Riders flocking to mountain trails

It’s been a banner year for local mountain biking destinations, who have seen solid attendance despite everything going on around the world.

Silver Mountain has reaped many of the benefits of the Canadian border closing down, which has resulted in a lot of folks shifting their mountain biking vacations to places like Silver Mountain.

Silver Mountain also added a new trail, the Long Dog, and then went through and eliminated all of the rocky roads that intersected through the trails making for an exciting and smooth ride.

“The riding experience at Silver Mountain is unique for a number of reasons,” said Gus Colburn, Silver Mountain marketing director. “Bikers load their bikes on a gondola instead of pedaling up the mountain, providing a full day of gravity-induced exhilaration down the mountain. Our 3,400 feet of descent from the top of the mountain back to the base gives us one of the longest trail runs in our region. The Chair 3 Zone gives 800 feet of vertical descent, which is ideal for newbies or people who make quick laps on the famed ‘Tech Trifecta’ of Frankenbeans, Hot Beans and Snakepit.”

The resort’s addition of a full service bike shop along with the ability to rent full-suspension mountain bikes and providing professional lessons has made it even easier for folks to have the confidence to try their hand at the exhilarating sport.

The staff at Silver Mountain has also embraced the task at hand and is committed to making sure that the guests have a safe and enjoyable time on the mountain.

“We will give you the tools to make your first experience in lift-serviced mountain biking one you will never forget,” Colburn said. “We’re looking forward to serving the bike-crazed Northwest for the rest of the summer. I want to shout out our gondola operators, who have been working their behinds off to keep the gondolas sanitized after every ride. They’ve definitely gone above and beyond to make sure our guests have the peace of mind knowing they are hopping in a sparkly clean gondola cabin.”

For more information, including a schedule of events, please visit silvermt.com.

At Lookout Pass, where bikers can ride the scenic Route of the Hiawatha, or try their hand at Lookout’s more extreme downhill mountain biking trail, things started slowly, but have built up as the summer has progressed according to Ride the Hiawatha Scenic Bike Trail & Ski Lookout Pass Marketing Director Matt Sawyer.

“I would expect that the vibrant business we have experienced as of late on the Hiawatha will slow down as kids go back to school,” Sawyer said. “Although the trail is a treasure to ride from late August through our final day on Sept. 20. Some guests are looking for a less busy trail so that would be the best time if you have the flexibility and want to check this gem off your bucket list.”

The Route of the Hiawatha is unique for riders for many reasons including the ability to cruise through 10 tunnels that require lights to illuminate the way, seven different trestles (some as high as 230 feet above the forest floor).

The converted railroad also has several signs along the way that detail the history of the area on what has been appropriately described as “The Most Scenic Section of Railroad in the Country.”

For more information, including a schedule of events, please visit www.RideTheHiawatha.com/Events.