by Darryl Caron
Published: August 2010
After a long absence, lift-serviced mountain biking is back at Gore Mountain! The summer season offers downhill and cross-country riding on their challenging trails on Saturdays and Sundays from July 17 through October 10. The trails descend 1,700 feet vertical slope and are serviced by the Northwoods Gondola (you fold up one seat and place your bike inside).
Mountain bike tickets offer unlimited use of the gondola from 10am-4pm. Gore staff members are making trail building improvements to their mountain biking experience, both on the ski trails and on the sometimes technical singletrack trails that wind their way down and across the mountain through islands of trees. Helmets are required and so is completion of a risk agreement. Bike rentals are not available at Gore, but The Gear Source in North Creek offers full-suspension bikes with disc brakes.
If you are learning how to ride or would like to get better, try one of their Downhill Mountain Biking Clinics. The next one is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 4. The camps are for ages ten and above, and my son Justin and I enjoyed a day in July with a group of similarly aged kids and adults from around the region. Even though I am an experienced cyclist, the agility and bike handling drills were a challenging and fun way to sharpen my skills. Justin picked up skills for riding on loose terrain, steep descents, and some technical roots and rocks – made more challenging by the previous day’s rain. Coaches Gail and Mike created a supportive, friendly environment for all abilities and confidence levels, as they shared their tips and expertise.
Each Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 3, Gore offers a half-hour lesson at 10:30am for beginner and novice riders wanting some pointers on riding. They have the agility logs and elements set-up to work with people. They’ll do this right in the base area, and then riders would be on their own to ride the upper mountain. Visit: goremountain.com.
Whiteface Mountain Bike Park, operated by “Downhill” Mike Scheur of High Peaks Cyclery, has 27 diverse trails that range from hardcore expert-only downhillers, to cruisers, to winding cross-country paths – something for every ability and riding style. Whiteface also has the greatest vertical drop in the East, so there’s a lot of room to roll.
From the summit of Little Whiteface, which you reach via a scenic ride in the Cloudsplitter Gondola, trails are expert-only. Big bikes, helmets and full pads are the norm there. So are tight turns, big rocks and steep drops. Expect each run to take about 40 minutes. For intermediate and beginner riders, their shuttle bus that runs twice an hour, will take you and your bike from the base up to a drop-off point where you can choose from a selection of trails that match your ability.
The trail breakdown is as follows: singletrack 17; doubletrack 1; ski trails 5; service roads 4; and an extensive pump track. The mountain bike park is open daily from 9am to 3:30pm through early September, and then weekends until mid-October. Rentals and equipment are available, as the staff leads daily tours (ask for info). They also have an extensive list of events, including ladies days, and their fifth annual 5K Downhill Race on Sept. 12.
West Mountain in Glens Falls offers “extreme mountain biking” with several downhill trails with lift and trail access or trail access only. If you like your summer adventures a little tamer a hiking pass is also available. You can catch the lift to the top, enjoy the views, and then hike back down to enjoy lunch or dinner on the deck or in the bar at The West Side Grille. West is open for riding on Saturdays through the fall from 10am-6pm. Visit: skiwestmountain.com.
At the Olympic Sports Complex in Lake Placid, riders can experience mountain biking on 30 miles of cross-country ski trails. Mount Van Hoevenberg has moderate to challenging terrain, singletrack, numerous jumps, and some good hills to practice climbing and descending on the hardpack and grassy trails. The High Peaks Mountain Bike Center offers one- and two-day “Fun, Not Fear” Dirt Camps with adults and kids clinics for all ages and all ability levels, with rentals available. Visit: highpeakscyclery.com.
In North River, the Garnet Hill cross-country ski trail network is transformed into a mountain bike trail system in the summer and fall. They have also developed interconnecting singletrack trails for more variety. If you don’t have your bike, rentals are available in the ski/bike shop. Visit: garnet-hill.com.
The Speculator Loop trail system consists of two bike loops, one of 13.7 miles long and the other Kunjamuk Cave loop is 7.2 miles long. The trailhead is near the Speculator ball field, and there is challenging terrain for easy, intermediate and “difficult” level riders. The free trails are open from mid-May until mid-October. Visit: speculatorchamber.com.
The Old Forge and Inlet area offers miles of mountain biking riding opportunities on their extensive system of snowmobile and cross-country ski trails. Visit: inletny.com or oldforgeny.com.
