Helena Shuttlefest

[rideit]

Anyone been?
Pedally, or maybe some rowdy?
Thinking of going, deciding which bike to bring...

[Eluder]

what bikes do you have?

[rideit]

Rocky Mountain Altitude, 170mm up front, 150mm coilover on the rear,
Yeti SB100. (120/100mm).
Both shred going downhill, but the altitude does better with truly rowdy or stutter bumps.
Yeti pedals better, but still rips.

[hick]

Rocky Mountain Altitude, 170mm up front, 150mm coilover on the rear,
Yeti SB100. (120/100mm).
Both shred going downhill, but the altitude does better with truly rowdy or stutter bumps.
Yeti pedals better, but still rips.

No question, take the SB 100. All pretty mellow around Helena.


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[DolphinSki]

Second vote for the SB 100 for Helena

[rideit]

*Probably* going solo, but would any of these trails be good for an intermediate 11 Y.O. That hates climbing?

[evasive_MT]

No question, take the SB 100. All pretty mellow around Helena.

perfect Helena bike

*Probably* going solo, but would any of these trails be good for an intermediate 11 Y.O. That hates climbing?

Some of them, yeah. After the shuttle, the climb to the Mt Helena Ridge is ~650 feet. Not bad, but maybe more than you’re looking for. But the climb to Entertainment Trail is about 100 feet, and after that there’s a lot to do on Mount Ascension.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Pretty sure I'll be there dirtbag camping in my truck that weekend.

[detrusor]

Took the girls there last year. Tons of riding for an 11 year ild


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[rideit]

Cool. How crowded are the trails on that weekend?
Annoyingly so, or totally fine?
(She and kiddo are not that fast, and don’t want to impede many other people’s flow)

[Bunion 2020]

https://bikehelena.com/shuttle-fest/

[mntlion]

how is the shuttle fest different then the normal shuttles that run all summer?


adn its a REALLY cool program, that I have enjoyed

[evasive_MT]

how is the shuttle fest different then the normal shuttles that run all summer?


adn its a REALLY cool program, that I have enjoyed

Shuttles all day Friday and Saturday. On a normal weekend there are 2 Friday evening and 3 each morning.

[yeahman]

I think I've posted this before in Helena threads, but if anybody is looking for lodging close to the trails a friend of mine has a couple VRBO's about 1/3 mile up the gulch from Blackfoot River Brewing. Both appear to be available that weekend. Prices seem reasonable.

The Bunkhouse, sleeps 8, $150 a night

The Cottage at the Bunkhouse, sleeps 3, $120 a night

[rideit]

If I only did one ride with wifey and kiddo on Saturday, would it be 2006 trailhead/arrowroot, or Helena Ridge?
I think he would be ok with 650 of climbing...

[evasive_MT]

If I only did one ride with wifey and kiddo on Saturday, would it be 2006 trailhead/arrowroot, or Helena Ridge?
I think he would be ok with 650 of climbing...

Ridge. While you can certainly extend it, a lot of people beat the shuttle back from Arrowroot.

[panchosdad]

Any dispersed camping suggestions?

[rideit]

I am also looking for a good site suggestion somewhere in the woods.

[evasive_MT]

Any dispersed camping suggestions?

I am also looking for a good site suggestion somewhere in the woods.

Not a recommendation, but this is relevant:

[yeahman]

Dispersed camping is tricky to come by super close to Helena due to the amount of private land lining the roads up Grizzly Gulch and Orofino Gulch, even after you get outside the no-camping boundary. Not saying you can't find it up there if you go far enough but I don't think it's ideal. Moose Creek Campground is 15 minutes from town but it's not a bad option. Fee is $5 a site but I sincerely doubt there will be anybody around to collect it. If you are doing the Continental Divide/Switchback Ridge ride, you will end the ride very near the campground. Also you can fish in Ten Mile Creek if it's not blown out with runoff.

[RootSkier]

But the climb to Entertainment Trail is about 100 feet, and after that there’s a lot to do on Mount Ascension.

I'd be curious to hear recommendations for routes other than the most obvious, like Entertainment proper and Show Me the Horse. What other routes should someone put together on the in-town shuttles if they have done those?

[evasive_MT]

I'd be curious to hear recommendations for routes other than the most obvious, like Entertainment proper and Show Me the Horse. What other routes should someone put together on the in-town shuttles if they have done those?

Check out some of the suggestions on Trailforks:

https://www.trailforks.com/region/south-hills/routes/

Some of the Helenduro routes on the Ridge are good longer rides, and some of them pull in some less obvious choices. Also, you can use Arrowroot to tie into Eddye McClure and then loop back. Or head west and pull in some Rodney Ridge loops.

[evasive_MT]

This isn’t dispersed, but it’s an option for camping. He stressed to me that they are still a work in progress because he wants to manage expectations, but they will have 4 sites by that weekend. Should be nice when they’re fully up and running.

https://www.mtbcity.net/

[rideit]

Interesting...but there is no option to book sites for that weekend, just the bunkhouse (where they don’t want kids under 12).
I’ll call them tomorrow.

[yeahman]

Drove down there to look at that MTBcity today...hmmm. Interesting zone.

For those who are just looking to park a truck/van/RV, one option would be the Siebel soccer fields behind Costco. There is a field there where they let families park and camp for weekend tournaments. Usually it's free, but that weekend there is a tournament and they are charging $25 for the weekend. There are portapotties there. Probably be a bunch of soccer people camped there, but they are usually quiet. Anyway, it's an option for legal urban camping without being hassled.

Once the roads are clear I'll make a scouting mission up the gulches near the trailheads and see what I can find for dispersed camping on Forest Service land.