Settle in and enjoy the views as you steadily approach another worthy rest stop followed by riotous downhill sections.Īfter the red dirt hills, take a moment to adjust your bike and mentally prepare for The Spine.
#Mtb ride utah series
The red dirt hills offer riders a series of gentle climbs, though they are somewhat deceptive in their number and length. To me, it’s the colors of the Wasatch Crest Trail that make this ride so memorable: the yellow Helianthella, purple asters, the brilliant red and orange hues of the paintbrush, the soft pink of wild geraniums, and my favorite, the iron-rich hues of the trail itself.īefore the crux of the trail, a jagged fin of rock dubbed The Spine, lies a series of brilliantly red hills hemmed in by aspens and wildflowers. The brilliant white trunks of aspen trees meld into a blur as you whiz past stands and whip around corners boarded by thick carpets of wildflowers. Check out Solitude and Brighton ski resorts to the south and rest up because the best riding is ahead!įrom here the trail gently climbs and drops with majestic views of granite peaks and intermittent glimpses of Park City Mountain to the right. The crest of Puke Hill is naturally a place where most riders will pause to calm their thumping hearts and soak in the incredible panorama of alpine terrain at nearly 10,000 feet. There’s not much shade on Puke Hill, so grind your way ever upwards and don’t be fooled by the false summit about ¾ of the way up.
The vertical gain of 350 feet in under a half mile leaves many folks walking their bikes, which is perfectly fine. Just get ready to suck some wind and earn those après beers. It may sound daunting, but it’s worth the exertion. Puke Hill is an exposed dirt road that must be climbed to harvest the bounty of the fantastic sections of trail below. Enjoy the breeze as the most challenging section of the Wasatch Crest Trail draws near, the aptly named: Puke Hill. Sinuous singletrack winds for about 1.5 miles, leading bikers through a series of banked turns, aspen groves, a short climb, and a brief descent through an evergreen stand. After all, you’re above 9,700 feet in elevation and the views are about to knock you off your saddle. Take a moment to catch your breath before kicking off on Scott’s Bypass Trail from Guardsman Pass. This is the route I recommend for a memorable day in the Wasatch. A classic combo is to stitch together a 13-mile shuttled ride from Guardsman Pass into Millcreek Canyon (but keep in mind that cyclists may only access upper Millcreek Canyon on even-numbered days). Others may opt to patronize one of the many shuttle services or park a car at the top of Guardsman Pass near Solitude and Brighton ski resorts. Those in Park City can start right from Old Town, pedaling up the Park City Armstrong Trail to the Mid Mountain Trail to Pine Cone Ridge. Riders can opt to start and finish the ride along several different routes. The trail runs along the aesthetic northern ridge of Big Cottonwood Canyon. Salt Lake’s most iconic bike ride is a bit like one of those choose-your-own-adventure novels you read as a kid.
This intermediate/advanced trail comes highly recommended to all mountain biking visitors and residents who crave a thrill at high altitude and want to test their skills. The Wasatch Crest Trail delivers a heaping dose of expansive views, big descents, one noteworthy climb, technical rock gardens, and sections of blissful flow through aspens and evergreens. Though it would be difficult to designate Utah’s best mountain bike trail, the Wasatch Crest Trail is undeniably one of the most memorable rides in the Salt Lake area and Wasatch mountain range. Sandstone slickrock in Moab, tricky technical slabs along Gooseberry Mesa, and flowing singletrack in Northern Utah provide a well-rounded diet for any mountain biker with a hearty appetite. Glaciers, wind, and water etched this landscape for eons to sculpt the terrain where we’ve built our trails. It’s no secret that Utah encompasses a grip of thrilling mountain bike trails, thanks to the vast diversity of topography in the state.
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