Pathfinder

Methow Valley

Where: East slope of the North Cascades, four hours northeast of Seattle

The Route: The 25-mile Angel's Staircase Loop in the Sawtooth Wilderness leaves Crater Lake trailhead south of Carlton, then takes off for the high peaks en route to Horsehead Pass, Dead Man's Pass, and finally the north-south ridgeline at 8,000-feet. Views extend to Mount Rainier, 100 miles away.

Character: Fast singletrack in the midst of high peaks, lush meadows, and alpine lakes -- a Colorado Rockies experience minus the acclimatizing.

Highlight: Arriving at 7,200-foot Cooney Lake, framed by larches and rocky peaks.

Lowlight: 5,000 feet of climbing.

Advisory: It can snow at any time; winter hits in late October.

Outfitter: Rendezvous Outfitters, a new operation in Mazama, plans to offer the area's first high-country, hut-to-hut riding. To reserve space at either the Gardner Hut at Rendezvous Pass or the Castle Hut in Insulator Basin, contact them at D-Tours Bike & Board Shop, 509-996-3673.

Do-It-Yourself Info: Methow Valley Sport Trail Association, 509-996-3287. The best area guide book is Steve Barnett's Hardcore Methow Valley Mountain Biking ($9, available at area bike shops).

Native Know-How: Sun Mountain Lodge, 509-996-2211, a few miles west of Winthrop, has a good network of singletrack trails and rents GT Karakoram's with helmets ($25 per day).

When To Go: June to early October. The 10th Methow Valley Mountain Bike Festival, October 4-6, includes cross-country races and instruction clinics.

Tellico Gap

Where: Nantahala National Forest, NC, about an hour and a half southwest of Asheville

The Route: A 30-to-40-mile ride on the Tsali trail network that begins and often ends at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. In between it takes in waterfalls, sweeping views of the Smokies, and crosses the Appalachian Trail at 5,200 feet. You start out at 1,700 feet.

Character: Epic big-mountain terrain, with gentler than average weather and almost-civilized trails.

Highlight: Descending Winding Stairs from Queen's Lake to the Nantahala River -- you lose 1,100 vertical feet over three miles of groomed, lightning-fast dirt.

Lowlight: The track to Wesser Bald mountain gains a whopping 900 vertical feet in one mile. Only a few have successfully ridden up the shear, craggy grade that connects Tellico Gap to Wesser Bald and the ridge-running Appalachian Trail.

Advisory: Watch out for the logging trucks in the "Nanny" Gorge (U.S. 19 and 74).

Outfitters: Nantahala Outdoor Center, 704-488-2175.

Do-It-Yourself Info: Jim Parham's Off the Beaten Track, Volume I: A Guide to Mountain Biking in Western North Carolina -- The Smokies (WMC Publishing, $12.95).

Native Know-How: Nantahala Bike Shop, 704-488-2175 (ext. 158).

When To Go: September is ideal, but beware of black bears foraging for berries.