Ascutney... Interesting Video

[Low Angle Life]

Brownsville should go with what Burke did and create a mountain biking hot spot.

They've kinda tried that, honestly not completely sure why it hasn't taken off. The areas surrounding the mountain are part of the Brownsville Town Forest and has a pretty extensive network of MTB trails. A lot more rugged and natural than KTA just due to the natural terrain but it is a really great example of a classic type of New England single track. ATMO Vermont has officially become over saturated by identical flow trail networks geared towards casual tourists. The type of trails found at Ascutney don't seem to draw the crowds out, I feel because the milage doesn't come as easy and likely because the town doesn't draw tourists in the same way that neighboring Woodstock does.

 

[jasonwx]

They've kinda tried that, honestly not completely sure why it hasn't taken off. The areas surrounding the mountain are part of the Brownsville Town Forest and has a pretty extensive network of MTB trails. A lot more rugged and natural than KTA just due to the natural terrain but it is a really great example of a classic type of New England single track. ATMO Vermont has officially become over saturated by identical flow trail networks geared towards casual tourists. The type of trails found at Ascutney don't seem to draw the crowds out, I feel because the milage doesn't come as easy and likely because the town doesn't draw tourists in the same way that neighboring Woodstock does.

i looked into riding Ascutney, the trails really don't utilize the mountain itself. Lots of people describe the riding as always climbing.. That said, I will problably check it out this summer, it's close to Lake Sunapee, where my wife spend most of summers as kid..
Better riding around Rutland and Rochester VT..

 

[Low Angle Life]

i looked into riding Ascutney, the trails really don't utilize the mountain itself. Lots of people describe the riding as always climbing.. That said, I will problably check it out this summer, it's close to Lake Sunapee, where my wife spend most of summers as kid..
Better riding around Rutland and Rochester VT..

I've ridden there on multiple occasions, if your used to places like Ringwood or Sterling or anything of the like you won't feel like your always climbing, it will just feel like trail riding back home, aside from the lack of rocks, spongier soils and lots more roots. Vermont has got some weird thing about mountain bikes on public lands in areas above 2000ft in elevation which is a real shame when you've ridden the top of Burke or even Killington and experienced how unique all that terrain above those elevations can be. Pine Hill and Green Mountain trails are cool and all but I find that the style of building to be kinda dull and lacking the natural terrain inspired design that sets riding destinations apart. In my time living up there my favorite spots were Hinesburg Town Forest, the Tucker Hill trails in Waitsfield and Bolton which always felt deserted compared to more popular destinations. All those networks were developed before the flow trail tourism boom that started up in the early 2010's. People, particularly the tourists seem to eat up shit like Cady Hill in Stowe while ignoring anything that requires any actual effort to ride.

 

[raisingarizona]

I've ridden there on multiple occasions, if your used to places like Ringwood or Sterling or anything of the like you won't feel like your always climbing, it will just feel like trail riding back home, aside from the lack of rocks, spongier soils and lots more roots. Vermont has got some weird thing about mountain bikes on public lands in areas above 2000ft in elevation which is a real shame when you've ridden the top of Burke or even Killington and experienced how unique all that terrain above those elevations can be. Pine Hill and Green Mountain trails are cool and all but I find that the style of building to be kinda dull and lacking the natural terrain inspired design that sets riding destinations apart. In my time living up there my favorite spots were Hinesburg Town Forest, the Tucker Hill trails in Waitsfield and Bolton which always felt deserted compared to more popular destinations. All those networks were developed before the flow trail tourism boom that started up in the early 2010's. People, particularly the tourists seem to eat up shit like Cady Hill in Stowe while ignoring anything that requires any actual effort to ride.

Geology always wins. I think the terrain tells ya what to put there. It's important to utilize what makes every location special and unique otherwise it's McBiking and no longer mountain biking. We don't want that!

 

[raisingarizona]

This zone I've been in this whole fall/winter season has some super rad geology to work with. I got really lucky getting this project!

 

[Low Angle Life]

Geology always wins. I think the terrain tells ya what to put there. It's important to utilize what makes every location special and unique otherwise it's McBiking and no longer mountain biking. We don't want that!

Walton Biking is more like it. You guys in the desert like us in Northern NJ/ Southern NY are blessed with a good canvas to work with. I just don't see the point in MTB tourism if it is the same flow trail copy pasted into 50 different locales.

 

[raisingarizona]

I really good flow trail is pretty dope but you can definitely overdo it.

The Walton trails make a lot of sense when there isn't very much wild topography or vertical but natural, unique terrain that's fun to ride a bike on is the bees knees.

I can have fun on pretty much anything that's been built decently. There's definitely good trails, ok trails, shit trails and blow your mind trails of all kinds.

 

[jasonwx]

Walton Biking is more like it. You guys in the desert like us in Northern NJ/ Southern NY are blessed with a good canvas to work with. I just don't see the point in MTB tourism if it is the same flow trail copy pasted into 50 different locales.

We are!!!

 

[Benny Profane]

Ha. I was just driving around over there for no particular reason, and saw this hill from the road. Decided to check it out at the parking lot. Two guys getting ready to skin and hike. I say hike, because, that's a steep hill on the front side. I guess if you go down the back, you get a double skin for the day. Weird thing is all the condos and the Holiday Inn resort hotel at the base of, essentially, a one lift ski hill, and that lift is just a Snowshed length t bar, that really doesn't take you anywhere, and it only operates on the weekend. Then, you drive by two pretty damn big parking lots very nicely plowed. Huh? Twilight Zone material. Anyway, looks like an awesome place to earn your turns, when it snows.

 

[Flying Z]

Ha. I was just driving around over there for no particular reason, and saw this hill from the road. Decided to check it out at the parking lot. Two guys getting ready to skin and hike. I say hike, because, that's a steep hill on the front side. I guess if you go down the back, you get a double skin for the day. Weird thing is all the condos and the Holiday Inn resort hotel at the base of, essentially, a one lift ski hill, and that lift is just a Snowshed length t bar, that really doesn't take you anywhere, and it only operates on the weekend. Then, you drive by two pretty damn big parking lots very nicely plowed. Huh? Twilight Zone material. Anyway, looks like an awesome place to earn your turns, when it snows.

There was a post on the backcountry page that showed pretty decent snow up there already. The storm should set it up nicely if it doesn't glaze. And yes the British groups did come . I remember skiing there several times and trying to figure out why there were large numbers of Brits skiing at a ascutney of all places. It was a powder haven when it snowed, no one was ever there.