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We get it, the sun is shining and the ski-season let-downs are aplenty. The birds are singing their spingtime songs and some trailheads look dry and inviting... But the mountain bike trails are NOT ready. This time of year trails are at the HIGHEST RISK of erosion and long-term damage. The soil is exceptionally vulnerable during freeze/thaw periods. Damage done now before the trails are ready creates a bigger back log of maintenance which means less progress on scheduled projects and new trails and features. Please be patient! Our trail crew and volunteers thank you.
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Despite last weekend’s storm that dropped 4-5 inches of rain in some places in the region, the trails are in good shape. Still, ride with caution. The leaves are falling and you may encounter blowdown from the aforementioned monster rain event.
This weekend, staff and volunteers will start to get out with leaf blowers. If you feel inclined to go for a walk in the woods, contact us and we can get you set up. If you haven’t done this before, watching the trail reappear is surprisingly meditative. BONUS 1, you’re giving back and BONUS 2, you’re improving the riding/walking/running experience for our community. Hunting Season PSA: BETA encourages mountain bikers and other trail users to be courteous and respectful of all hunters you meet in the woods or in the parking lot. Remember that hunting is a traditional and popular activity on public and private lands in the Adirondacks. Hunting license revenue supports fish and wildlife conservation with millions of dollars annually - and many of our fellow bikers and skiers are also hunting this time of year. Wear that blaze orange, friends - dress your pup in orange, too. Above all, use common sense and respect other users and the Forest Preserve lands we share. Freeze/Thaw PSA: Winter is coming. Nighttime temps are dropping. As we approach the time of year when trails are at their most vulnerable, please pay attention to and respect trail reports and temporary closures. Responsible trail use involves being mindful of our environmental impact and helping to maintain the quality of the trails for all users. Thank you!
Go ride your bike. Seriously, we’re in that magical after-the-bugs-die-but-before-the-leaves-do window. The trails are primo. Go on, get outside.
In case you missed it in this week’s newsletter, here are some abbreviated updates on four major trail projects… WILMINGTON - Wilmington has a new trail for the first time in almost 5 years thanks to a partnership with owners of the Three Sisters Preserve, @adirondacklandtrust and a generous donation of services and equipment form @tahawustrails. In total, staff and volunteers logged over 900 hours on the project over the course of 26 days. KEENE - Phase 2 of the East Branch Community Trails project was completed on September 1 by @peduzzitrails. The new trail “Downriver,” is the first of several downhill-oriented MTB trails planned for the property. “Downriver” traverses a beautiful hillside with massive berms, rollers and jumps. This was made possible by grants from the Town of Keene and Cloudsplitter Foundation and over $25,000 in grassroots donations, business sponsorships, and local fundraising events. Over 100 hours of volunteer labor were logged as well. LAKE PLACID - “Green Jacket” and “Gold Jacket” constructed by Max Van Wie of @backslopetrails are OPEN. “Green Jacket” keeps riders engaged with berms, hips, roller gaps and jumps. For advanced riders, a new pro line option, “Gold Jacket” was added and extends the old “Steamroller” jump line with two additional big jump features before merging back into “Green Jacket.” Friendly reminder - riders should “pre-ride” or walk these trails to inspect all features before committing, and remember to ride within your ability. SARANAC LAKE - In August we partnered with the Adirondack Mountain Club trail crew to begin construction on a new trail at Fowler’s Crossing trail network in the Saranac Lake Wild Forest (state Forest Preserve land). BETA staff and local volunteers are continuing work to complete it this month. Both SL & LP projects are supported by a grant from the North Elba LEAF program, as well as a handful of major donations and investment from BETA’s Sterling Watchorn Trail Fund.
Summer finally joined the party bringing sunny skies, temperatures in the 80’s and helmet-never-dries humidity. The trails are in the best shape we’ve seen since early June.
Some things to know… 🤘LAKE PLACID: Green Jacket, the new gravity trail at Craig Wood is good to go. Gold Jacket, the more advanced line still needs some finishing touches before it’s ready. We’re as eager as you are. Updates to come. ⚠️ Please continue to avoid Purple Trail. ⚠️ WILMINGTON: As part of a Bike Fest soft opening, last weekend friends and visitors got to sample Flowbus, the new trail at Three Sisters. There is more work to be done to finish Flowbus, and we expect construction to continue through the 11th. Please avoid it while construction is underway. With some rain in the forecast, we’re hopeful that conditions will continue to set up and improve until we give it the full green light. Stay tuned. 🐝 Please be aware that we’ve had several reports of ground bee’s nests at both Hardy Road and the Flume. We’ve tried to address nests as they’re identified, but there are most certainly more out there. Pro Tip: Ride with Benadryl or Zyrtec in your pack and if you’re stung, keep pedaling until you’re a safe distance from the nest. Where there’s one, there are probably many more. 🤘KEENE: Downriver, the new gravity trail at the East Branch Community Trails is OPEN. Signage is coming soon. Please remember that Downriver, Flowbus and Green Jacket are all downhill only. ⚠️ SARANAC LAKE: Our trail crew needs a little more time to finish the new trail at Fowler’s Crossing. We’ll be announcing a volunteer day soon and anticipate an official opening in a few weeks! 💃🏼 ELIZABETHTOWN: Happy Otis Mountain Get Down ya’ll! ⚒️ SAVE THE DATE: Saturday September 30th - Women’s Volunteer Day coming at ya! Pencil it in. Details to come…
Please avoid Purple Trail in Lake Placid for the foreseeable future. Recent storms led to a serious washout at the intersection of the old Cobble Hill trail and Echo Pond.
We’ve reached broken record status. From four inches of rain, to full sun and whipping wind, real-time conditions updates are proving to be ultra-tricky this season.
We are yellow lights top to bottom, meaning no matter where you end up, ride with caution. If you encounter a lot of mud and/or are leaving ruts, be prepared to turn around. Hardy in Wilmington generally handles the rain really well. It’d be a good option if slippery conditions are not your jam. Lussi Trails, the Flume and Pisgah may be wet in spots but should be good to go for the weekend. Best to let Craig Wood, Dewey, PMD and Loggers Loops dry out until tomorrow. Please know we can’t be everywhere all at once. Our staff and volunteers are out and about keeping a pulse on things as best as we can. Share updates if you have them! We appreciate you. AND NOW, THE GOOD NEWS! Today’s strong breeze is working in our favor and the new gravity trail at Craig Wood will be open and ready to ride tomorrow (August 12th) but subject to future closures should the rain monster return. Don’t forget, we’ll be camped out at the Scott’s Cobble Parking lot (8/12, 10-4) slinging stickers and offering some No Drop Group Rides… 10:00 - Kids’ Cruise on Putt Putt & Pirate's Cove at Scott's Cobble 10:30 - Women's Ride! A no drop ladies' cruise to check out the new trail! 1:00 - Intro to Craig Wood no drop tour for ALL including a lap (or two!) on the new trail. If you prefer to choose your own adventure, feel free to lap at your leisure. Group rides will start and end from the Scott's Cobble Trail Head. Take Country Club Lane off of Route 73. (Across from the Cascade Inn - you'll see a Craig Wood sign). Once on Country Club Lane, look for a parking lot on the right. If you reach the golf course, you've gone too far. We will have a BETA tent/table set up from 10-4.
⛈️ Heavy, intermittent thunderstorms bringing rain at rates of up to 1 inch per hour started yesterday and are continuing through today and into tonight. Avoid riding Craig Wood in Lake Placid, and Dewey and Pisgah in Saranac Lake. Please allow them 24 hours to dry out. Thank you!
 ⛈️ Rowdy summer thundershowers, soaking overnight storms and high humidity over the last few weeks are (still 😬) keeping trails and chams damp.
⚠️ If you venture out, ride with caution. Be prepared for greasy roots, slick rocks and intermittent wet sections.🌪️ High winds moving in with today’s storm may bring limbs or trees down. Conditions will be spicy and/or sloppy - use your best judgment and turn back if necessary. If you had plans to travel here to ride this weekend, consider pivoting to a burger tour 🍔. Other things… 🪓Trail season is here. We're putting those membership donations to work. Thank you to those of you who are renewing your support! (betatrails.org/donate). We appreciate you. 🛑 Please remember that the new trail being constructed in Craig Wood is CLOSED for your safety and for the safety of the trail builders. Be patient. It’ll be worth it. 🔥 Registration for Wilmington Mountain Bike Fest is OPEN. Live music. BEER. Grilled cheese. BIKES. What are you waiting for? 💙 Thinking of our NY/VT neighbors and friends affected by the recent flooding. Take care of yourselves and each other.  It’s a jungle out there. Consistent rain and high humidity over the last couple of weeks is keeping trails and chams damp. If you venture out, ride with caution. Be prepared to embrace a little grease as roots and rocks will be sweaty and slick and you may encounter wet sections.
Some other things to note: 🪓Trail season is here. We're putting those membership dollars right to work. Please remember that the new trail being constructed in Craig Wood is CLOSED for your safety and for the safety of the trail builders. 😶🌫️ For now, the smoke from the Canadian wildfires has shifted and our air quality is back in the healthy range. 🔥 Registration for Wilmington Mountain Bike Fest is OPEN. Live music. Grilled cheese. BIKES. 🇺🇸 Happy 4th! Be safe. Ride bikes. Heyyyy, remember that May drought? It's over. We've had consistent rain all week and the weekend forecast is calling for an additional inch (or more!). If you venture out, be prepared to embrace the grease. Roots and rocks will be slick and you're likely to encounter wet sections. Pedal with caution and ride or walk through mud instead of around it. Earlier in the season, after a hard rain, we sometimes encouraged folks to give the trails 24 hours to dry out or to avoid them all-together. Why the shift in messaging? We haven't seen freezing temperatures in a month or so, and thankfully for our gardens, we're beyond the freeze/thaw cycle. Because of this, the trails have had a chance to harden and stabilize, making them less prone to damage and better equipped to handle and shed water. And in addition to that, we're coming off of an extended period of dry weather. The rain was much needed and the trees and plants are happily drinking it up. Some other things to note: 1.) Registration for the 1000 Animals Social Athletic Club Ride CLOSES on Monday. Pre-registration is required. 2.) Early bird pricing for the Wilmington Mountain Bike Fest ends June 22nd. Don't miss it! Live music. Grilled cheese. BIKES. 3.) Trail season is here. We're putting those membership dollars right to work. Thanks to all who are renewing their support! And last thing - GOOD LUCK to all of the brave riders attempting the Over Easy this weekend in these traditionally spicy conditions. Get some!
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