Kingdom Trails trail closures

kidzach

kidzach

Well-Known Member
MTB trails are getting better and better all over Vermont. Kingdom will still be the elite if not the templet. But most definitely not the only area to visit. The Stowe area and outskirts keep growing. The Killington area with the Green Mountain Trails, Pine Hill and RASTA are ever growing also. Just depends on how much traveling and research you are willing to do.
 
Captain Brainstorm

Captain Brainstorm

Well-Known Member
don said:
I agree - I was running out the door (to head to Vermont actually) when posting the link. I should have written that the comments provide a better overall view on the situation. One thing I thought stood out from the article was that piece that Washington state does for their land owners called "current use". I think it would be a good thing to offer a tax break on recreation as well as the agriculture and forestry in Vermont given the changing climate up there.



100% agree and well said. When I first started riding mtn bikes in Stowe (mid 90's), it was a missmash of old Jeep, hiking and XC ski trails. The only way to find stuff was to explore. I remember spending a bunch of rides getting lost and hiking out to a main road. But the terrain and where there was good trails was incredible.

Like you said 10-15 years ago it got a lot better. Trails were worked on by a dedicated local group. I was lucky to get to see a lot of stuff many out of towners didn't. Just like you said - Local knowlesge Only. I remember one day at Irie a few Canadians came in asking where the good riding was. They were soon directed to the Stowe XC center.

I've noticed the last 5-10 years the trails in Stowe have gotten really good and plentiful. I rode their last summer and was amazed at how fun some of the trails were but also how the vibe has changed with a new type of rider group. I guess after you add plenty of well built and very fun trail + clear trail maps + a modern bike that makes a novice an expert + IG posts with hashtag StoweMTB and people don't have to worry about the history or put in some work exploring or trail etiquette.

If you and I were running into kooks up in Stowe I can't imagine the shit that was going on at KT. Stowe locals see it with the winter ski season (which has been crazy with how blown up the resort has gotten as well). I little town in the NEK with more mtn bike popularity :eek:
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I remember when Cady Hill was a bunch of washed out trails going straight down the fall line, with a couple of huge ladder drops hidden back there for good measure. They’ve done a lot of good work back there. Cady hill is kind of the center of it all because of Flo. Even still, there is good stuff back there that’s been purposely left off of the maps and left unmarked.

Cady Hill is just a small part of what’s available and really where everyone goes. So much more good riding In Stowe and the surrounding area, that’s lightly ridden. I can put a 20-mile ride together that doesn’t even touch Cady Hill. Then there’s Perry Hill, the reservoir, etc. Most of the “incidents” happen in Cady Hill. It’s fun to watch the Canadian Enduro Bro’s show up in their Converted Sprinter vans and $10k bikes get all geared up to ride Flo (I’m a little jelly of the gear though).

I think some of those manicured flow trails are cool, but also bring in a lot of riders because they make the terrain so accessible. If it was all steep gnar with killer climbs to get the top as the price of entry (like Perry Hill), traffic would be low. Let’s be honest here, the accessibility of places like KTA and Cady Hill is what brings in so much traffic. People aren’t lining up at the places where you have to climb within an inch of your life or cheat death on the descents.
 
onetracker

onetracker

Well-Known Member
Captain Brainstorm said:
I remember when Cady Hill was a bunch of washed out trails going straight down the fall line, with a couple of huge ladder drops hidden back there for good measure. They’ve done a lot of good work back there. Cady hill is kind of the center of it all because of Flo. Even still, there is good stuff back there that’s been purposely left off of the maps and left unmarked.

Cady Hill is just a small part of what’s available and really where everyone goes. So much more good riding In Stowe and the surrounding area, that’s lightly ridden. I can put a 20-mile ride together that doesn’t even touch Cady Hill. Then there’s Perry Hill, the reservoir, etc. Most of the “incidents” happen in Cady Hill. It’s fun to watch the Canadian Enduro Bro’s show up in their Converted Sprinter vans and $10k bikes get all geared up to ride Flo (I’m a little jelly of the gear though).

I think some of those manicured flow trails are cool, but also bring in a lot of riders because they make the terrain so accessible. If it was all steep gnar with killer climbs to get the top as the price of entry (like Perry Hill), traffic would be low. Let’s be honest here, the accessibility of places like KTA and Cady Hill is what brings in so much traffic. People aren’t lining up at the places where you have to climb within an inch of your life or cheat death on the descents.
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Hmm. I have not ridden at Stowe yet but now I plan to this summer. How many miles of trails at Cady Hill. The network looks extensive but the legend on the map is 0.3mi so it does not look like huge mileage.


Any updates on the situation at KT?
 
Captain Brainstorm

Captain Brainstorm

Well-Known Member
onetracker said:
Hmm. I have not ridden at Stowe yet but now I plan to this summer. How many miles of trails at Cady Hill. The network looks extensive but the legend on the map is 0.3mi so it does not look like huge mileage.


Any updates on the situation at KT?
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The mileage at Cady Hill isn’t huge, you can ride the entire place in couple of hours. However, there are a couple of trails back there that you will do multiple laps on because they’re that fun. There is also stuff that isn’t on the map that’s old-school scary. The trails outside of Cady Hill are where the big climbing and descending really happens. I can do a 15 mile ride without even touching Cady Hill. Then you have Waterbury, the Reservoir, and Morrisville all within a 20min drive.
 
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onetracker

onetracker

Well-Known Member
Captain Brainstorm said:
The mileage at Cady Hill isn’t huge, you can ride the entire place in couple of hours. However, there are a couple of trails back there that you will do multiple laps on because they’re that fun. There is also stuff that isn’t on the map that’s old-school scary. The trails outside of Cady Hill are where the big climbing and descending really happens. I can do a 15 mile ride without even touching Cady Hill. Then you have Waterbury, the Reservoir, and Morrisville all within a 20min drive.
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Thanks for the 411. Cool. I need to spend some more time in that area. Any good van camping spots?

Have you ridden at Trapp? Is that spot good and does it connect directly to Cady Hill?
 
Captain Brainstorm

Captain Brainstorm

Well-Known Member
onetracker said:
Thanks for the 411. Cool. I need to spend some more time in that area. Any good van camping spots?

Have you ridden at Trapp? Is that spot good and does it connect directly to Cady Hill?
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Couple of good leg-burner descents at Trapps, and then some. I usually connect Trapps to some other nearby stuff to make it a big ride (12-18miles depending on how beat up I get). Indirectly connects to Cady. Worst case, you ride 1.5 miles on the road/rec path to get there. You can camp at Gold Brook Campsite a few miles away.
 
R

roc

Well-Known Member
kidzach said:
MTB trails are getting better and better all over Vermont. Kingdom will still be the elite if not the templet. But most definitely not the only area to visit. The Stowe area and outskirts keep growing. The Killington area with the Green Mountain Trails, Pine Hill and RASTA are ever growing also. Just depends on how much traveling and research you are willing to do.
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Where’s RASTA?
 
kidzach

kidzach

Well-Known Member
rastavt.org it's an up and comer of an area more known for back country skiing. But also has an expanding trail system . Located about 1/2 hour north of Killington
 
KenS

KenS

JORBA: Director
JORBA.ORG
jdog said:
I was riding in AZ this week and I met a guy from NH. He spoke highly of this place and said he thought it was better than KT..


Anyone ever been??
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I rode Franklin Falls last year with a grandson from the family that owns this property. Super talented rider and one of the driving forces behind trail building there. They (the family) are legit and really want to ensure that their land is preserved; mountain bike tourism is one of the methods they are using to accomplish that goal. Pretty damn cool, and worth checking out for that alone. I'll be there this summer for sure.
 
mattybfat

mattybfat

The Opinion Police
Team MTBNJ Halter's
RSAmerica said:
Come down to Asheville, NC area and ride Pisgah & Dupont. Hit up some of us NJ XPats.
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We'll be in NC in august but coastal on a golf course and we dont golf. Definitely doing it wrong. But do love those beaches. We may visit our old neighbors as they are west of Charlotte but no bikes. I may bring the road bike for some endless flat road gathering.
 
don

don

Well-Known Member
Captain Brainstorm said:
The mileage at Cady Hill isn’t huge, you can ride the entire place in couple of hours. However, there are a couple of trails back there that you will do multiple laps on because they’re that fun. There is also stuff that isn’t on the map that’s old-school scary. The trails outside of Cady Hill are where the big climbing and descending really happens. I can do a 15 mile ride without even touching Cady Hill. Then you have Waterbury, the Reservoir, and Morrisville all within a 20min drive.
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Exactly.

I think you can link all the trails around town together and get around 50+ miles. I've never come close but have had a few long distance (for me) rides there.
 
Captain Brainstorm

Captain Brainstorm

Well-Known Member
don said:
Exactly.

I think you can link all the trails around town together and get around 50+ miles. I've never come close but have had a few long distance (for me) rides there.
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If you link Cady, Ranch Camp, Trapps, the stuff behind the High School, and Sterling Valley, you can easily hit that distance. And that's not even everything.
 
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