Spirit Mountain MTB

[c'dale600dsc]

Of my five years of stay here in Duluth, my first time to do the spirit mountain trails today. We (Willie) followed the Powder Monkey race trail starting with the climb from the chalet all the way to the left of the ski lift and through the single track. The trail is tight and technical, switch backs galore, drops, climbs you name it.
Trail is bone dry. The arrows signs placed by COGGS still hangs. Man what a great trail. A variety from Hartley. Living here in Duluth feels like its a privilege:banana:

[xterrabuzz]

How much trail is there up at Spirit? Could you get a good 3-4 hrs in without getting to board???:crazy:

[Ablumke]

I'm planning a trip up to Spirit for some 24hours of Afton Hill training. i'm trying to put a full day in the saddle with lots of hour long breaks to eat and chill. I was wondering if anyone had some good insight on 2-3 locations (including Spirit, within may 20 minutes of each) that i could hit to string a good day together, i have tourist knowledge of the Duluth area.

if possible could you include how to find the places, length of rides any other applicable info.

more tech the better but climbs are important, i'm looking at heading up Sunday August 5th.

thanks for the insight and sorry if i've Hi-Jacked this thread.

[toasthaiku]

How much trail is there up at Spirit? Could you get a good 3-4 hrs in without getting to board???:crazy:

That depends. The Powder Monkey should keep you happy for at least an hour. Trails branch off the slopes east and west, but they're flatter doubletrack. The XC ski trails on top of Spirit can add miles to the day. There's no telling if they're mowed or not. Riding through grass as tall as your frame gets old.

[TrailSquirell]

if you take it easy, powder monkey race course is awesome with the sights you can stop and look at. also at spirit, are all the service roads and lower trails around the lil crick/river thinger. alot of spots to try jumping and what not, just have to be creative. another spot is the downhill course, full day i fun i think.

[toasthaiku]

I was wondering if anyone had some good insight on 2-3 locations (including Spirit, within may 20 minutes of each) that i could hit

Saddle time and climbs? I mapped this for you:
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/mn/duluth/617805720

A trail connects Spirit which parallels the Munger Trail. I live out here. Our bike club rode it last night and it's in good shape. It's about 4' - 7' wide, mostly dirt with some sand and old RR rocks, and mostly gradual incline. Ride west to the Mission Creek Parkway.

I marked an old railroad bridge intersecting a trail. It's very rocky and rugged, but rideable for a skilled biker. Ride that between the Munger Trail and Skyline a few times and you can say you've done hills.

Keep going west on the trail. You'll enter a creepy, Scooby-Doo sort of tunnel. Walk through unless you have a light. Keep going a while until you hit Beck's Road. That's a trailhead for Mission Creek Parkway. Screaming descent on a rugged switchback trail. You'll love the ride but regret it every turn of the crank back up.

You'll pass a few other trails on this trip you might want to try. Just stay off the Superior Hiking Trails.

[babuhr]

I'd recommend hitting the "main three" spots and use your driving\loading time in between them as your rest. Those spots being Hartley, Spirit, and the Pokegama. You can pretty easily put in 8+ miles at each of those spots. Or, do it on a Tuesday and include Mont DuLac as an ender...

[TrailSquirell]

pokegama is rideable, but really tight in some areas. brush is startin to grow in, but the trail is still visible and there's a suprize around every corner.

[Ablumke]

thanks for the updates. I'll probably do the ride and drive idea. being that its training for a 24 hour event I'd love to put the 8+ mile rides is then break then ride then break then ride, good chance to keep the legs surprised.

is there a good site somewhere with directions to the big 3?

[babuhr]

This site covers the Pokegama Trail
http://coggs.upnorthmn.net/pokegema_trail.php

Nice out and back ride. It gets pretty overgrown by mid-late summer but I always have fun there.

This one covers Hartley
http://www.ci.duluth.mn.us/city/parksandrecreation/images/hartley%20map%20side%202.pdf

To get to Hartley, just mapquest Hartley Rd. Its a dead end street. Ride through the barricades on the ski trail for a hundred yards, or so, and look for the trail branching off to the left. It starts out with a little plank bridge section right away. Its definitely easiest to get a good loop by going with someone as it has some "inner sections" but exploring is fun too.

Spirit is probably the most difficult to find the whole trail system but there are some COGGS signs from the race that help you stay on track. Even if you end up riding it backwards its still a great ride, too. I learned my way around these places by wandering solo. I recommend parking at the bottom off Grand Avenue and ride/walk straight up "four pipe" run. Then, ride the singletrack which is mostly in the woods off to your left at the top of the lift. After that, shred the downhill back to your vehicle.

Depending on when you go, myself (or many others) would probably be down to join you for part of you day.

[randal]

If you want some good training for the 24 hrs of Afton, start at the zoo. You can jump on a multi-use trail from the zoo (i.e. snowmobile trail) and ride up for about 10 - 15 minutes you pass one bridge then take a left at the second bridge. You'll get a little down hill section then hed up another multi-use road/maintenece road for about another 10 -15 minutes. You pop onto the trail section where the Powder Monkey runs and you hed up to the parking lot from there. Continue to the top of the Ski run and find the trails head down and repeat.

Me and my buddy do this run all the time. It takes us about 60 -90 minutes depending on how we feel. You do that a couple of times and that should help for Afton. Spirit Mt. says there about 1000 ft. There is a section that dips below the ski runs so you can get about 1200 ft of climbing.

[xterrabuzz]

Randy,
Do you start behind the zoo where they run the Voyaguer Half???

[Heuy]

Anyone up there been riding Spirit?

How much rain have you been getting?

What's trail conditions going to be like for Sunday?

[mtnbykr]

How much rain have you been getting?


none.

[c'dale600dsc]

Did the spirit mountain trail again this afternoon. COGGS members were there getting the trail ready for the race. The trails are well marked anyway, but the weeds had been cleaned. It is easier to keep track of the trail.
For those who will be racing for the first time, it is fun, tight and twisty. I would suggest to carry and extra rear deraileur:p
JD

[TrailSquirell]

tools may be necesary, there are some good size rocks your playin with in the single track, maybe an extra set of pedals to... who knows.

[c'dale600dsc]

Since the trail is well marked, I did the Comp/Expert trail and followed the COGGS arrow signs. It is a fairly long trail and very technical, I did some of the Rock Gardens with about >6" drops there are several there. There are some that I felt too spooked to do that I have to get off my bike:jumpy: (that has kept me from earning the expert badge). At the bottom it is smoother (comparatively), but there is a section there that has long and twisty decent, also the steep decent before you hit the fire road. With the soil being so loose it makes it difficult. Of course from the bottom it's a climb up to the Parking Lot (as we were not allowed to go near the Chalet because of the wedding). It felt that going up was forever climb.
Those who brought their Garmin/cyclocomputer, how many miles is the expert loop?

[mpope]

Rain? What do you mean rain? This is the desert. It NEVER rains here.