BiknBen does Kingdom Trails, VT...
- Thread starter BiknBen
- Start date
elzoller
El Guac-Oh
Ok...here is one to get things started....
Besided Ben and me you can see some other mtbnj'ers here: trailhead (the other Norm), icebiker, BlackBean
this was early in the ride (Saturday) and before Ben peeled off with the fast group. I decided I rather be the 'head' of the 'slower pack' than the 'tail' of the 'faster pack'
Besided Ben and me you can see some other mtbnj'ers here: trailhead (the other Norm), icebiker, BlackBean
this was early in the ride (Saturday) and before Ben peeled off with the fast group. I decided I rather be the 'head' of the 'slower pack' than the 'tail' of the 'faster pack'
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BiknBen
Well-Known Member
The Camping:
The Burke Mountain Camp Ground provides the only camping in town. http://www.skiburke.com/ It is pretty small with two dozen sites. I left messages for reservations and Dave got back to me quickly. I took a site near the bathroom and showers. The foot traffic to and from the shower was never a problem. The camp sites that I saw looked pretty small but mine was fine. For $25 a day, I couldn't complain. Bring quarters for the shower. Cold water is free. The hot water will cost you 75 cents for 6 minutes. I made sure I have quarters...the second time.
The BiknBen command center:
Bag of veggies on the grill:
A fire pit with a candle:
I keep it simple for easy clean-up:
The campground dog paid me the ultimate compliment:
He just wandered around all day but actually laid down as I ate.
The Burke Mountain Camp Ground provides the only camping in town. http://www.skiburke.com/ It is pretty small with two dozen sites. I left messages for reservations and Dave got back to me quickly. I took a site near the bathroom and showers. The foot traffic to and from the shower was never a problem. The camp sites that I saw looked pretty small but mine was fine. For $25 a day, I couldn't complain. Bring quarters for the shower. Cold water is free. The hot water will cost you 75 cents for 6 minutes. I made sure I have quarters...the second time.
The BiknBen command center:
Bag of veggies on the grill:
A fire pit with a candle:
I keep it simple for easy clean-up:
The campground dog paid me the ultimate compliment:
He just wandered around all day but actually laid down as I ate.
mwlikesbikes
Well-Known Member
That dog was in our campsite when I was up there the week before July 4th.
You rode your bike up Burke mt. road from town right? I did it in 23 minutes from the bike shop in town to turning into the campground from the toll road. My milage for that day was 40 miles & 1 taco'd front wheel on Sidewinder After a good trailside truing smash it was enough not to rub the fork arch.
You rode your bike up Burke mt. road from town right? I did it in 23 minutes from the bike shop in town to turning into the campground from the toll road. My milage for that day was 40 miles & 1 taco'd front wheel on Sidewinder
After a good trailside truing smash it was enough not to rub the fork arch.
BiknBen
Well-Known Member
Sorry man, I did that climb in 15 minutes from the turn onto Burke Mtn Rd. I'll spot you a minute cause you went from the bike shop.
BiknBen
Well-Known Member
Glenlivet12
Well-Known Member
The lifts weren't on when I was there in June... You can buy a ticket for a van to take you back up to the top of the downhill section of the mountain but the bulk of the trails you have to get to yourself. I think the van costs twenty bucks a day but I can't remember.
bradmcnutt
Member
Where are you getting the internet access from?
BiknBen
Well-Known Member
The KT info center and the general store both have Free Wi-Fi signs. I used the Wi-Fi on Friday but was unable to get the internet on Saturday. I was connected but my browser wasn't getting to the sites. Not sure if the problem was on my end or not. I didn't bother to ask.
I actually got an unsecure signal at my campsite that was named Burke Info (or somthing like that). Signal was too week to connect though.
Considering that the town looks like it is still in the 50's-60's, I was impressed that they have the awareness to provide free Wi-Fi.
BiknBen
Well-Known Member
Are The Trails Opened or Closed?
The KT web site indicated that the trails were open. When I arrived, I was told that everything on Burke Mtn was closed. I later learned that those trails had only been open for a few weeks in May before the rains forced them to be closed.
The web site also mentions that 70% of the trails are never closed due to weather. After thinking about it more, I determined that the web site has not changed since the trails were opened in May. It will say that the trails are open until the end of the season. The web site does not offer any specific info about trails that are opened or closed. It would be nice if they issued a daily conditions report like you see at a ski resort.
What does all of this mean? You can ride between May and October. There is 2-3 days worth of riding at all times. The trails on Burke Mtn are subject to closure. The trail map indicates that those trails are longer and gnarlier than the other areas. The people at the info center were great. The web site just doesn't provide enough details. When in doubt call ahead.
The KT web site indicated that the trails were open. When I arrived, I was told that everything on Burke Mtn was closed. I later learned that those trails had only been open for a few weeks in May before the rains forced them to be closed.
The web site also mentions that 70% of the trails are never closed due to weather. After thinking about it more, I determined that the web site has not changed since the trails were opened in May. It will say that the trails are open until the end of the season.
The web site does not offer any specific info about trails that are opened or closed. It would be nice if they issued a daily conditions report like you see at a ski resort.What does all of this mean? You can ride between May and October. There is 2-3 days worth of riding at all times. The trails on Burke Mtn are subject to closure. The trail map indicates that those trails are longer and gnarlier than the other areas. The people at the info center were great. The web site just doesn't provide enough details. When in doubt call ahead.
bradmcnutt
Member
I've never done the camping thing before, but I'm considering it when I go up in September so could you provide a general list of things I should bring?
BiknBen
Well-Known Member
The General Trail Description:
Due to the trail closures, I did all of my riding in the Darling Hill portion of Kingdom Trails. There are nearly no rocks. OTOH, there are more big roots than I have ever seen. Some trails were simply dominated by roots. You could find yourself stuttering over roots for minutes at a time. This made it difficult to ride relaxed. This is where I should remind everyone that I'm riding a rigid single-speed. This place is definitely 29er friendly though. The bigger wheel is less likely to fall between roots. There were a number of occasions where my front tire spanned a gap between roots instead of falling down between them.
While riding you constantly had to shift weight around on the bike, in and out of the saddle, etc. to manage the roots. When you thought you could open it up and get some speed to had to keep it in check because of roots. The roots were all rideable just challenging to annoying at times. The riding was not what I would describe as technical. Just very challenging. My arms and hands were working hard to absorb all the shock. Of course some areas were worse than others. If the woods were dense, the roots were ridiculous. On some trails, it was smooth hard-pack.
The trails were generally twisty and flowy. There was plenty of elevation change but no huge grinding climbs. Single-track switchbacks were utilized to handle steeper terrain. Turning radii were nice so you could flow through turns without having to come to a standstill. The wooded single-track was wide enough that h-bar strikes were never an issue. Grassy areas tended to be overgrown so you couldn't always see the track as you went around turns. Because I didn't know the trails, I could never really open it up and go as fast as I would have enjoyed.
All of the trails were well signed with names and difficulty at all intersections. The level of difficulty seem to be determined by how fast you could go or the amount of roots. Some black diamonds were straight and wide. I guess they have to cater to the masses and keep riders from getting beyond their ability level.
I spent a large amount of time trying to compare the trails in the Kingdom to something that other NJers would know. It wasn't really easy. It is nothing like our Northern NJ trails. It was not sandy like our southern trails. The trails tended to be most similar to Mercer County Park, 6-mile, and Hartshorne. Also a lot like Chimney Rock if you were to replace all of the rocks with roots.
On a few occasions I was also reminded of the Tiger Woods trail of Allaire. Constantly changing in direction and elevation with annoying roots. No big climbing sections but you were noticeably tired at the end. You never got a break and you never get enough speed to put a smile on your face.
Due to the trail closures, I did all of my riding in the Darling Hill portion of Kingdom Trails. There are nearly no rocks. OTOH, there are more big roots than I have ever seen. Some trails were simply dominated by roots. You could find yourself stuttering over roots for minutes at a time. This made it difficult to ride relaxed. This is where I should remind everyone that I'm riding a rigid single-speed.
This place is definitely 29er friendly though. The bigger wheel is less likely to fall between roots. There were a number of occasions where my front tire spanned a gap between roots instead of falling down between them.While riding you constantly had to shift weight around on the bike, in and out of the saddle, etc. to manage the roots. When you thought you could open it up and get some speed to had to keep it in check because of roots. The roots were all rideable just challenging to annoying at times. The riding was not what I would describe as technical. Just very challenging. My arms and hands were working hard to absorb all the shock. Of course some areas were worse than others. If the woods were dense, the roots were ridiculous. On some trails, it was smooth hard-pack.
The trails were generally twisty and flowy. There was plenty of elevation change but no huge grinding climbs. Single-track switchbacks were utilized to handle steeper terrain. Turning radii were nice so you could flow through turns without having to come to a standstill. The wooded single-track was wide enough that h-bar strikes were never an issue. Grassy areas tended to be overgrown so you couldn't always see the track as you went around turns. Because I didn't know the trails, I could never really open it up and go as fast as I would have enjoyed.
All of the trails were well signed with names and difficulty at all intersections. The level of difficulty seem to be determined by how fast you could go or the amount of roots. Some black diamonds were straight and wide. I guess they have to cater to the masses and keep riders from getting beyond their ability level.
I spent a large amount of time trying to compare the trails in the Kingdom to something that other NJers would know. It wasn't really easy. It is nothing like our Northern NJ trails. It was not sandy like our southern trails. The trails tended to be most similar to Mercer County Park, 6-mile, and Hartshorne. Also a lot like Chimney Rock if you were to replace all of the rocks with roots.
On a few occasions I was also reminded of the Tiger Woods trail of Allaire. Constantly changing in direction and elevation with annoying roots. No big climbing sections but you were noticeably tired at the end. You never got a break and you never get enough speed to put a smile on your face.
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bradmcnutt
Member
Sounds somewhat like Lewis Morris which doesn't have rocks, but an awful lot of roots.
J-Dro
Well-Known Member
Keep the ride reports coming. Let's hope the rest of the trails open up quick. That's a long way to go for Mercer-like trails.
A couple years ago, I took the family to Stowe for a week in August. Rained nearly every day. I never got to see any of the amazing trails up there. :mad2:
A couple years ago, I took the family to Stowe for a week in August. Rained nearly every day. I never got to see any of the amazing trails up there. :mad2:
BiknBen
Well-Known Member
Everyone has their own idea about how to camp. How about I tell you what you don't need.
I did not take a tour of the campground but I stayed in site 7 near the bathrooms/shower. Each camp site contains a fire ring/pit and a picnic table. My site had a wood bench but I did not see one in other sites. I thought the sites were pretty small. I, alone, filled my site with a car, 4-person tent, picnic table, and fire pit. I put up a canopy over the picnic table. They allow four people per site but that is tight. Maybe a family of four that is sharing everything. Tree cover is good. You will get sun but not be baking all day. One night was really windy but the woods buffered the wind so all my stuff stayed put. I thought the bathroom shower was as clean as could be expected. You have to pay for the hot water in the shower ($0.75/6 min.) but it is hot. There is a free bike wash station near the bathroom. It is a wooden cross with a good hose. Bring soap, bucket and brush if you want the bike really clean. I say free because there is a bike wash behind the bike shop in town that cost $.25/min. There are signs in town asking people NOT to wash their bike in the river.
The campground has a general store but it is just a shack. It contains some random bottled drinks, and other absolute essentials such as fire wood. I went in and paid for my stay but didn't look around much.
mwlikesbikes
Well-Known Member
elzoller
El Guac-Oh
I happen to know of a house that has unrestricted WiFi access
...you can park next to it if you are desperate for access
BiknBen
Well-Known Member
Actual Video:
This is video of Saturday's riding with ELZoller and his band of merry men.
http://www.vimeo.com/5812541
This is video of Saturday's riding with ELZoller and his band of merry men.
http://www.vimeo.com/5812541