Well, 2011 was another great year I did more than 1000 mtb miles, many miles were done on new trails, and many were done on some old favorites. I took an equal amount of foto’s on the trails.
Here are a few of my 2011 favorites, some I just like, others bring back fond memories. All in all 2011 goes down as another great year, and will hopefully continue through 2012.
This Top 5 Mountain Biking Destinations in the USA is based purely on my personal experience I have gained while traveling around the USA for the past 5 years riding the trails.
What is a Trails Destination?
This Top 5 is put together with the following in mind. If you had a weeks vacation, and would like to ride at least FIVE different trails in that week, all within a 20 mile radius, then in my books these are the best places to use as a base to get the best rides.
This list is NOT a list of Best Trails ( for the Top 15 Best USA Trails 2011 click here) and as I mentioned above it’s based on my personal opinion and based only on the places I have been.
TOP 5 MOUNTAIN BIKING DESTINATION’S IN THE USA
Henry W Coe State Park – Gilroy / Morgan Hill – CA
The Henry W Coe State Park offers miles and miles and miles of the sweetest fast flowing singletracks a mountain biker could ever wish for.
The trails are well maintained and marked, but definitely not over done, and a map is definitely needed. All the trails start in the valley, and no matter what trail combination you choose, you will spend the first couple of hours climbing, and I don’t care how fit you are, you will be walking your steed quite a bit on the way up. However, the trails are so fantastic, even the brutal climb puts a smile on your chops, Why?.. ‘cos you know the downhill is gonna be out of this world!, and worth every second of the strenuous climb.
These are rolling hills, so it’s definitely not just an up & down trail network, however even the rolling hills start up high.
Looping, lollipopin’, out & back, you name it, the world is your oyster on the Henry Coe, and you can easily spend days exploring these fantastic trails.
Trail Stats & Information
Nearby Town : Gilroy – Morgan Hill
Length: Your call, but remember a Coe mile is very strenuous
Trail Type: Loops, Lollipop, Out & Back.. you name it!
Skill Level: [My Opinion] Technically *challenging. Physically demanding – mental
*Note – I say technically moderate, ‘cos although there are no technical obstacles, the big problem is speed. The trails are very narrow, and extreme speeds are possible. Certain sections of trails are very bumpy, and 2 ft ruts appear out of nowhere.. and if you get caught out at high speeds, it ain’t gonna be beneficial to you!
The Pro’s :
The Cons :
Moab – UT
I’m a huge Moab junkie, I love the Moab trails, and for 5 years running I have spent the month of October on the Moab Trails.
You could easily spend a couple of weeks here, and ride a different trail every day.
The Moab trails aren’t just fantastic, they are unique, and not just in the USA, but in the World.
A handful of my all time favorite trails are Moab Trails, Hidden Valley, Porcupine, Poison Spider, Gold Bar and Amasa Back and the world famous Slickrock Trail are just a few.
Riding on slickrock is a fantastic experience every mountain biker should at one point experience. Moab is without any doubt the Mountain Biking Capital of the World, and attracts more than 150,000 mountain bikers from around the world each year.
Trail Stats & Info
Town : Moab
Trails : some of the worlds best trails ( in my opinion) can be found in Moab. Some of my fav. trails are Hidden Valley onto Moab Rim, Porcupine Trail, Poison Spider down Gold Bar, Amasa Back – Rockstacker and the Flat Pass trail.
Pros :
Cons :
South Lake Tahoe – CA
The South Lake Trails are in three words FAN TAS TIC !
Probably my all time favorite trail is in South Lake Tahoe the Cold Creek – Star Lake – Armstrong Pass – Corral Trail is the “Viagra” of MTB Trails, if this doesn’t do it for you, then nothing will.
The thing I personally like about the Tahoe trails, is you have to earn your reward, the saying “No pain no gain” definitely goes for these trails.
The trails are brutal, technical, scenic and damn right fun.
The majority of the Tahoe trails are fairly technical, and physically demanding with a lot of climbing.
Trail Stats & Info
Town : South Lake Tahoe
Trails : If like me you like pretty technical and demanding trails, then Tahoe is definitely for you. The section from Freel Pass all the down Armstrong and Corral is probably the best ride you will and can ever experience. 100% pure mayhem and adrenalin pumpin’ fun on a mtb.
Pros :
Cons :
Sedona AZ
Sedona offers some fantastic and unique trails, for all levels of experience.
The scenery Sedona has to offer, is fantastic, and Sedona is perfect for mountain bikers.
There is a large choice of trails in Sedona, suited for all levels of experience.
Some of my favorite Sedona trails are – the Highline Trail, Munds Wagon down Schnebly Hill and the Slim Shady- Llama -broken arrow loop.
All the above trails I mention are pretty technical and very demanding. If you prefer to takes things a lot easier on the trails, no problem, there are a lot of easy trails to choose from.
Trail Stats & Info
Town : Sedona
Trails : A wide range of trails to choose from, from very easy ( Bell Rock) to very challenging (Munds Wagon Trail)
Pros :
Cons :
Bozeman and Missoula MT
Bozeman and Missoula in Montana are just 120 min. from each other, and they both offer some fantastic trails, so in my my books they count as one.
Missoula has the Rattlesnake Recreational Area that offers some nice technically easy but very strenuous trails, well worth a day or 2 of trail riding.
Bozeman also offers some fantastic trails in the Hyalite Peaks area. These trails are scenic, and some of the trails are very strenuous and very technical, the The Hyalite to South Cottonwood Trail is a prime example of this.
Another fantastic MUST DO trail in Bozeman is the 28 mile beauty “Bangtail Divide” a trail that should be on every mountain bikers list.
Trail Stats & Info
Town : Bozeman & Missoula
Trails : Two destinations for the price of One. Fantastic range of mtb trails, all levels from Easy to Mental
Pros :
Cons :
Munds Wagon Trail offers some of the finest views you will ever get to experience on an mtb trail.
The Munds Wagon Trail became one of my all time favorite trails last year, and I was really looking forward to riding this gem again.
Last year I went UP Munds, and continued UP Schnebly, while climbing Schnebly I was already planning coming down this section, next time I was in Sedona.. Well, I was back, and I was planning on sticking to my plan I made a year previous.
However, this time the ride nearly went pear shaped because of a tiny piece of rubber.
Nearby Town : Sedona
Length: 11.24 miles
Trail Type: Lollipop
Skill Level: [what the books say] no info
Skill Level: [My Opinion] Technically difficult. Physically very demanding
Duration : My time was 04:01:40
Elev Gain : 2,163 feet
Top Elev : 6,219 feet
Min. Elev : 4,437 feet
I could not find any Mtb Trail books describing the Munds Wagon Trail and Schnebly Hill Trail, so the below descriptions are based on my personal experience :
>> Munds Wagon Trail : 4 miles ( one way) of sweet scenic and fairly technical singletrack through stunning scenery. The trail is in excellent condition and easy to follow. The rewards are among the best, but you will have to work hard to earn them.
>> Schnebly Hill Trail : At the top of Munds Wagon Trail you will probably think the views cannot get any better.. well think again, the climb continues, and so do the stunning views. The first mile is an excellent narrow “chicken head” singletrack that takes you to the very top of the rim.. Now you are at the Top of the World!!..
Although the trail does continue to “Jacks Can Trail” .. My route took me onto a ( very nice) 4 wheel drive trail and back to Schnebly Hill Road, that then picks up the “Munds Wagon Trail ” for a “Gauntlet” ride back to the Trailhead.
.
I was at the Munds Wagon Trailhead at about 8.am, and there was already a handful of cars parked there. I knew this didn’t really didn’t mean much, ‘cos there are a handful of trails that start here. As it turned out, this was the least of my worries.
After getting my steed and myself ready for the ride, my Camelbak mouth piece sprung a leak, and there was no way I could leave with a leaking mouth piece, and of all the spare parts I carry, I did not have a spare mouth piece on me. I have numerous spare Camelbak’s, but they were in Cottonwood, 35 min away.
I decided to call it a day, and head back to Cottonwood. Luckily I decided to take a chance, and drive by the bike shop, in the hope they would be open… Luckily for me they were, and I got a new mouth piece, and headed back to the trail.
Again it was a fantastic and scenic ride, easily one of the most scenic trails.
Munds Wagon Trail and Schnebly Hill Trail is without doubt one of the best and scenic trails in the USA.
Traffic on Trail : A handful of hikers on the first mile of the trail
Wild Life : Too much scenery to notice any wildlife
Scenery : The Best!!
Getting There : West Trailhead From the junction of Routes 89A and 179, take 179 south 0.3 miles. Turn left on Schnebly Hill Road just across the Oak Creek Bridge and go .08 miles to the Huckaby/Margs Draw Trails parking area on the left.
Other : Carry extra fluids, suncream and lipbalm.
History of Munds Wagon Trail
In the late 1800s, rancher Jim Munds ushered his cattle to the lush mountain meadows on the Mogollon Rim along this very same Bear Wallow Canyon route. In 1896, Munds launched a construction project that by 1902 had transformed the rough, steep trail into a wagon road that made it much easier for Verde Valley homesteaders to bring produce and livestock to market in Flagstaff.When the road up Oak Creek Canyon opened in 1914, Munds Wagon Rd. was displaced as the primary route from Sedona to Flagstaff. With the construction of the current Schnebly Hill Rd. in the 1930s, the older Munds Wagon Rd. was neglected and fell into disrepair. In recent years, the National Civilian Community Corps and U.S. Forest Service restored the trail, now recognized as historic by the state.With no cattle to mind, those who hoof it today can focus on amazing views of Mitten Ridge and the Munds Mountain wilderness. The roughly four-mile (one-way) trek takes you past the “Cowpies” and Merry-Go-Round Rock before connecting with Schnebly Hill Trail. Look also for original retaining walls built by the pioneers; many are still standing.
