18 NE - Go on, ride when it's wet

[HankScorpio]

Explored Carse Hill in Hinesburg today for the first time. Really remarkable trail network. Very rocky, steep and just gnarly terrain. Also tons of lines to choose from. I planned on linking more trails but was pretty gassed mostly due to a really big ride yesterday. Reminded me of Perry Hill with a ton less people. Damn, can’t wait to get back.



I also ran into a guy on an e-bike on the way out. I was little annoyed until we started chatting and said he’s recovering from a major heart attack. I guess an exception can be made there.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[jackstraw]

Yeah, no dissing an ebiker if there is a preexisting health issue. It's just pure stoke that he's still above ground and riding dirt.

[JerseyDave]

Explored Carse Hill in Hinesburg today for the first time. Really remarkable trail network. Very rocky, steep and just gnarly terrain. Also tons of lines to choose from. I planned on linking more trails but was pretty gassed mostly due to a really big ride yesterday. Reminded me of Perry Hill with a ton less people. Damn, can’t wait to get back.



I also ran into a guy on an e-bike on the way out. I was little annoyed until we started chatting and said he’s recovering from a major heart attack. I guess an exception can be made there.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

No easy miles there. Combining that section with the Economo Rd. section is great fun but a real ass kicker. Once you drop down below the Economo double track it's a long way back to the car and the Henry Highlands climb is relentless when you're smoked. Trails look well used....

[HankScorpio]

No easy miles there. Combining that section with the Economo Rd. section is great fun but a real ass kicker. Once you drop down below the Economo double track it's a long way back to the car and the Henry Highlands climb is relentless when you're smoked. Trails look well used....

Yep. I've been putting in some hard rides lately and getting in good riding shape. Yesterday's ride was humbling and kicked my ass pretty good. Interesting how much more difficult the trails around Hinesburg compared to others in the area.

[JerseyDave]

Yep. I've been putting in some hard rides lately and getting in good riding shape. Yesterday's ride was humbling and kicked my ass pretty good. Interesting how much more difficult the trails around Hinesburg compared to others in the area.

Well. Millstone just doesn't have the vert. Other areas have been changed. The climb at Perry Hill at one point was so gnarly. Very few folks who ride there now would ride there if that was still the way in. Stowe, Waitsfield, ect, the thrust has been to make the climbing easier, I think trail networks in general have been getting less and less challenging over the last decade. Then you go back to an area that was not recently developed or augmented and you remember what Mountain Biking was like.

The climb in Northfield is +- 400 feet per mile. I hear folks talk about it like it's everest, to me it's just MTBing. Then I remember that most newly developed or augmented VT MTB is 1-200 fpm. Curious what Carse and HTF come out to for most routes.

[djspookman]

The climb at Perry Hill at one point was so gnarly. Very few folks who ride there now would ride there if that was still the way in.

I sadly don't know it any differently! Haven't been there since 2004, been WAY too long, especially since I've been back home a lot lately.. ugh. I used to do it on a heavy klunker of a bike too!
D

[Peruvian]

Advances in bike technology have been a huge factor in how trail systems ride. Even our local trails have been “dumbed down” by long travel 29ers. What used to be a Sunday afternoon epic is now a Monday evening ride.

[HankScorpio]

Well. Millstone just doesn't have the vert. Other areas have been changed. The climb at Perry Hill at one point was so gnarly. Very few folks who ride there now would ride there if that was still the way in. Stowe, Waitsfield, ect, the thrust has been to make the climbing easier, I think trail networks in general have been getting less and less challenging over the last decade. Then you go back to an area that was not recently developed or augmented and you remember what Mountain Biking was like.

The climb in Northfield is +- 400 feet per mile. I hear folks talk about it like it's everest, to me it's just MTBing. Then I remember that most newly developed or augmented VT MTB is 1-200 fpm. Curious what Carse and HTF come out to for most routes.

Very true. I’ve been riding since I was a teenager but have gotten accustomed to smoother, efficient switchback climbs that you see in most local trail networks. Those make climbing a bit too easy considering the vert they cover.

I did 8ish miles at Carse and logged in 1500 vert. That’s quite a bit for only 8 mi; 15 miles at Millstone will get you about that much up. Carse has some nicely built switchback climbs but also some loose, steep, up the fall line climbs which were total leg burners.

I’ll be riding the Hinesburg/Carse/Sleepy Hollow trails more on my steel hardtail to get back to basics. I’ve been too spoiled by manicured trails and my carbon FS bike.

First world problems.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[Anospa]

Go to Cochran's. I think that was the most vert per mile I got last year: 9 miles and 2500 vf

Climb at Northfield is bit rough just because it builds in pitch and rock as you go on. Well worth the effort.

People even complain about the climb at Victory Hill. Its 600 feet and 90% is pleasant with 1 steepish pitch ON A FIREROAD.

[scharny]

Go to Cochran's. I think that was the most vert per mile I got last year: 9 miles and 2500 vf

Definitely best elevation/mile ratio, but the main up (Jimmy Cliff) is still a lot easier than the old climb (India Pale Trail) was. That thing was brutal. The stuff on the backside is still old-school gnar.

Climb at Northfield is bit rough just because it builds in pitch and rock as you go on. Well worth the effort.

Agreed - the most challenging part of that climb is the 0.1-mile rock garden section (just before final switchback to the ridge), and that's only really tough when it's wet.

[JerseyDave]

For me the crux here in Northfield is the diagonal ledge about 1 foot high in the middle of the pitch that takes you to the hawk watch. The last pitch to the summit gets me to dab often because I'm just so worked at that point small roots can spin me out.


One more work session and the DH off the summit will be a couple minutes longer. Got about 70 hours in. Probably another 1/2 mile of trail. Still only comes out to $3k/mile even though it seems like slow work when you're solo. 1/10th as much as a pro crew.....funny...it doesn't seem 1/10th as fun as brown sidewalk...

New trail get's me stoked to ride.

Scharny....heard the Car Wash (Salt Lick) in Stowe get's re-opened tonight.

[jackstraw]

What a bunch of old crusty phucks!

Remember when bikes had no suspension, skinny tires, constant flats, broken derailures and hangers, u-brakes, broken frames, and hiking trails to ride on. Ohh, the good old days when we were so core.

[biggins]

When I was young MTBs had square wheels and NO CHAINS! You whipper snappers are pussies.

[Vt-Freeheel]

Chuckling along and happy to get out tonight in the cool air, 9 of 11 for July. 1:02 for 4.71 mls., 1184' over 1.71 assent = 692' per mile, the usual "Backyard" ride. Always love to climb, old school Valley rider.
Douchebags have promoted a "shuttle" style concept of riding here to try and create a "Mecca" of riding, it'll never happen, sorry fluff.

[JerseyDave]

Chuckling along and happy to get out tonight in the cool air, 9 of 11 for July. 1:02 for 4.71 mls., 1184' over 1.71 assent = 692' per mile, the usual "Backyard" ride. Always love to climb, old school Valley rider.
Douchebags have promoted a "shuttle" style concept of riding here to try and create a "Mecca" of riding, it'll never happen, sorry fluff.

Haha. The Valley has always been gnarly. Dana Hill Rd as the last climb on a long loop on a SS with 36:18 was always the "Talk to God" moment for me. Real MTBing built by, for, and of MTBers, not marketers and VMBA-shill salesman.

On all my projects over there Asskissn showed up once to work. When he started bench cutting near me I literally had to duck and cover. Swinging for the fences, he had no concept of what he was doping. The boss took him aside for a few minutes to try and explain to him the idea of benching a trail. Ultimately he just had to shake his head and leave the fluff-man to flail at the ground later saying, "You can't teach that guy anything, he knows it already." Asskissin'.....the self-promoted expert bringing change without improvement.

Don't even get me started about his involvement in BlueBerry Lake. Hi-jinx ensued. Sad to say I think he will be successful in the end. Once the brown sidewalk goes all the way up from Flatbread the Howe Block will look like Perry Hill. Hopefully your back-yard sniggle stays unattainable for most folks. People like Holly Knox love guys like J.A.

[WaistDeepGroomers]

Hadn't been on the bike since early May, been absolutely slaughtering myself working on my house in my spare time, and it was SOOO nice to give up the ghost and get out for a ride on Monday. As buff as it gets here in Maine, heat wave subsibed, tacky trails and definitely the biggest group ride I've ever been a part of, which was a totally fun, goofy, feel-like-you're-12 experience. Thanks Allspeed!



Also after not having the proper tools and barely getting a legit brake bleed in in time to head out the door for the ride, it was super fun to get this little nose wheelie going down one of the local rock rolls. Probably the best 1/8 of a mile of trail I've ridden anywhere (next to Evergreen Cemetary in Portland). Reminds me a lot of Squamish, just needs to go for another 20 miles haha.

[gravitylover]

Nice day for a ride but things are bit dry and dusty.

[biggins]

That's a lot of rad right there.

[PhishingME]

Nice day for a ride but things are bit dry and dusty.

We need rain in a bad way, and its looking really dry on the 10 day.

[Anospa]

Heck yeah Dunfee! Finish that shower and ride yo bike!

[HankScorpio]

We need rain in a bad way, and its looking really dry on the 10 day.

Based on zero scientific knowledge, I just kept telling myself all the absent precip will come this winter with endless snowfall.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[jackstraw]

Yeah Dunfee!

Great ride last night and yeah it's dry here also. The one circuit we ride and rode last night doesn't get a lot of traffic and we were selective when blowing. Some loops we didn't blow at all, so there is very little dust...which is nice.

[ticketchecker]

Dunfee on the nose! Was that Mitchell's bDay ride?

[WaistDeepGroomers]

Dunfee on the nose! Was that Mitchell's bDay ride?

Haha thanks man. It was indeed! Although I didn't know it at the time. Had Actually bolted out the door late trying to Meet them, thought I was too.late, did bascislly an entire ride solo and then ran into them at the rocks near ever green.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using TGR Forums mobile app

[gravitylover]

We need rain in a bad way, and its looking really dry on the 10 day.

It looks like things will be plenty moist here starting tonight and lasting through Thursday or so. I'm looking forward to a few good soakings to tack things back up. On the plus side I haven't had to mow the lawn nearly as much for the last month as I usually would, probably will today though as it doesn't look like it will brown out and burn before it rains tonight and tomorrow.