Two 2 smokers exploring south of Samoeng

[KTMphil]

Lew & LivinLOS had been exploring this area a few weeks back (LivinLOS was supposed to come and as usual couldn't make it), it was still reasonable dry, so a good riding choice for a day out 50km west of Chiang Mai.

There's some really great trails in the area south of Samoeng all the way down to Mae Wang/ Win, the problem from Chiang Mai is that there's 50km of tarmac to get to the start of the area (R 1096 or R 1269 west to Samoeng).

Map copyright RideAsia.net - All rights reserved




If you put the bike in the truck there's a safe tree shaded area to park at the entrance to the Dede hyro-power dam (more on that later)

Parking co-ords:

N18.80544


E98.72977

I rode out there from Chaing Mai, at a leisurely pace on a small bike, it takes about an hour

 

[KTMphil]

As you head south from the parking co-ords above, there's a mixture of concrete and dirt track for about 5km, between the villages before you hit the trails.



Bring your swimming trunks, just south of the parking co-ords above , you cross the Nam Mae Kham river, water is clean & great for a dip when you return all sweaty.

 

[KTMphil]

Below is a Zoom of the trail area south of Samoeng (50km west of Chiang Mai). You can see the parking area near the Dede hydro-power dam.

Map copyright RideAsia.net - All rights reserved





For those who like a challenge, there's a nasty, sliippy rock trail in a water fall (labelled in the map above) that starts at co-ords:



N18.77510


E98.67801



We went and took a look as we were going past it

As the rain gets more frequent, the growth on the wet rocks will become super slippy

Looks like when dry, it would be a lot of fun

Green growth

 

[KTMphil]

West of the waterfall trail, we explore a new trail we hadn't done before that goes to the north (top left on the map below)

It was a fun, steep, single track but unfortunately blocked by two huge newly fallen trees and no easy way around. We could have lifted the bikes over but we knew the trail went in the wrong direction & would probably have to lift them back again so we turned around.

Back down we go

 

[KTMphil]

There are an abundance of plank and log bridges in this area, no one bridge is alike. On the route we took there were home-made wooden bridges at co-ords:



N18.77042 E98.63550


N18.76289 E98.63006


N18.73884 E98.64124



& a couple more too!



None were really a problem

 

[KTMphil]

With a few storms in the past couple of weeks, there's plenty of detours off the main trails around fallen trees, Loop checking out one of the dead ends and maneuvering back

The next log bridge, this one pretty substantial

 

[KTMphil]

Dark, angry, clouds were all around us. There had been some rain earlier, which helped keep the temperature and dust down, stopping for a drink break

The next wooden bridge - this one had a big drop

 

[KTMphil]

Views of Doi Inthanon as we got to the SW side of the loop

The next stick bridge - the middle has collapsed on this one making it need more attention while crossing

 

[KTMphil]

There's some really nice, jungle, gradient, switchback single track south of co-ords, highly recommended:


N18.75606


E98.63758




See the map below to the left

 

[KTMphil]

Lots of trees down everywhere from the effects of the SW monsoon arriving, luckily they'd cleared this monster

& this one too

As you can see it was freshly felled by burning it

One more home-made bridge

Get it all lined up

& por pen yang

 

[KTMphil]

Great day out and we get back to the parking area & the Dede Hydro-dam is right there. Lew says there's a gate & you can't get in, so i give it a try.



See the Dede Hydro-dam project in the middle of the map below:


Co-ords:



N18.80804

E98.72714

I manage to get passed the gate without too many problems and 300 meters up the road you come to the building that houses the hydro-electric-generators. The dammed water that is used is held much higher as gravity is needed to make all this work

 

[KTMphil]

Trying to figure out how they have this set up, this seems to be the exit for the water that has already been used for kinetic energy through the hydro-electric generator (LR is the expert on this from his old days)

Not really sure how friendly they're going to be I approach the hydro-generator building with caution, I can see one of the hydro-generators

All friendly thank God. You can see the hydro turbine on the left of each of the two hydro-electric generators, water turns the turbine and the big "generator/ alternator" on the right of each produces electricity

I go up to the top of the dammed/ water collection area to take a look, you can see the spill-way on the far side to manage things when they have collected too much water

 

[KTMphil]

About 1km up the hill from the hydro-turbines, you come to the head of water. There must be a tunnel from here, in this penned off area, for the water to flow down to the hydro-electric-generators in the building below

All very interesting

 

[KTMphil]

With a storm just passed as we left for the day, great viz at the Samoeng lookout

 

[Loop]

Great pics Phil and a good day out.

 

[KTMphil]

With the bike in a pickup, another alternative and easier road would be to leave a the pickup in the Mae Wang/ Win area, Chiang Mai - R 108 - R 1013 - Mae Win/ Wang (BLUE LINE ON THE MAP)

Map copyright RideAsia.net - All rights reserved

 

[MastaMax]

Lovely area, it's a nice change from the trails around town. A lot of trails and not much concrete, a perfect place to ride.

 

[LUFC]

That looks like a quality place to learn, probably ridden there a few times but apart from the Hydro Station nothing looks that familiar.

 

[Just Bob]

Looks like my speed; not too technical / arthritic friendly.