I'm happiest when biking at walking speed

phillychris498

phillychris498

Well-Known Member
What's up NJ? For anyone that's ridden with me, you know that my favorite type of trail is pure TECH. Since starting mountain biking, there are two things that get me most excited to ride: either finding a new technical trail at a new trail system, or clearing a technical feature on a trail that I normally struggle with. Luckily, living in New Jersey and Massachusetts provides access to some of the best technical riding one can find.

I've wanted to start a technical trail forum for a while, but am just getting around to it now. Post the techiest trails you've ever encountered here!

I'll start with all the rocky, janky trails/trail systems that I've ridden by state. Anyone have a better list/a recommendation for tech to add?

New Jersey:

Allamuchy: Lumpy Bumpy, Roly Poly, Candy Ass (RIP :()
Deer Park: Rogue
Stephens: Steve's Technical/Quasi Moto Trail
Mahlon Dickerson/WMA: Tiger Blood, Black Magic, Ghost
Sourlands: Tres Amigos, Boulderama
Water Company
Ringwood: Skylands, Ringwood/Ramapo trail, Cannonball, Warm Puppy Rock
Ramapo: Wanaque Ridge, Cannonball
Wildcat Ridge: Ogden Mine (amongst others I don't remember the names of)
Jungle Habitat: Babs, Boon, Fish
The Ridge (shhh)
THE FUGAWE!!!

New York:

Blue Mountain: Stinger, Myx Monster, Dr. Jekyll, Debacler, Rambler

Pennsylvania:

South Mountain Emmaus
Rothrock State Forest

Connecticut:

Northern Exposure

Massachusetts:

Lynn Woods (Best technical riding on this list)
School Street
Harold Parker: Black Ops, Ledge Trail
Bruce and Toms
Vietnam
Ames/Nowell
Borderland
F. Gilbert State Forest

New Hampshire:

Fort Rock

Vermont:

Hinesburg State Forest: Wolf Tree, Enchanted Forest

Virginia:

Carvin's Cove: Rattlin' Run

Utah:

Slickrock Trail
Amasa Back: Hymasa, Captain Ahab
Brand trails: Deadman's Ridge

Colorado:

(in Grand Junction)
Kokopelli Trail System: Moore Fun, Mack Ridge
Lunch Loops: Free Lunch, Holy Cross

Arizona:

Hiline Trail
Hangover Trail
High on the Hog
 
fidodie said:
Sourlands has a new trail - Chunky Monkey.
It was built to learn a section or two at a time. Maybe it will be rideable this year, if it stops raining for a few weeks.

https://www.strava.com/segments/16061782

you know it is tough when @J-Dro is doing under 4mph....
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I hit Chunky Monkey in December when it was velcro dirt: amazing trail. The last time I tried riding it it was pure mud, at the beginning, so I turned back. I'm excited to the learn the lines of that trail soon though, if Sourlands dries up eventually....
 
High Mt 's Jack's trail is a good one you might want to check out. There's other interesting trails at High Mt. Good luck and have fun!
 
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You've got some great stuff on that list, but you have to go a little more off the beaten path for the really crazy stuff :p

goldsbar said:
Mahlon - you forgot Four BIrds
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Whoever created that Strava segment should change the name. Four Birds goes from the bat cave at Wildcat to Bigelow Rd near Route 23. It doesn't go anywhere near Mahlon.

phillychris498 said:
Four birds is CRAZY. Climbing up that trail clean is close to impossible, I've only managed to do it once.
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Have you tried it recently? With all the other crazy stuff you've been riding, it might not be as hard as you remember.
 
Whoever created that Strava segment should change the name. Four Birds goes from the bat cave at Wildcat to Bigelow Rd near Route 23. It doesn't go anywhere near Mahlon.



Have you tried it recently? With all the other crazy stuff you've been riding, it might not be as hard as you remember.[/QUOTE]
I think you’re right, it’s not nearly as hard as some of those other trails. I’m pretty sure you took me up that trail last year and I think I only walked a little.
 
JimN said:
You've got some great stuff on that list, but you have to go a little more off the beaten path for the really crazy stuff :p



Whoever created that Strava segment should change the name. Four Birds goes from the bat cave at Wildcat to Bigelow Rd near Route 23. It doesn't go anywhere near Mahlon.



Have you tried it recently? With all the other crazy stuff you've been riding, it might not be as hard as you remember.
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I think I rode four birds (in Mahlon) in December. It’s the white blaze coming out of Ghost, right? I just remember thinking the chunk would let up after Ghost and then being completely wrong...
 
In PA -
Michaux in general, but specifically Abigail and Wildcat Trails. Also, Rattling Creek Rock Ridge trail.

You mentioned Rothrock, but that's a bit broad -- there are literally hundreds of miles of trail out there. The techiest stuff is probably all included on the Trial Mix, which follows the Rothrock IMBA epic route. If anyone is looking for a techy ride out there, they can just do the 36 miles of the epic and it'll deliver as much as they'll need. The Cooper's Gap area, which is personally my favorite section of the forest, isn't as techy - it's got rocks, but nothing like what's up on Tussey Ridge. It's a lot flowier.

And this doesn't get too much mention (and given your username, you're probably familiar with this one) but the newest full section of Wissahickon includes the trail out to Cresheim and back (about three years old.) The outbound section, on the north side of the creek, isn't that techy, but Tightrope on the south side, is one of the hardest trails to clean anywhere around here. Overall not that hard to ride in total - just pretty off-camber and narrow most of the way - but the first section is very, very hard to clean: you basically drop through a rocky run-off stream and then have to ride up a few rocks before angling between a tree and some rocks to off-camber hop up a log-step up. If you don't hit it just right, you're tumbling down into the creek about 20 feet below (unless the trees break your fall, and probably your ribs.) And right after that, you ride down a steep rock face with a sharp left turn at the bottom. Clean that and you're good for the rest, but that one maybe 15 yard section of trail can fuck you up for real if you aren't seriously on your game. I spent months trying to master it and after I finally did, the rain earlier this year pushed rocks around and created some erosion that made it twice as difficult. And if the conditions are even a little damp, the whole thing is scary. I haven't given up on it, but more often than not, I have to bail before the log hop (let's call it the wisdom of age ...) I have a buddy who is working just as hard trying to ride it in the opposite direction and hasn't yet managed to conquer the climb up the steep rock face on the other side.
 
1speed said:
In PA -
Michaux in general, but specifically Abigail and Wildcat Trails. Also, Rattling Creek Rock Ridge trail.

You mentioned Rothrock, but that's a bit broad -- there are literally hundreds of miles of trail out there. The techiest stuff is probably all included on the Trial Mix, which follows the Rothrock IMBA epic route. If anyone is looking for a techy ride out there, they can just do the 36 miles of the epic and it'll deliver as much as they'll need. The Cooper's Gap area, which is personally my favorite section of the forest, isn't as techy - it's got rocks, but nothing like what's up on Tussey Ridge. It's a lot flowier.

And this doesn't get too much mention (and given your username, you're probably familiar with this one) but the newest full section of Wissahickon includes the trail out to Cresheim and back (about three years old.) The outbound section, on the north side of the creek, isn't that techy, but Tightrope on the south side, is one of the hardest trails to clean anywhere around here. Overall not that hard to ride in total - just pretty off-camber and narrow most of the way - but the first section is very, very hard to clean: you basically drop through a rocky run-off stream and then have to ride up a few rocks before angling between a tree and some rocks to off-camber hop up a log-step up. If you don't hit it just right, you're tumbling down into the creek about 20 feet below (unless the trees break your fall, and probably your ribs.) And right after that, you ride down a steep rock face with a sharp left turn at the bottom. Clean that and you're good for the rest, but that one maybe 15 yard section of trail can fuck you up for real if you aren't seriously on your game. I spent months trying to master it and after I finally did, the rain earlier this year pushed rocks around and created some erosion that made it twice as difficult. And if the conditions are even a little damp, the whole thing is scary. I haven't given up on it, but more often than not, I have to bail before the log hop (let's call it the wisdom of age ...) I have a buddy who is working just as hard trying to ride it in the opposite direction and hasn't yet managed to conquer the climb up the steep rock face on the other side.
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i’ve heard of wissahickon but have yet to visit it. I’ll be sure to try Tightrope when i’m down there visiting family next, hopefully on a dry day.

And the part of Rothrock I’ve ridden is on the 36 mile trail mix loop, which was rocky as hell. I’ve wanted to visit Michaux and Rattling Creek in PA as well but haven’t gotten around to it quite yet. I did forget to mention Moosic Mountain out by Scranton, which is a pretty gnarly place I loved the one time I rode there.
 
Rode Ringwood today and must now add to the list the Yellow blaze trail. That trail is pretty relentlessly rocky the whole way, with some steep up and down sections along the ridge. Perhaps the hardest part about it was the rattlesnake I encountered protecting one of the gnarliest rock features....

4E76D389-8D9A-4C5D-94C4-8E7A58FAC58D.jpeg
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phillychris498 said:
I think I rode four birds (in Mahlon) in December. It’s the white blaze coming out of Ghost, right? I just remember thinking the chunk would let up after Ghost and then being completely wrong...
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Yeah, you make a right onto white coming out of Ghost. It's more fun coming down, but going up isn't that bad. FYI, if you go up white, you can cross yellow and stay on white for a bit. You'll need to make a right at a woods road to get back to yellow though. That white trail continues all the way down to Berkshire Valley Rd near Rt 15, but I wouldn't recommend it. I did the whole thing a few years ago, and it was very much unmaintained. It was horribly overgrown and there were trees down everywhere.
 
Also, not that anyone cares, but that white blazed trail that starts after Ghost in Mahlon is called the Beaver Brook Trail. If you continue on it out in the WMA far enough, you'll see why. Plan on getting very wet.
 
JimN said:
Yeah, you make a right onto white coming out of Ghost. It's more fun coming down, but going up isn't that bad. FYI, if you go up white, you can cross yellow and stay on white for a bit. You'll need to make a right at a woods road to get back to yellow though. That white trail continues all the way down to Berkshire Valley Rd near Rt 15, but I wouldn't recommend it. I did the whole thing a few years ago, and it was very much unmaintained. It was horribly overgrown and there were trees down everywhere.
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ahh yes, i couldn’t remember the name of it on the mahlon map. I’ve only done it as a connector from ghost to the yellow trail.
 
I'll bite. Under Mass, you should throw in the new trails the locals have cut in Dogtown in both Rockport & Gloucester. Similar to Bruce & Tom's used to be, but more miles to it. One good section covers Rockport's South End up to the Cape Pond reservoir and the other big system covers Pigeon Cove through the quarries. You need someone to take you through them but particularly recommend Coyote, which was cut a few years back and has one the gnarliest drops I've seen anyone ride (I grew up in Rockport and have stayed close to a lot of the guys I used to ride with there).

For, VA, it's not the most technical thing I've ever seen but parts of the Chimney Hollow in George Washington National Forest are pretty hairball - particularly the switchbacks up near the top (good views too). Site has some info on it: https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/7000628/chimney-hollow-489
 
blackburn1973 said:
I'll bite. Under Mass, you should throw in the new trails the locals have cut in Dogtown in both Rockport & Gloucester. Similar to Bruce & Tom's used to be, but more miles to it. One good section covers Rockport's South End up to the Cape Pond reservoir and the other big system covers Pigeon Cove through the quarries. You need someone to take you through them but particularly recommend Coyote, which was cut a few years back and has one the gnarliest drops I've seen anyone ride (I grew up in Rockport and have stayed close to a lot of the guys I used to ride with there).

For, VA, it's not the most technical thing I've ever seen but parts of the Chimney Hollow in George Washington National Forest are pretty hairball - particularly the switchbacks up near the top (good views too). Site has some info on it: https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/7000628/chimney-hollow-489
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do you have/know of any strava files of the trails in stockport/Gloucester? I’ve ridden Gordon College and Greenwood, but that’s not as far north as Rockport. Id love to check out those trails once i’m back there in the fall.
 
phillychris498 said:
do you have/know of any strava files of the trails in stockport/Gloucester? I’ve ridden Gordon College and Greenwood, but that’s not as far north as Rockport. Id love to check out those trails once i’m back there in the fall.
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I'm not aware of any for Rockport/Gloucester but I don't use Strava and don't think any of the guys I ride with back there do, but that may have changed. I'm going to be back there this summer so will see if I can dig any up. As these trails aren't sanctioned there's a certain effort to keep them quiet (to be clear, these aren't managed parks but land that the town purchased a long while back to keep it from getting developed) so as not to make it a destination (similar to what happened to Bruce & Toms when word about that place got out). All the times I've been on them I had someone show me the entry points. I'll do some looking around and see.

Believe Gordon College links up to the Manchester trails that parallel Rte 128 and eventually lead into Red Rocks as you go North in West Gloucester (not too far from B&Ts). If it's the same system I'm thinking of that's a really solid (and technical) system as well.
 
blackburn1973 said:
I'm not aware of any for Rockport/Gloucester but I don't use Strava and don't think any of the guys I ride with back there do, but that may have changed. I'm going to be back there this summer so will see if I can dig any up. As these trails aren't sanctioned there's a certain effort to keep them quiet (to be clear, these aren't managed parks but land that the town purchased a long while back to keep it from getting developed) so as not to make it a destination (similar to what happened to Bruce & Toms when word about that place got out). All the times I've been on them I had someone show me the entry points. I'll do some looking around and see.

Believe Gordon College links up to the Manchester trails that parallel Rte 128 and eventually lead into Red Rocks as you go North in West Gloucester (not too far from B&Ts). If it's the same system I'm thinking of that's a really solid (and technical) system as well.
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That's the same system, yes. One of my favorite places to ride is School Street, which links up to Red Rocks in West Gloucester. If you're up there in late August let me know, that's when I'll be in Massachusetts next.
 
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