scat silvurz wrote:Rode the trails yesterday. I guess we arrived at the right time, for upon reading the sign at the trailhead, we were informed that an additional 3 miles of trail were completed to allow the opening of "the Big Loop". The hilly forest that the trails reside in, are incredibly scenic - the trees are very tall, so the canopy is very high above, making for an expansive view - it's like being in a giant tree arena. The trails winds in and around the ravines and hillsides, taking advantage of the terrain to maximize flow. This trail is all about flow. There is notable elevation gain, but the trail designers were able to use a very constant grade pitch, so you never really feel like you're grunting like crazy to gain elevation - very clever. Also, of note is that the trail meanders into various isolated valleys, yet never crests to the very top (rarely trail designers can resist driving to the summit) - so one rarely sees the trail one came up on - you're always presented with fresh vistas - no recycled views of "there we were 5 minutes ago". I gather the trail was mostly cut with some sort of machine, for it's almost all bench cut trail - done by hand, this would have taken forever!!
We finished up the Big Loop, and explored the more established inner loops - where you can really dial your own ride within this area (multi-directional I assume), which supplies the same sort of easy sneaky elevation gain, yet offers up zoomy fun twisty singletrack descents. I could have played here all day...but, Shorts Brewing called (only 5-10 minutes away from the Trail!)
We've all been on trail turned into mtb trails, that has been adopted from other users, like equestrians, hikers, dirt bikes, etc....but, when you hop on a fresh trail designed for mountain biking, and it flows as nice as this trail does - it's a revelation. Brilliant design, fast and flowing, and incredibly scenic - the Glacial Hills network can be considered a "destination trail". It's awesome, and I enjoyed every minute there.
There's still more trail planned, so if this is any indication of what's in store, we're all in for more treats! Hat's off to the trail builders! Well done.
Irish57 wrote:Would this trail be comparable to Arcadia Dunes or some other trail? Level of difficulty? I have next week off and was thinking of trying it out even though it's a 2 hour drive. I'd combine it with other trails also. Thanks!
Josh McCreedy wrote:This is incredible. Combined with dirt cheap camping at the Bellaire city campground, Shorts, great coffee shops, and a swimming hole on the river (not to mention all the lakes), this is an incredible destination. I cannot wait to get back up there.
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