Wasatch Dirt Thread

[Duffman]

For anything off the gondola, I wholeheartedly concur. Unless you like loose, rocky, and no trail maintenance performed since the second Bush administration. There are some great XC trails on and near the resort, but if you are looking for beginner fun off the gondola, go for a hike instead.

Actually prefer interesting rolling XC trails to lift served (I know, masochist PA riders ) but will be likely in the DV area for this trip .

Speaking of which, I'm guessing for liability reasons , there are no bike rental places that will allow or have a Shotgun seat? My younger daughter loves ours for mild singletrack trails.

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[zion zig zag]

For anything off the gondola, I wholeheartedly concur. Unless you like loose, rocky, and no trail maintenance performed since the second Bush administration.

Man you aren't kidding. I'd say 10% of the lift accessed trail in the resort is decent to good. And that 10% doesn't come concurrently, it's spread out between the sections of shin deep moon dust, loose baby head rocks and poorly designed switchbacks. But....the good news is if you ride that stuff after work when the lifts are closed it's blissfully crowd free. Sardine will be jam packed with 500 HS racers and their 400 chaperones and you'll wonder if the world has ended by the time you get to the Strawberry platform.

[Meconium]

Actually prefer interesting rolling XC trails to lift served (I know, masochist PA riders ) but will be likely in the DV area for this trip .

Speaking of which, I'm guessing for liability reasons , there are no bike rental places that will allow or have a Shotgun seat? My younger daughter loves ours for mild singletrack trails.

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Might be easer to just rent bikes at solitude regardless.

10 year old can be a roll of the dice. If they don’t close the one little beginner run under link, you could probably bike two laps and then just dink around the village, ride around the duck pond at Apex.

Ride up and down that cabin road into silver fork. (church rd behind eagle lift)
The very bottom of Silver fork trails is beginner once on dirt, bank a left at the fork a few hundred yards in vs the more obvious right and turn around when tired.
Just watch out because it can be a high-speed exit. Just lead and drop a shoulder to protect family vs kid getting smoked by enduro guy.

Supper beginner day with a bit of scenic driving that is polar opposite of resort hubbub, less confusing and easy parking is slate creek https://www.trailforks.com/trails/sl...-trail-434268/ Start with ponderosa Green DH and go on from that depending on mood. If one lap was enough, you could milk it across the road and play in the river.

On the way out you could have lunch in Kamas and then do a lap or two at Oakley park https://www.trailforks.com/trails/buckaroo-144814/ and then head back. Probably a solid ½ family day with an early start, up and over guardsman twice might take longer then I think.

Supper beginner stuff in that area is also https://www.trailforks.com/trails/franson-lane-access/ and https://www.trailforks.com/trails/stevens-grove/ More small-town mom and pop vibe for the last two. Order of links is order of good to less.

no clue on Shotgun seat

[Duffman]

Awesome . Thinking will do a day of lift served at Deer Valley (the boy is progressing quickly on singletrack around here ) and then maybe rent bikes another day at Soli the morning of the wedding or the morning after and just hit some of those XC trails.

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[Meconium]

Awesome . Thinking will do a day of lift served at Deer Valley (the boy is progressing quickly on singletrack around here ) and then maybe rent bikes another day at Soli the morning of the wedding or the morning after and just hit some of those XC trails.

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. That was a more beginner suggestion to offset some advanced beginner suggestions. Probably appropriate for 8-11 year old beginners with options for mom/dad/dog walk around stuff to keep younger kids occupied. Every link but Oakley park has streams that can keep little ones or dogs wet and occupied. Oakley and slate are the only links that have extra for dad or mom rides while the other baby sits.

[Meconium]

So like, anyone ride lower west facing foot hills after work today? Power to you if so.

[muted reborn]

Awesome . Thinking will do a day of lift served at Deer Valley (the boy is progressing quickly on singletrack around here ) and then maybe rent bikes another day at Soli the morning of the wedding or the morning after and just hit some of those XC trails.

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My wife rode with a true beginner at DV yesterday and reminded me that the top of holy roller is used to access a bunch of trails which means there are some fast riders on it. They will be patient with beginners but if the son can do berms, even slowly, it would be less stressful. Start with Ripple and graduate to holly roller if you don’t think he’s ready.

[muted reborn]

So like, anyone ride lower west facing foot hills after work today? Power to you if so.

ha! I saw a mtb guy biking up Millcreek yesterday on my way up it, it was 101. Probably one of many

[Boissal]

Tried (and failed) to escape the heat in the Uintas over the weekend by continuing my exploration of the Weber canyons side of things.
I slogged to Smith Morehouse on gravel:



then up nasty blown out ATV roads to Mud Flats. Some pleasant meadows and prime beaver habitat on the way there:





Mud flats has great view of the range, some quality camping spots, and I'm sure great fun to be had on a dirt bike/ATV which unfortunately translates to blown out trails with inches of moondust and loose churned out rocks all over (no pics of that, I was too mad about it):





Not shown: the cattle trough that allowed me to filter water and not die of heat stroke.

The downhill involved a mile of riding completely off trail followed by 3 miles/2500' of what could be the best singletrack I've ridden up there, if it were de-bushed that is. In its current state it's slow going with no line of sight and a bit of overgrowth which kept me on my toes. Quite a bit of deadfall as well (a fact of life in these parts) and some difficulties navigating the maze of trails with connectors that looked like this:



Last week was Erikson lakes for some of the best riding I've done up there (techier and steeper than Shingle Creek). Lots of heinous deadfall, some sketchy creek crossings, and I arrived at the lake at the same time as a huge wind burst from an angry Tstorm. I watched a mature dead pine crash across the trail 50' in front of me and hightailed it out of there before another one took me out so no pics of the down but it was QUALITY!
The price of admission:



1:45 hours to cover the last 2.7 miles. Once the FS clears this section it will still be heinous but at least won't require lifting the bike over 1000 trees.

If anyone's motivated I want to run a shuttle from Bald Mtn or Pass Lake down the East or middle fork of the Weber later this summer. Guaranteed adventure and suffering to be had, I hear the trail is near impossible to follow in a bunch of spots.

[Duffman]

Uninformed bike rental question. If we rent bikes at DV for the day, do they come with SPD. clips or flat pedals. The wife and kid ride flats, but I always ride clipless since my 16 yo road weenie days back in the Jurassic era. Also not sure what to pack shoe wise .

[Phall]

Flats, guaranteed.

[Duffman]

Thanks. Got no flat shoes so touron dork w sneakers or hiking shoes for me

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[Touring_Sedan]

Thanks. Got no flat shoes so touron dork w sneakers or hiking shoes for me

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I'm sure I have some pedals you're welcome to borrow. I'm near the mouth of LCC.

[Duffman]

I'm sure I have some pedals you're welcome to borrow. I'm near the mouth of LCC.

Will the rental peep let me switch pedals? If so I have a bunch sitting around in a box I can bring out w me.

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[Touring_Sedan]

Will the rental peep let me switch pedals? If so I have a bunch sitting around in a box I can bring out w me.

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Don't ask, don't tell? I can't imagine they'd be too pissed. There's less of a chance of you crashing their $5K bike if you're on pedals you're comfortable with.

[Duffman]

Don't ask, don't tell? I can't imagine they'd be too pissed. There's less of a chance of you crashing their $5K bike if you're on pedals you're comfortable with.

Fair point. Will pack an Allen wrench and some SPD trails.

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[MarsB]

Fair point. Will pack an Allen wrench and some SPD trails.

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I'd make that a pedal wrench, a lot of the cheapie flats don't have an allen interface.

[brutah]

Will the rental peep let me switch pedals? If so I have a bunch sitting around in a box I can bring out w me.

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Colesport will typically have some spd pedals for their bike rentals if you ask. Probably worth calling beforehand though as it's been awhile since I rented a bike there.

I've just brought my pedals in when renting and they'll put em on for ya.

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[whyturn]

Need to take a new beginner MTB buddy who lives around 9800 to some trails. Park city or cottonwoods recommendations please. Cross country mellow greens please. I have trailforks just looking for locals advice since I live in the north. Thanks.


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[Benneke10]

No mellow greens in the cottonwoods, try the Utah Olympic Park or Round Valley in PC

[evdog]

Tried (and failed) to escape the heat in the Uintas

Good stuff!

The Highline Trail has some a+ suffering as well, but at a bit higher elevation. Looking at TF those trails are all on there now.

Wonder if this was a real mtb ride? https://www.trailforks.com/ridelog/view/40688650/

[skiSilent_skiDeep]

^ Yeah, someones trollin TFers. 50-60 miles of it traverse the heart of the High Uintas Wilderness. It would be murderously hateful to pedal that trail anyways, many miles of medowy swampy mud and rocks/cobbles.
When your done poaching that one, I hear the JMT rides well.

[MegaStoke]

Is PCMR bike lift service worthwhile, or should I just go ride Deer Valley tomorrow?

[Spencer123]

It’s a nice way to get a head start on the upper mountain, but you are just riding the same xc trails and a few short directional downhills that you would pedal (which are all really fun, but just a way different feel).

If you are really looking to ride bike park or have more variety for a full day definitely deer valley I’d say.

[Marshal Olson]

Need to take a new beginner MTB buddy who lives around 9800 to some trails. Park city or cottonwoods recommendations please. Cross country mellow greens please. I have trailforks just looking for locals advice since I live in the north. Thanks.

Yeah man, sorry to say not really any greens in the Cottonwoods. Solitude marks Raptor Road as a green, and honestly that is about as hateful of a climb as you are going to find, haha.

Your best best for beginner friendly mid-summer riding is to drive up Mill Creek and do Big Water and/or Pipeline. The bonus is that it is pretty shaded in Big Water, and much of Pipeline is shaded too.