I'm taking some buddies up to the Valley in June for a couple days of mountain biking and am looking for ride recommendations. Last year we tackled (or were tackled by) the Plantation Trail. This year I was thinking of trying out some new rides. We are a pretty experienced group, prefer single track, like technical - but love flowing trails also. Here are some of the candidate rides I'm considering -

1) The original 24 hours course with Moonrocks on the present CVI tract,
2) The park-to-park ride (might be a little long since we're probably taking a single vehicle up),
3) Canyon Rim Trail(though I'm really unclear on the best place to start or how much of that trail is true single track vs fireroads.
I've also thought of a couple "adventure epics" -

4) A long loop through the wildlife refuge via Middle Ridge and A-Frame
5) Dolly Sods Epic from the top of Tline to Bear Rocks and back (is there more wading than pedaling?).

I know there are a good number experienced CV mountain bikers on this board. Any preferences? Other trails to consider? Tips?

Tom

Don't forget to ride Plantation! Possibly the best trail in all of WV. With that said... don't forget extra everything for repairs.

You can also ride Sidewinder down T-line... it's a bit better marked than the old 24 Hrs DH and in much better shape. Starts at the top of OTW... terminates in the lift boneyard.

Already hit Plantation last August - my buds want to hit something new this trip (something about the grueling 3-4 mph pace we kept). Done Sidewinder too. Unfortunately, the other trails around tline are so trashed from ATVs and horses I'm reluctant to waste a good riding day trying to find something decent to ride over there.

C-man: have you traversed the Sods from the top of Tline to Bear Rocks? That looks to be a good adventure epic, just wondering if there is a route that doesn't involve slogging through miles of bogs.

Also, do you know how long a ride it is to do the between the parks ride from CVSP and BWFSP as an out-and-back?

tgd,

The old 24 Hrs course over in the CVI is very rideable. Very little climbing, plenty of rocks, single & double track, and then there's Moon Rocks. Ever been to Moon Rocks? It's well worth checking out.

Thanks SCWVA! The 24 hour course is on the menu for Saturday. Found these recent GPS maps on MTBR:





The climbs/downhills off Brown Mountain look pretty tough from the topo.

I'm still looking for another ride for Sunday. I've done some exploring in the Sods, but never an epic ride. Out and back to Bear Rocks looks do-able, just not sure what is the best route - lots of bog up there.

The trails on the CVI property are a lot of fun. I think the trail between CVSP and Blackwater is about 8 miles one way. You should be able to find info at the Nature Center at CVSP. CVSP has some fun trails within its boundarys too. Probably your best bet for good info on rides in the area is to stop in at Blackwater Bikes and talk to Roger or Matt.

24 Hrs course - The one up hill section off the Camp 70 road isn't too hateful. You have to walk part of it. I think the climb was called Death March

I have ridden the trails within CVSP quite often - Back Hollow, Middle Ridge, and Club Run. There is a 9 mile loop I do there every weekend I'm up in the Valley. Overall though, this loop is kind of atypical for the area - not very technical, rocky, or muddy. That's a big reason I like it when riding solo - limited opportunities to injure myself alone in the woods. I like to try the more challenging stuff whenever I coax some of my riding buddies up to the Valley. The highly technical stuff like Plantation is such a huge skill builder for me. After we rode that trail last summer, I was absolutely flying through the local trails we have here in NVA. West VA mountain biking is some of the best in the country.

BTW - any suggestion on the best direction to start from when riding out and back between CVSP and BWFSP?