Thanks for tuning into KSL Outdoors, I’m Adam Eakle. You know mountain bikers across the Wasatch Front have a reason to be excited as Snowbird just unveiled a new trail, called the Big Mountain Trail, it’s the first of it’s kind here in the Cottonwood Canyons.
(Dave Fields, Snowbird V.P. Resort Operations) Today is opening day of Snowbirds Big Mountain Trail.
Downhill mountain biking is fast becoming very popular in Utah. The idea at Snowbird.
As you take the ten minute Tram ride up to eleven thousand foot Hidden Peak. And jet down the newly built seven and a half mile single track.
(Kyle McInnis, SLC) it was awesome, super flowy, great test, eight miles. Perfect test for endurance.
Kyle and Tristan were some of the first to give it a try.
(Kyle McInnis, SLC) super fast, pretty flowy at top, then it kind of gets technical, a little uphill, not too bad.
(Tristan McInnis, SLC) and then in the middle section it kind of gets a little rough right now because it hasn’t been ridden too much.
(Kyle McInnis) and then towards the end, it’s just pin it. It’s fun you know, wide open.
(Tristan McInnis) you go through the woods, get the trees, flying past the trees, it’s pretty fast.
(Dave Fields, Snowbird V.P. Resort Operations) so this is the first phase. We are having meetings with the forest service and in the process of getting approval to possibly do more trails and we are also looking at Mineral basin as another possibility.
(David Fields) There is a shortage of great mountain biking that is lift served here in the Wasatch. So we know there is a demand for it, mountain biking has stayed popular for so long and it’s really hot right now. People really want to ride here, close to their homes.
(Ben Blitch, Pres. Alpine Trails Inc.) oh…very difficult. This is probably the most difficult trail construction project that I’ve done in all of Utah.
If you ride mountain bikes in Utah, there’s a good chance you’ve ridden on a trail built by Alpine Trails. Ben says this new trail they’ve built is one of the best in Utah.
(Ben Blitch, Pres. Alpine Trails Inc) There are two big epics in Utah. You’ve got the ‘Whole Enchilada’ down in Moab, which to me is probably one of the best trails in the world and then you’ve got the Wasatch Crest up here in Northern Utah. I actually like this trail better than the crest. The cool thing about this one compared to the Crest is the Crest is kind of consistent, there is only one really tough section on the spine, but otherwise you know it’s all about the views. With the Crest you are just kind of looking at the mountains, with this trail you are in the mountain.
(Ben Blitch) it’s a lot different from a lot of the stuff in Park City, at Snowbird, it’s Little Cottonwood Canyon, so it’s a lot rockier and a little more rugged. I consider it kind of a more true mountain bike experience in that respect.
(Kyle McInnis) this is great. I think that we are on to something here. Snowbird finally stepping up and filling in. So yeah the mountain bike scene in Utah is just growing, so I think it’s just perfect, it’s time.
There is a fee to ride the Tram, 29 bucks, 10 bucks if you’re a season pass holder and The Big Mountain Trail is bi-directional, meaning you can ride up if you’d like for free, from dusk to 10:30 am. At 11:00 the trail becomes a downhill ride only.
(Ben Blitch) Tram is open till 6:30, you get off work at 5, it’s 100 degrees in the valley, it’s 72 degrees up here, why wouldn’t you come.
The Big Mountain trail is the first of many that Snowbird hopes to open in the next couple of years. And don’t worry even if you don’t own a mountain bike, you can rent one, down at the base. Coming up on KSL Outdoors.
Outdoors Producer Jared Hargrave takes us on just some of the almost 100 miles of new single track trail down in Moab.
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