Upper Silicate Slide

Upper Silicate Slide is a downhill-only mountain biking route in Mica Peak Conservation Area, on county land in Washington. It's a short, out-and-back ride of about 2.8 miles, with a one-way elevation gain of 520 feet, and it climbs to a high point of 4,377 feet from a start near 4,303 feet. The route is marked as downhill-only, and it's a hard ride by any measure, with the steepest stretch at about 0.48 miles in, where the grade reaches 18 percent. The most comfortable months for riding are July and August, when typical averages from a nearby weather station reach highs around 81 and 83 degrees, with lows in the low 50s. That station sits roughly 1,500 feet lower than the ride's high point, so temperatures on the trail run cooler. Winter is cold, with January highs typically in the upper 30s and lows in the mid-20s. The Moonshine Trail starts just 0.3 miles away, and the Saltese Ridge and California Creek Trail hikes are within a mile and a quarter. Mica Peak is about 2.2 miles off.