Crested Butte Bike Park, at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, was established way back in 2009. This quiet corner of the Colorado mountains has been on our radar for years. We have always heard of an understated mountain bike scene, progressive and challenging trails, and a quiet town surrounded by heaps of incredible riding. We were finally able to spend a long weekend exploring the bike park, and it did not disappoint in the slightest. Here are a few reasons to put this MTB mecca on your list:

Psycho Rocks: the name says it all. This expert trail is pretty much littered with rocks, top to bottom. Keep your speed and momentum and trust these cheeky trail builders. While it might look intimidating, the whole trail rolls and becomes incredibly fun/intuitive once you figure each unique rocky section out. One of our favorite sections was the old wooden roll into corkscrew berm, which sets riders up perfectly into a few exceptionally steep and loamy turns.

Woods Trail: this old-school trail winds through some deep and dark woods, towards the backside of the mountain and away from the base area. Woods trail starts with a few modest jumps and berms, and then gets serious with two consecutive wallrides: a left hand berm into a right hand monster of a wall. These were built over a decade ago but have withstood the test of time (and the modernization of bike park features). These can be ridden fast or slow, on both high or low ride lines. The trail finishes with some fast singletrack sections, dumping out into a stunning alpine meadow surrounded by snow-capped peaks.

Timeline: looking for jumps? Yes, me too, always. Timeline seems to check all the boxes I enjoy in a jump trail- it starts off as an innocuous flow trail with a few berms and rollers into some smaller tabletops, then gets large. Stay off the brakes for flowy step-downs, doubles, hips, step-ups, and more. Nothing is generic on this trail, which makes it so entertaining and special to ride. There are also a few large features near the bottom, including a tabletop that’s about 40’ long, and a mandatory wooden cheese wedge gap.

Outside of the bike park, there is also legendary trail riding all over town. We were blown away by the high alpine environment, quality of dirt, and general overall friendliness of such a unique mountain town. The resort offers plenty of slopeside accommodations and dining options- we recommend staying for an extended duration to fully explore as much as possible. We barely scratched the surface over three full days of riding. For more information, visit www.skicb.com.

Sun Peaks Bike Park has been spinning their lifts for downhill mountain biking since 1999. This resort has deep roots in lift-accessed downhill mountain biking heritage and has been perfecting its craft for over twenty years. Growing up, I always saw videos from Sun Peaks, and knew I had to check it out whenever I could make the trip a reality. We finally made the pilgrimage to Sun Peaks this past July, and we enjoyed every minute of our visit. Here are a few reasons why any rider should put this gravity mecca on their list:

Sundance Express: Sun Peaks just opened this lift for mountain biking a few weeks ago. This is a massive leap forward for their bike park, as it nearly doubles their already expansive riding terrain area. A new lift= bountiful opportunity to build amazing new trails. Sun Peaks has debuted this lift with a multitude of incredibly fresh and flowy trails. Stella Blue and Super Nugget are stuffed to the brim with crisp jumps, chiseled berms, and tacky hero dirt- currently free of brake bumps, as they are so new. We spun lap after lap exploring this new expansion.

Smitty’s Steeps: This trail was a hands-down favorite, for every rider in our crew. Picture a steep, smooth loam trail that has been ridden in repeatedly year after year. It is consistent, fast, smooth, and playful. Kick the back end out as much as you want; freeride flicks are mandatory when ripping this amazing ribbon of dirt. Watch for side hits and alternate lines in your peripheral and ride this one again and again for best results.

Steam Shovel: Looking for large jumps? Yep, so am I: better drop into Steam Shovel. This high speed, jumpy roller coaster is overflowing with steezy jumps of all shapes and sizes, just begging to be ridden as fast as you want. Feel like pulling off a lip? It all goes, no problem: simply add more speed for additional fun and hangtime. Keep an eye out for a few massive step-ups lurking around some corners- these steep dirt treats are truly special, sure to entertain any jumper.

Flow Zone: Near the bottom of Sunburst Express, you’ll find the Flow Zone. This place is optimized for progression. We had a blast exploring multiple dual slalom lines, jump lines, drops, wood features, dirt features, and more. The Flow Zone provides easy access for hot laps, is spectator-friendly, and provides ample opportunity to elevate your riding skills at any ability.

Heffley Lake: After a long day of ripping hot laps from both chairlifts, treat yourself to a swim at nearby Heffley Lake. This clear and cool lake is about ten minutes down the access road. Pro tip: bring a paddleboard or kayak if you can, and cruise around all the small islands. The water is clear and deep; on calm days you can see way down into the depths.

All in all, we were blown away by Sun Peaks Bike Park. Their 20+ year commitment to mountain biking shines brightly in their trail construction and maintenance, expanded lift operations, bustling bike-centric base area village, and many more areas. These folks really cherish mountain biking, and their stellar reputation truly precedes them. For more information, visit www.sunpeaksresort.com.

Kicking Horse Bike Park boasts a serious amount of vert: over 3,700 feet, to be more precise. This lift-accessed park, located at Kicking Horse Resort, is in the sleepy town of Golden, BC. Golden is slightly off the beaten path and offers incredible skiing, world-renowned mountain biking, and heaps of other outdoor recreation. Golden seems more like a working town than a ski town, which is a nice change of pace. Folks are very real in town, and incredibly friendly. If you are looking for long downhill descents, be sure to put Kicking Horse on your list. Here are a few specific reasons why this place is so special.

Rock n Roll- This is one of the signature trails at the park, and one of the first lines you see as you ride up in the gondola. Picture a giant rock face that you ride down. Halfway down this face is a natural waterfall in the rock. Brake control is the name of the game here. Stay on those brakes the entire time, and you’ll be just fine. Do not let off, and don’t even dream of riding this with wet tires. Scope before you leap on this one.

Lym- This trail is just one giant, continuous bridge that rolls, loops, and snakes around on itself as it descends through the forest. I have always seen photos and videos of these monstrosities hidden deep in the BC woods: here it is, in real life, open, in a public bike park. Drop in and simply follow the brown brick road. Riding lym is similar to riding a roller coaster on a bike.

Rangoon- Rangoon is a blue flow trail, running for about a quarter of the park’s vertical descent. That’s roughly 1,000 vertical feet (or so). Dive into tight bermed corners, alternate lines, gaps, rollers, rock hits, and more. This trail can be rolled slowly, turned into a full-on racetrack, or interpreted however the rider chooses.

Cedar Lake- After riding all day, cool off and chill out at Cedar Lake. This small body of water lies just off of the Kicking Horse access road, on the last major switchback just below the resort itself. There is a pristine sandy beach, camping, and a dock. Take a load off, crack a cold one, and stare up at the massive trees and mountains all around you.

For more information, visit www.kickinghorseresort.com.

Revelstoke, British Columbia is a stand-along destination that I have wanted to visit for a long time. This sleepy mountain town is surrounded by endless mountains with some of the most legitimate vertical drop (at a ski resort) in North America. I like long runs, whether on skis or a mountain bike. Revy is in a bit of a temperate rainforest too, so the dirt stays primo for mountain biking. To add to these already impressive variables, Revy is a newer ski resort. Revelstoke Mountain Resort formally opened in 2007. While they have been serving up rowdy terrain and fresh powder every winter for over a decade, they just recently opened up their summer lift accessed bike park. One of their bike trails- named Fifty Six Twenty- drops an astonishing 5,620 vertical feet from top to bottom. We made Revy our home base for over a week, and we highly recommend all mountain bikers visit this riding utopia. Here are a few highlights of our trip:

Doomsday- Looking for large, manicured jumps? Doomsday serves up a smorgasbord of jumps, of all shapes and sizes. Step downs, step ups, tabletops, shark fins, rock bonks, berm shots, berms, and much more. Some of the hits are on the larger and more technical spectrum, so look before you leap.

Pipe Wrench- Pipe Wrench is full of steep chutes, rocks, roots, and technical singletrack. This trail drops underneath the gondola, and offers fantastic views of the surrounding river, valleys, and mountains as it crosses the famous ski run called Kill The Banker. Drop into this challenging ribbon if you are looking for some steep, loamy, techy action.

End Game- End Game is one of the more unique jump trails I have ridden. It seems like almost every berm ends in a shark fin, most of the trail snakes back on itself and likes to defy gravity, and fun features/optional lines are hidden around just about every corner. Keep your head on a swivel as you ride this trail: multiple bonus lines exist all over the place.

Dark Horse- while this trail isn’t currently open to the public, it is a very impressive jump line designed and built for local Casey Brown’s signature event. It’s worth taking a walk around these features just to see them. I can’t wait for this to open up for everyone to ride- as it looks large, dialed, and fun.

Centennial Park- Centennial Park is just about the perfect apres biking swim hangout spot. Cruise down from the resort after a long day of lift laps (a leisurely 10-minute drive), grab a few cold beverages and snacks on your way, and plop down on some rocks overlooking the Columbia River. The water is very cold here- beware. But, it refreshes like nothing else, and prepares you for more riding or an evening out on the town.

Boulder Mountain- This is the local shuttle spot. A team of dedicated, paid trail builders maintain these trails, which are free for public use. Some highlights include Boondocker, Gravy Bacon, and Bike Club. These tracks are all immaculately maintained, loaded with features, and easy to access. Must hit.

Overall, Revelstoke is 100% worth an extended visit. The bike park delivers endless fun, the town abounds with stellar dining and nightly entertainment, and the area is simply stunning. Fore more information, visit www.revelstokemountainresort.com.

Fernie Bike Park (at Fernie Alpine Resort) is one of the cornerstone riding options in the stunning mountain bike mecca that is Fernie, British Columbia. This small Canadian town has a history and reputation for some of the best mountain biking around the region. Pick you poison in Fernie: there are more bike trails than you can shake a stick at. Topography helps: Fernie is smack dab in the middle of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. In town, in every direction that you look, all you see are strikingly steep, snow-capped peaks. Below the snow line, deep loamy forests create absolutely magical mountain bike terrain. Fernie receives consistent precipitation all year, which helps create hero dirt and loam just about everywhere you can sink your tires into. Fernie Bike Park offers some of the best lift accessed bike terrain in Canada. Read on for a few reasons to go ride and explore.

Kodiak Karnage & Cats Pyjamas- looking for steeps? Yea, me too. These are two of the steepest options I found on the hill. Imagine yourself dropping into steep, soft, quiet dirt mixed with loam, roots, and a few rocks here and there. And it keeps going. Just when you think you might be done, the next steep corner comes around and another fresh chute descent starts calling your name.

Rubber Ducky- this is one of the signature jump trails at Fernie, and it does not disappoint. Riders are treated to head-high sculpted berms, step downs, step ups, hips, rollers, drops, and more. Pro tip: ride it a few times to fully dial in the speed and start playing around with side hits, trail gaps, and more fun.

Bin Logdin- Bin Logdin has an odd name, and is indeed a unique trail. I loved it. This machine-built jump trail starts with a few ripping corners, and then flows into some creative back-to-back wallrides. The trail then meanders through a dense, dark forest scattered with jumps and rollers, before popping out onto a ski run and culminating with a banger wallride/hip feature on the edge of the woods.

Sadly, we weren’t able to ride every trail at Fernie Bike Park. They all look amazing, and there are trails higher up on the mountain as well.  These trails are a bit further up the mountain and require some pedaling above the current lift-served area, under the Timber Chair. We can’t wait to check these out in the future.

Fernie Alpine Resort offers plenty of lodging, dining, and other non-MTB activities onsite. We were treated to a delicious lunch at Legends Mountain Eatery in between bike park laps. We highly recommend going there to satiate your appetite and fuel/hydrate your downhill shred day. Overall, Fernie Bike Park is an amazing place to ride, and should be put on the short list for anyone craving a premier bike park adventure. For more information, check out www.skifernie.com.

Legacy Bike Park is a relatively new bike park (just about a year old), located in beautiful Lakeside, Montana. This park is a unique, creative, and constantly evolving riding destination. There is truly something special about LBP, which is apparent upon arrival. Everyone is there to ride mountain bikes: this is not a typical bike park at a ski resort, offering other attractions and catering to multiple audiences seeking potentially non-MTB experiences. Legacy is built by riders, for riders, period. Here are a few reasons to visit this must-ride gem:

Brake bumps- Legacy doesn’t have these. Yep, that sounds crazy, I know. A downhill bike park without brake bumps? Thanks to its young age, skilled trail builders, and weather patterns, LBP has nothing but smooth trails. Will this change after extended periods of heavy use and dry weather? Possibly, but I doubt it. LBP caps its daily numbers to preserve trail quality. The park also regularly receives consistent season-long precipitation, which helps keep their hero dirt tacky and buffed out. Further, the trails are all laid out intentionally to enhance natural trail-speed riding rhythms and mitigate excessive braking.

Loam- As previously mentioned, LBP is not even a year old (at the time of writing this feature). Their technical singletrack trails are all still loamy. This will change with use and time, but it is currently a loam-filled fiesta out there. Finding find fresh loam in a public downhill bike park is definitely something to write home about.

Forty- looking for large jumps? Yep, Legacy has plenty of those. Forty is the flagship jump trail, composed of forty consecutive jumps laid out top to bottom. These jumps range in size, from about 20-50 feet long. This isn’t a standard, cookie cutter jump trail. Expect massive step ups, step downs, shark fins, doubles, drifters, hips, drops, and much more. Look before you leap.

Trail diversity- just about every trail at LBP can be enjoyed by a wide range of mountain bike abilities. The green trails are full of rollers and side hits, Bluetiful can be interpreted as a full-on gap/huck track, and most of the large jump lines have smaller sides to work your way up. Families shredding together is a very common sight.

Legacy also has some big plans for the future, including linking up some pretty epic XC/enduro trails on the west side of Flathead Lake. Stay tuned to their site and social media channels for updates. The inaugural Legacy Liftoff is also coming up at the end of September (9/23-24), which is yet another reason to get up there. Get ready for endless fun on amazing trails with like-minded friends.

The future of Legacy is very bright. They are currently building multiple pump tracks, dirt jump zones, skills zones, an airbag/mulch jump setup, more trails, more camping, more amenities, and a whole lot more that I don’t yet know about. Their season runs from May-as long as possible, so there is plenty of time to visit. The Flathead Lake area offers an abundance of year-round recreation, dining, lodging, and other attractions. For more info, visit www.legacybikepark.com.

If you haven’t yet heard of PNW Components, here is a brief introduction. They make simple and affordable mountain bike components, and strive to keep their customers riding their bikes at all times. Music to my ears! Nobody has time to monkey around wrenching at their local shop, at the trailhead, or in their garage: it’s 2022, we are all way too busy for our own good these days. PNW knows this and has founded a business around quality products that are easy to install, intuitive to ride, and are virtually maintenance-free. They make dropper posts and levers, bars, stems, pedals, grips, apparel, and a few more odds and ends. As a Vermont native who currently lives elsewhere and spends lots of time in the Pacific Northwest, I have always been intrigued with PNW’s heritage, brand, and products. They were kind enough to send out a few hardgoods and softgoods to review, so here’s the dirt.

Loam Dropper and Puget Lever:

A dropper post goes up and down, right? Anything else to know? Not really, but there are a lot of dropper post options on the market, so may as well figure out which posts kick ass….and which ones don’t.

I’m running the Loam Dropper in a 30.9mm, 200mm length version. So far, it has been performing flawlessly. I wanted to see how it compares against a OneUp dropper- they are both priced similarly, and I sure do dig OneUp posts already.

The Loam dropper came in a box with minimal packaging waste, and a sticker that essentially says “we love trees; please digitally download all manuals with this QR code.” Rad- nice work, PNW. Installing the dropper was a breeze. It has also been going up, and down, with no problems. Check mark. The travel length options are spaced at 125, 150, 170, and 200mm options. As a tall jumper, I want my saddle as low as possible: a longer (210mm+) travel option would be nice to see in the future, but their current travel selection works for most riders. I have yet to encounter any reliability/service issues: out of the box and so far, it functions perfectly and is trouble-free.

The Puget lever fits nicely into the controls on my bars, looks great, and is easy to reach/operate. I have encountered an occasional slight stickiness as the lever retracts back into place after being depressed. This is not a major issue, and certainly isn’t a deal-breaker. Overall, both the Loam Dropper and Puget lever have been phenomenal.

Lander jacket and Shuttle short:

The Lander jacket is built for trail riding: it is lightweight, breathable, and waterproof. I have done extensive pedaling, and even more DH bike park days/shuttle laps in this coat. The features are carefully thought out: the hood fits over a helmet quite easily, there are extensive ventilation ports, and there is an inner elastic waistband which keeps the coat in place. When the loam starts flying behind you as your tires dig in, this coat stays exactly where it should- and keeps things nice and tidy back there. I did encounter one torrential hour of downpouring rain, while building trail, that did thoroughly drench certain parts of this jacket (the forearm areas in particular). But, for your average ride, and for what this jacket is designed to do, I have been very impressed with its waterproof capability. The muted colors and casual style checks all the boxes as well- nice work, PNW.

The Shuttle short is designed as a do-it-all, workhorse short for either pedaling or shuttling back up the hill. The fabric is lightweight and durable, even after smashing down through skidder trails and puckerbrush in search of loam all over the Western US and Canada. The adjustable cinch straps on the waist are a nice touch, and the cell phone pocket works like a charm. My favorite part of these shorts is the length: they sit in that magic spot where they cover over kneepads when pedaling (no gap), but don’t extend so long that they could get caught on part of your bike when moving around in the air.

Is there such a thing as a perfect product? It depends on who you ask: I’m certainly not that picky, and I have enjoyed every minute of riding the PNW Loam dropper post and apparel. Pick some up; you won’t be disappointed. For more information, visit www.pnwcomponents.com.

Looking to get away from it all, on your bike? I sure am, constantly. Life gets hectic: rewinding on my bike is incredibly therapeutic- especially out in the woods. If ripping downhill bike park laps at a quiet place full of unique and incredibly flowy trails sounds nice, head to Discovery Bike Park. Yes: it is far away from Vermont, but there is a multitude of unmistakable similarities and parallels.

Disco Bike Park is in the small town on Philipsburg, Montana. What Philipsburg lacks in population it makes up for in character. The quaint, historic main street ends in a dirt road winding up into the mountains: literally. Philipsburg sits about a half hour away from the nearest interstate, and just over an hour away from the nearest larger population area (Missoula). Montanans can get into the woods, water, and open spaces quickly and efficiently pretty much anywhere- Philipsburg sits just enough out of the way to keep things exceptionally quiet and peaceful.

Onto the bike park: pack your lunch and don’t expect any amenities, because you won’t find them. You will find a simple, older triple chairlift serving up amazing trails suited for all abilities. You will also find a yurt at the top, with a fireplace for when things get chilly, and a small dirt parking area at the base full of friendly folks and dogs who tend to create their own community. You are in the mountains of Montana, away from it all, enjoying each other’s company: embrace it and leave your phone in your truck (spotty service anyway).

Disco has seven diverse trails to choose from, with several more currently under construction. Each trail is 100% worth riding, regardless of your ability or preferred riding style. One of my favorites is Roller Girl: this gem is full of unique gaps, doubles, triples, wood features, rock additions, and fully open for interpretation. It can also be rolled and enjoyed at a leisurely pace as it winds through forests, next to streams, and across open ski meadows.

I won’t give it all away, but I will say this much: ride every single trail, as many times as possible. Disco Bike Park is a special place, both in its culture and mountain bike trail offerings. Put it on the list! Deal closer: you also get a free beer at the Philipsburg Brewing Company if you bring your lift wristband in….

For more information, visit https://www.skidiscovery.com/bike-park/.

Build it, send it, party on.