the signs & markers.  Follow the trail through dense woods, and following more dense thickets (with a Blair Witch Project feel), you will reach a clear-cut.  Follow the double-track along the edge (clear-cut and hillside on your right) and continue about ½ mile, watching for the points where the trail re-enters the woods on single-track immediately after a little dip.   Continue on 1-track through more open terrain, basically following the broad ridgeline, then dipping sharply to the right and climbing up toward Gardner Hut on more single track.
6. At Gardner Hut, get back on single track on the other side of the hut, and ride through curvy and skinny trail for about ½ mile and finally curving to the left and up, crossing double track, then passing through a fence line (gate), and LEFT onto single track just on the other side of the fence.   This fence line trail is called “Cub Tail”.
7. Follow Cub Tail, the fence line trail, across until it dumps out right at Rendezvous Pass.   Cross the cattle grate and immediately look for single track to the right that heads toward Rendezvous Hut.  This section of trail traverses above the road, then crosses the road and circles clockwise around the crown of a knoll, then reaches Rendezvous Hut.
8. When you reach Rendezvous Hut, continue past the hut and onto level rocky single-track for another 200 yards, and look for the wooden sign marked “Brita” on the left side.   Enter single-track here, and continue following single-track.    Some steep, loose and rutted descents are in this section; ride fast and take chances!   
9. Road crossing here.  Immediately cross the road and back onto more single-track.   Note the wooden sign marked “Happy Ending”.   Smile for a mile of flowy fun, then watch for a banked right turn that continues (and avoids the old upper trailhead) down to finish right where you parked the car.  
10. Trail exits on the road directly across from the start.  There  is a trail  sign “This Is The End” at the very finish, at the 3-way road junction.