The trail network up there is expanding rapidly. Every time I've gone for the last few months, I find some new trail that I explore as far as is practical, and then go back to it next time to incorporate it into the loop. The best part is that most of the trails can be ridden up or down and my goal has been to optimize the ratio of singletrack to total kms ridden. A few years ago I knew of a few trails that I would do and link them together with sometimes long monotonous stretches of logging roads. Not anymore. Here's a gps shot of a 25 km ride where easily 20 of it was sweet loamy singletrack.
That particular day, like 90% of the days this spring, was raining. I didn't let it stop me and took off anyways. I actually really like being in the forest on these cooler days with the mist of the clouds and rain. Anyways, on this day I came across a place (on a trail) that was almost magical. It is a brutal climb along a treed ridgeline where you can see the steep cross slope (in some places) on both sides of the trail. The forest floor is covered in a yellow-green moss as thick as the thickest 70's carpet you've ever seen. I was riding along a trail so new that this moss-carpet had hardly even been cut through by the biting treads of rolling bike wheels when I came upon this amazing little clearing. In this spot the trail becomes lined with inuksuk statues around an S-turn. Perhaps one of those "you had to be there" moments, but that is the whole point of trying to explain it on a blog, that is part of mountain biking. Sometimes you just emerge onto some of the most amazing forest scenes. I just had to stop and appreciate this place.
Because it was such a wet day I only had my crappy phone-camera with me so here are many photos that do not do this place justice. Next time we go up I'm going to ride this trail again and bring the better camera and a mini-tripod.
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