Mountain Biking Harrison Hills Park

If you find yourself twenty miles north east of Pittsburgh and your looking for some mountain bike trails, Harrison Hills Park is a great place to ride. Over the course of the summer I got to explore the trail system in the park; there's a lot out there to ride. Harrison Hills Park sits atop the ridge line overlooking the Allegheny river along Freeport Road between Natrona Heights and Freeport. [Park Location Google Maps]

Harrison Hills is a great place for beginners there are many well maintained and groomed trails throughout the park and most don't involve a lot of climbing. I'd like to put together a good beginner/novice loop, but this ride was geared a little beyond first time riders; it's suited to someone with at least a little riding experience.

There are a ton of trails in Harisson; they constantly intersect and merge and even with the trail markings I found riding there could get quite confusing. The Friends of Harrison Hills web site provides this terrific map and it's quite helpful. I recommend printing it out and bringing it with you. [Download the map]

The Ride

This entry describes a nice loop we put together that covers roughly six or so miles. It is primarily based on the Boy Scout Trail that travels in a five mile loop around the outer edge of the park; our route detours a couple of extremely steep sections of Boy Scout that lead to unrideable climbs. We also covers a few of the other trails in the park.

What you are in for

There's nothing extreme on this ride but the Boy Scout Trail contains a few sections that are more challenging than other trails in the park so it may be geared a little more for the intermediate rider but it's also a great place for a novice who is looking for some challenge but still wants a fun ride. Challenges include some short quick climbs requiring momentum, a couple of longer more moderate climbs, a few steep sections, and a section of tight windy single track with some off cambers, logs, rocks and roots.

Intermediate trail? How do I gauge trails? I take my girlfriend along, if she falls, complains or can't make the climbs it's dubbed an intermediate trail.

The Boy Scout Loop and Pink Trail

The image to the left outlines the route we took and is highlighted in bright green. To get your bearing, use this in companion with the park map pdf (linked above). If you are thinking of visiting the park and riding this loop, I highly suggest printing out both maps and take them with you. Even though the trails are well marked, there are so many intersecting and converging trails that following the route on a bike gets quite confusing. There are also many mapped but unmarked trails throughout. I spent a lot of time getting turned around and backtracking before I was able to put together a comprehensive ride.

Step By Step Tour

To get to the trail head, take the main entrance into the park. At the first intersection take a right (uphill) this is Woodchuck Drive. If you go down a steep long hill you've taken the wrong road.

Parking spaces for the Buckeye picnic area will be to your right and to your left will be spaces for the Baneberry Grove pavillion. Park at one of the Buckeye parking spaces and the trail head will be up and to your right.

The Boy Scout Trail is demarcated throughout with red vertical rectangles and there is also a sign along this road marking it. The ride begins taking the Boy Scout loop counter clockwise around the park.

Cut across the open shaded picnic area and enter the trail in the wooded area up and to your right. This wooded single track goes for about a half mile and eventually lead into a field. The trail goes down across the field until you come to a 'T'. Make a left towards the pond. Follow along the pond and make a left around the end of the pond. At the corner of the pond there will be a track straight ahead and one to the right. Take the trail off to the right up over the short steep climb.

After a short wooded piece you will emerge into a wide open area with soccer fields. Follow the trail to left and travel up around the first soccer field. Travel across the lawn area and angle down and to your right across the lawn crossing the gravel road and heading counter clockwise around the second soccer field. You might spy some of the red triangles that mark the boy scout trail.

The trail goes through the uncut field below the soccer field and leads you into the onto some single track.

This is classic single track with tight windy turns, roots, rocks and off cambers. For me it was the favorite part of this ride.

Eventually the trail will lead you to the closed area. A large white foreboding sign reads 'Keep Out Unsafe Area'. I do not know the official reason for the sign. Perhaps it's a nuclear fallout area or a cover up for some secret government project probably has nothing to do with the area above the cliffs are unstable. Though you'll see on your map the Boy Scout Trails travels through this section, you'll probably want to detour this because the trail looks overgrown and unmaintained.

After you make a left at the danger sign you enter the yellow trail. Immediately start looking for a trail off to your right that crosses a small valley and stream. You may spy one of the blue trail markers. Hmmmm this is starting to sound like one of those text based adventure games:

After you cross the stream make a quick steep accent that puts you at the edge of a black top road. There's a pavilion to your right on your side of the road, ahead of you a very large lawn area with a playground in the center and a sign pointing to the observatory along the side of the road. >Look playground You see a children's play ground with slides and swings. A small gnomish looking creature stands atop one of the slides. >Swing on swings You are on a mountain bike you can not swing on a swing. >Get off bike A gang of derelict juveniles steal your mountain bike, beat you over the head with it, and throw you off the cliffs. Your ride is over.

What you have no idea what that was about. So you've never wasted weeks of your life playing text based adventure games like Zork or Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy? Lucky you. Back in the 80's before Nintendo and before we had mountain bike trails, there were these... ummm never mind.

Getting on with it.... Head out across the lawn toward the observatory. Here at the observatory you get a relatively uninteresting view of the homes and golf courses that make up River Forest. This might be interesting if you were a golfer but being that you are out here mountain biking, you are probably not a golfer.


However much more impressive and more likely to hold your attention is the precipice your standing over and the knifes edge trail leading along the ridge line. This is where you pick back up the detoured Boy Scout Trail. Continuing: after cutting across the lawn area and reaching the observatory you make a left on the boy scout trail and follow the ridge line trail upriver along the cliffs. Do take caution!

Other trails will join this trail and branch off just keep right and follow the trail along the edge of the cliffs.

After a few hundred yards of following the ridge you will come to a very steep long downhill where a stream valley, the river valley and the corner of a field all intersect.

We decided to detour this steep section. I was with my girlfriend and she would not be happy pushing her bike out of this hole. Looking at the map there may be a reasonable trail that follows the contours up out of the stream valley but I'll leave exploring that to another ride.

Instead of heading down go to the fields edge and follow the trail to the right. This is a section of the Wetlands Trail and it's marked with the color green.

The trail goes along the edge of the field along the woods line and heads into the woods bordering along the field. A trail will branch off down to the right, keep left. The trail leads up and then out of the woods and down across the field. The trail will cross a gravel road. Make a left onto the gravel road.

Travel on this road past the construction area. This will lead to a house and a barn looking structure which is the park office. You'll know you have reached this point if you notice the road turns to blacktop.

Head for the barn structure straight ahead of you. Vere off to the left and look for the 'Flag Staff Hill' trail. It's demarked with pink rectangles. On the park map its marked with purple. At this point the pink trail is a relatively fast double track that runs along a ridge line. It takes you back towards the observatory.

After traveling along the ridge line for a while the trail will quickly plummet down over a hill. Before the bottom of the hill make the sharp right and follow the the pink trail markers. If you end up at an open lawn area at the observatory you've gone just a little too far.

After the trail makes the sharp right, it heads across the paved road and runs up a valley between the stream and the road.

After running up the stream valley for a time the pink trail runs back across the road where it meets up with the green 'Wetlands Trail'.

As the trail heads up the valley you'll come to blacktop. You are actually just downhill from the park office. Make a left onto the blacktop you'll see a parking area on your left and some bathroom facilities on your right. After a couple hundred feet the blacktop meets an intersection. Make a right on the blacktop heading up the hill.

Immediately begin looking for a trail off to your left. After entering the trail ascend up about a 50 yard walk-a-bike section. At the intersection at the top make a right onto the white/red trail. The trail curves around and takes you behind the Baneberry Pavilion.

Congratulations you've completed the loop.

Should MRSA concern us?

As a mountain biker I frequently and proudly sport the many scratches, bumps and bruises that occur during the rigors of trail riding; so it's common for my forearms and shins to be scratched as well as numerous cuts and bruises decorating them; but could I be exposing myself to a deadly bacterial infection so severe that it's known as the 'flesh eating disease' and is capable of destroying skin, muscle and even lead to lost limbs or death?

There's been a lot of talk of MSRA lately after it's shown up in some local schools , and I just got done reading this terrifying ABC news story about MSRA, a skin infection so severe that it can destroy skin, muscle and lead to lost limbs or death; it is also known as the 'super bug' and 'flesh eating disease'.

So exactly what is it? MSRA is serious staph infection highly resistant to antibiotics. Staph infections, usually associated with post surgery complications, is more frequently occurring in the form of skin infections outside of any medical environment.

So how do you contract it? Either directly from person to person or from an object or area contaminated by the infected. In addition MSRA typically needs an opportunity to take hold; like an opening in the skin, something very typical for Mountain Bikers that like to ride hard.

As I read the article I began examining the many cuts and abrasions doled out to me during last month's Month of Mud race series. Does my sport put me at significantly greater risk? So with a little research I uncovered a few things and it certainly raised my concern:

From the Center For Disease Control Web Site:

Are certain people at increased risk for community-associated staph or MRSA infections?

CDC has investigated clusters of CA-MRSA skin infections among athletes, military recruits, children, prisonors... factors that have been associated with the spread of MRSA skin infections include: close skin-to-skin contact, openings in the skin such as cuts or abrasions, contaminated items ...

How common are staph and MRSA infections?

The majority of MRSA infections occur among patients in hospitals or other healthcare settings; however, it is becoming more common in the community setting. Data from a prospective study in 2003, suggests that 12% of clinical MRSA infections are community-associated, but this varies by geographic region and population.


Can I get a staph or MRSA infection at my health club?

In the outbreaks of MRSA, the environment has not played a significant role in the transmission of MRSA. MRSA is transmitted most frequently by direct skin-to-skin contact. You can protect yourself from infections by practicing good hygiene (e.g., keeping your hands clean by washing with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand rub and showering after working out); covering any open skin area such as abrasions or cuts with a clean dry bandages.

So what have we learned? Well typically if you do a lot of your riding in emergency rooms, hospitals or health care facilities, be aware you are at serious risk of contracting an MSRA infection.

As for the rest of us:

1) MSRA infections typically don't originate from sliding around in the dirt.

For Mountain Bikers this is good news! Because MRSA is most commonly spread through skin to skin contact, topping off your wound with mud and trail dirt isn't predisposing you, but because a dirty wound won't heal as fast, getting it cleaned up and covered reduces your risk.

2) Our cuts and scratches, typically to the forearms may put us at risk.

This is bad news. We typically touch our forearms with our hands that often make contact with others and bare forearms also brush up against others. These briar and undergrowth lashing could provide an opening for MRSA.

3) Don't pick your scabs.

Just like your mother told you, don't pick your scabs! Picking at that itchy scab with dirty MRSA contaminated hands may not be good idea (Seriously) and this is not just my own deduction; Dr Ripple of DePauw University agrees.

Ok I'm no medical expert and these are simply my own conclusions, so take them for what it's worth. Now that I've made you feel adequately gross and uncomfortable; go wash hands! And don't forget to use a clean towel.

Moraine Month of Mud #5

Last Sunday was the fifth and final race of the 2007 Month of Mud series. I made it out to all five (let me congratulate myself... ). For me it's been a short but fantastic season. I didn't start riding until end of June.

Moraine was an awesome course. Several long gradual climbs a few steep sections and then there were the rocks. Rocks, rocks, rocks and rocks, tons of creeping and pushing your wheels between rocks and boulders. There were too many to power through, after bouncing around for a bit you tired and had to slow down and pick your way through. It required strength, balance and lots of bike handling. It was like a trials course in the middle of a cross country race. A lot were getting off and pushing but walking my bike makes me so damn tired; I put it in the granny gear and worked my way through as best I could; stalling occasionally, but I felt everything there was very ridable you just had to relax, concentrate and take your time. I didn't find getting off and pushing was saving me any time or energy. This strategy apparently paid off. I did far better in the standings in this race than any others in the series.

So I road most of the rock gardens on the first lap but tired and not in top shape, I was forced to walk a few sections on the second . My favorite were the big rocks close to the finish, it's what I called the billy goat section. You had to scramble up and over one giant rock after another.

By the second lap for many of the riders fatigue set in and the silence of the forest was interrupted with shrieks and screams as tired riders lost balance and smashed down onto rocks. I've never experience anything like this in a race but the pain smashing against the rocks compelled people to vocalize. For the back of the pack riders it was like a war zone, riders going down everywhere, but they were the real troopers; they might not have had the endurance and the agility but they were out there in the rocks giving it everything they had going up against that trail.

Moraine was challenging but a great course to ride. For the squeamish, I would have to say go out and test yourself. This course will test you and you will be glad you did it.

So the racing season is over for me but not the riding. I bought a 15watt Nite Rider halogen to counter the short days and lack of day light. I have no plans of reverting back to my chair sitting, mouse pushing, keyboard tapping days.

One word about single speeders who rode this course. [Expletive] WOW! I wouldn't believe it possible to ride that trail but the rider with the best time was riding on one speed! He beat the top expert time. Can I shake your hand! Your are a !@##$# machine! Holy ---- !!!!! You can not be human! You are a freak of nature and a natural @$%@## wOndeR!!!! Damn!

Brady's Run, Month of Mud #4

Month of Mud lived up to it's name, a misty morning followed by a light rain less than an hour before the start put a nice slick coating on the trail making roots and log crossing like ice. This was a fantastic race; Brady's run had all the elements of a classic mountain bike course. A big long climb, some double track to spread out the riders, tight winding single track, plenty of log crossings, sections of fast booking it single track, mud, roots, rocks and a screaming downhill to top it all off. The course went two loops and ran around 8 - 10 miles.

Month of Mud #3 Grove City Community Park

Month of Mud #3, Grove City Community Park was 100% cross-bike territory. The race was a combination of park road black top, park lawn routes designated with plastic ribbon, and a short section of jeep trail double track. The race was fast paced and no one was letting up. It featured one major climb that was certainly middle ring territory if you put forth some effort; but I witnessed many tired sport class riders pushing or climbing in their granny. The race featured at least one run up near the start, this was after the course left the black top. There were also a couple of barriers in the lawn section. This race also included a short feature lap at the start of the race around the park's asphalt that allowed the field to spread apart before the course entered into the more confined run up section. The feature lap was greatly appreciated. This is something a few mountain bike races I know could stand to include to spread out the racers before the entire field piled into a tight single track jam up.

Bavington, Month of Mud #2

Had great time at the Bavington mountain bike time trials. This year's course was changed to add more single track and eliminate the long stretch of road that took you back to the race start area. Here was the course layout: The course started in it's usually place, in the parking area at the intersection of Haul Road and Five Points extension but this year the race ended where the trail comes out across the street. Here's what was different; As you followed the loop clockwise near the top of the loop the trail was diverted. Instead of going out onto Haul road the trail was re-routed taking you a little further North leaving you out in the field at the Kramer and Haul Road intersection. For a short piece the course continued down Kramer towards the rc airport and took a right up the double track. Soon after you were back into the woods on single track. This time when the course emptied out onto Haul, instead of heading back towards the start you took the trail off to your left that is just a few yards down; Forcing you to carrying your bike and scale up the steep, steep section. This added probably another mile and a half of single track to the course. Overall the course was a fast eight miles with most riders finishing well under an hour.

Mammoth, Month of Mud Race #1

The Month Mud Race series kicked off on Sunday in Mammoth, Pennsylvania. The course was set up on a hillside in the park lawns underneath the trees. It was full of sharp turns as it cut up and down the hillside, great course, it was a ton of fun. Navigating hair pins in wet grass required some mad skillz. It was akin to a Mountain Bike downhill but in your middle middle ring; it was a blast. No doubt those guys sporting the skinny little tires on the cross bikes were having a tough time of it. I did not regret riding a fat tire at all. A question I never got answered, are you required to get off your bike to cross the orange obstacles they set up? Call me lazy but my bike is heavy, I up and overed them like a big fat log. I wasn't carrying it if I didn't have to.

Harisson Hills Park

Last month I did a little exploring, mountain biking Harisson Hills Park and put together a nice little ride:

Harrison Hills Park sits above the Allegheny River between Freeport and Natrona Heights with
it's main entrance along Freeport road.

Harrison Hills is a great place for beginners. There are many well maintained and groomed trails throughout the park that don't involve a lot of climbing. I'd like to put together a good beginner/novice loop but this ride was geared more towards bikers with at least a little riding experience under their belt.

There are a ton of trails in the park and they constantly intersect and intertwine which can be confusing but the trails are extremely well marked and the Friends of Harrison Hills Web Site provides this terrific map. [Link to the map]

We based our ride on the Boy Scout Trail. This trail is a five mile loop that follows the outer edge of the park. This is an outline of our route:

The route we took is outlined in green. Use this along side the original map to see the color coding.

We took part of the the Boy Scout loop and avoided the really steep section of the trail. The Boy Scout Trail contains some sections that are more challenging than other trails in the park. It's more geared for the intermediate rider but is also a great place for a novice who is looking for some challenge but still wants a fun ride. Challenges include some short quick climbs requiring momentum, a couple of longer more moderate climbs and steep sections, and a section of tight windy single track with some off cambers, logs, rocks and roots.

The Boy Scout Loop and Pink Trail

Take the main entrance into the park. At the first intersection take a right (uphill) this is Woodchuck Drive. If you go down a steep long hill you've taken the wrong road.

There will be paved parking spaces on the right and left of the road. A few yards down the road and to your left is the Baneberry Grove pavilion. The trail head is off to your right. Pull into a space and get ready to cycle.

If you pull into a space on the right hand side the boy scout trail will be up and to the right of the open area. The Boy Scout Trail is is demarcated throughout with red vertical rectangles and there is also a sign along this road marking it. The ride begins taking the Boy Scout loop counter clockwise around the park.

Begin your ride through some wooded single track after a half mile the trail will eventually lead into a field. The trail will go down across the field and you will come to a T. Make a left towards the pond. Follow along the pond and make a left around the end of the pond. At the corner of the pond there will be a track straight a head and one off to the right. Take the trail off to the right up over the steep climb.

After a short wooded piece you will emerge into a wide open area with a baseball and soccer field. Follow the trail to left and travel up around the baseball field. Travel across the lawn area and angle down and to your right across the lawn crossing the gravel road and heading counter clockwise around the soccer field. You might spy some of the red triangles that mark the boy scout trail.

As you cross the gravel road and head down around the soccer field you'll want to cross the lawn area and find the trail again as it travels through the field.

The trail goes through the uncut field below the soccer field and leads you into some single track.

This is classic single track with tight windy turns, roots, rocks and off cambers. For me it was the favorite part of this ride.

Eventually the trail will lead you to the closed area. A large white sign will read Keep Out Dangerous Area (or something to that effect). Though you'll see on your map the Boy Scout Trails travels through this section, you'll probably want to detour this because the trail looks overgrown and unmaintained.

After you make a left at the danger sign start looking for a trail off to your right that crosses a small valley and stream.

Head out across the lawn toward the observatory. Here at the observatory you get a relatively uninteresting view of the homes and golf courses that make up River Forest. This might be interesting if you were a golfer but being that you are out here mountain biking, you are probably not a golfer.

However much more impressive and more likely to hold your attention is the precipice your standing over and the knifes edge trail leading along the ridge line. This is where you pick back up the detoured Boy Scout Trail. Continuing: after cutting across the lawn area and reaching the observatory you make a left on the boy scout trail and follow the ridge line trail upriver along the cliffs. Do take caution!
Other trails will join this trail and branch off just keep right and follow the trail along the edge of the cliffs.
After a few hundred yards of following the ridge you will come to a very steep long downhill where a stream valley, the river valley and the corner of a field all intersect.

We decided to detour this steep section. I was with my girlfriend and she would not be happy pushing her bike out of this hole. Looking at the map there may be a reasonable trail that follows the contours up out of the stream valley but I'll leave exploring that to another ride.

Instead of heading down go to the fields edge and follow the trail right. This is a section of the Wetlands Trail and it's marked with the color green.

The trail goes along the edge of the field along the woods line and heads into the woods bordering along the field. A trail will branch off down to the right, keep left. The trail leads up and then out of the woods and down across the field. The trail will cross a gravel road. Make a left onto the gravel road.

Travel on this road past the construction area. This will lead to a barn looking structure which is the park office at this convergence the road turns to blacktop.

At the park office building head across the lawn off to your left and find the trail head for the pink trail. This is the 'Flag Staff Hill Trail' and is demarcated with pink rectangles. It is marked purple on the park trail map.

At this point the pink trail is a relatively fast double track along a ridge line and takes you back towards the observatory.

After traveling along the ridge line for a while the trail will quickly plummet down over a hill. Before the bottom of the hill make the sharp right and follow the the pink trail markers. If you end up at an open lawn area at the observatory you've gone just a little too far.

After the trail makes the sharp right, it heads across the paved road and runs up a valley between the stream and the road.

After running up the stream valley for a time the pink trail runs back across the road where it meets up with the green 'Wetlands Trail'.

As the trail heads up the valley you'll come to blacktop. You are actually just downhill from the park office. Make a left onto the blacktop you'll see a parking area on your left. After a couple hundred feet you'll come to an intersection. Make a right on the blacktop heading up a steep climb.

At the top of the climb you are near the park entrance. Hang a left at the intersection and this road will take you back to your car.

Month of Mud Schedule Is Out

I know I'm a couple weeks late on this one but I just found out. The Month of Mud 2007 Schedule is out! [Month of Mud Flyer]

Month of Mud is a tough, rough and muddy series of mountain bike and cyclocross races held at various venues in Western Pennsylvania.

• Sunday September 16th
  Mammoth Park, Mammoth PA
• Sunday September 23rd
  Bavington State Game Lands (Hillman State Park), Bavington, PA
• Sunday September 30th
  Grove City Community Park, Grove City, PA
• Sunday October 7th
  Brady's Run County Park, Beaver Falls, PA
• Sunday October 14th
  Moraine State Park, Pottersville, PA

Map and directions to all of the race venues


View Larger Map

29ers

I feel compelled to comment on the 29ers just because a lot of what I've been reading is speculation by folks who have never had the chance to ride one.

Don't be a doubter until you've ridden one; until you've actually taken one out for a ride on the trail. Before then I had my doubts about how much a bigger tire would make. Yeah yeah 29" the next big thing something for the bike shop guys to talk up and get all excited over; angle of approach, rolling resistance, enhanced geometry blah blah blah.

I had the opportunity to experience the Gary Fisher Paragon and I've got to say that bike seriously rocked.

Ok first for some background. I've mountain biked for years and back in the day I put a couple of serious race seasons under my belt. To sum it up, I'm an experienced rider.

I got to ride the 29er on familiar trails so it was easy to compare the way it road compared to my 26" wheeled bike.

This is how the bike felt. The roots and rocks on the trail felt 50% smaller and when I road over them, it seemed that I kept 50% more of my momentum. Things that the 26" would hit hard on and sap my speed the 29er seemed to roll right over. Big log piles seemed effortless and they were 50% less scary. 3 ft log pile; not scary. I have a bike that rides over big stuff fairly easy, and it's the kind of bike that allows you to power through the rough stuff.

I realize that is a lot to say about a bike with just a bigger wheel. It's not that I didn't expect their to be a difference, I would have never dreamed that that extra wheel diameter would change things so drastically. Whatever Fisher did with that bigger wheel and bike geometry all I have to say is it was amazing.

Something else with the 29"; being stuck in the wrong gear on the steep uphills wasn't nearly as big as of a deal. It was easier to ride the 29" slower. The 26" was much more likely to 'stall' if you ended up in too big of a gear.

Draw backs. I could take really tight turns, I'd say maybe 20% faster on the 26". I only noticed this only when riding fast and when the turns were really sharp. Also taking a sharp turn extremely fast the bike was more likely to wash out. It's a much bigger bike so think leverage and that center of gravity thing.

So over 95% of my ride the 29er proved to make a huge difference. About 5% of the trail the 26" bike held a small advantage for me but give me some time to get used to the bike. The advantages the 29" has are so drastic that for me any of the advantages of the smaller tire are far outweighed.

I'm definitely sold on this bike. There are some bike shops that will let you demo their bikes. Get on a 29er and give it a try.

Bavington Trail Report Update

Stopped in at the Hoppery after a South Park ride and got a chance to talk to John from P.O.R.C. He told me the trails around Knolton are clear. Talking to him I can say for sure the figure 8 loop is clear and he indicated the other trails in that area should be clear also.



This report is an addition to my original trail undergrowth report. This one for the SE section of the park. This time of year some of the trails become overgrown giving riders a lot of arm and leg lashings from riding through the under growth.

Some great trails maps for Bavington can be found at the Friends of Raccoon site

Bavington 5 Points Road Extension

Over 20 miles of single track run through Hillman State Park, located in the state game lands in and around Bavington, known by mountain biker's as just Bavington, it's one of the most beloved mountain biking trail networks in and around Pittsburgh. The five points area also know as the 'new' trails is probably the most popular section in the park.

New Updated Material: Check out the Bavington resource page for other maps and trail guides

The Trail
These trails feature tight winding single track and rooty trails through young pine forest.



These trails are fairly smooth with tight turns with some roots thrown in. The trail offers enough variation to make the trails interesting for advanced riders, novice riders will find these trails a challenge.

Elevation

The trails follow flat tops and ridge lines and generally have a low grade making them fast both going up and down. You will encounter a few steep climbs but these are fairly short and all of them are ridable. The trails are up above the wet low areas and they generally stay dry. Pine needles covering the forest floor in many areas also help with the water.

Trail Head [Google Maps]

The trails are located near Bavington in Hillman State Park on Pennsylvania State Game Lands. This is east of Burgettstown and Stark Lake Post Gazette Pavillion. There is a parking area at the intersection of Haul Road and 5 Points Extension Road. If you turn onto Haul Road from Old Steubenville Pike, this will be the second road on your left. Don't confuse 5 Points Extension with 5 Points Road, which will be the first road on your left.

The Route

[Link to Original Maps]

This is around a six mile loop, it's an easy route to follow and involves only three turns.

The trail head is at the north end of the parking area. Enter the trail and head up a steep set of switch backs, this is a short but certainly challenging climb. After about 1/3 mile the trail will turn south and cross Five Point Extension north west of the parking area. After the trail crosses the road you head up a short steep climb.

In this section the trail is very windy and often circles back on itself but never crosses itself. A grassy double track cuts down the center of this open loop and the trail crosses it several times.

Eventually the trail again crosses Five Points Extension Road again; this time at the north west end of the road. Cross the road and head up the switch backs.

After about a mile the trail will go through a short field as the trail enters the woods it makes a sharp left, instead go straight up the hill. This is a short circuit trial that cuts out a not so fun weedy field. As you go up the short climb you'll notice the trail is s a little weedy. At the top it descends quickly and takes you to a 'T' insersection. Make a right and continue.

Follow the trail for about a quarter mile until it leads you to Haul road.

After you come out onto Haul road you'll see the trail continue directly across the road. Don't take this trail but instead make a right and head south down the road. Immediately on the right you'll see a tall orange pole marking a fiber optics line. After this look for a steep trail off to your left. It's about 50 yards down from where you entered the road.

This trail starts off very steep and will require you to push or carry you bike up a short section. (It's worth it there good riding ahead). At the top get back on and get going.

After a half mile you'll see to another trail empty into your trail, keep going.

Next you'll cross Van Gross Road.

After another 1/2 mile the trail ends at the intersection of Van Gross and Haul Road just a few yards south of the parking area.

Bavington Gets A Trim

UPDATE: Map of Known Cleared Trails


Just want to say much thanks to the guy that trimmed up some of the trails around Bavington. (Sorry I forgot your name). He spent the better part of his week off with a pair of hedge trimmers and a machete clearing up the trails around the five points parking area. I believe people refer to these trails as the new trails.

I could only guess at what trails were cleared up. I didn't lead the ride so I wasn't completely sure where I was at for the first half of the ride. I split off from the main group and got drug around by Travis Saelor for a while. Wow he's in shape. I thought I was going to puke. I asked for hard pace and he dished it out. Travis's Blog: [travissaeler.com].

The second half of the ride I hit some trails out by the RC Airport. Part of the route definitely suffered from undergrowth.

If you take Haul road north past the RC Airport road there's a 90 degree left. This trail goes East towards the RC airport is pretty over grown. It still ridable but only if you are willing to receive some lashings. After you find the trail head go about 75 yards and start looking for the trail that goes up the hillside off to your right. It's easy to miss and I don't know what kind of Jungle you'll get yourself into if you continue straight.

I took this trail over to the loop around the airport. I skipped the left half of the loop that goes around the airport. If the airport field was 12, I skipped 7 - 12. I made the mistake of riding that section last month and it was super choked and over grown.

The trails starting at 1 o'clock to 6 o'clock were mostly clear. Here's how I road it: at the 7 o'clock intersection I took a right and b-lined it to the airport field entrance gate. I went up the airport driveway and entered the visitors parking lot. Take the trial off to your left that heads up hill. You'll hit a couple weedy sections but after you enter the woods everything clears up. The trail will join up with the loop and bring you around clockwise back to the airport gate entrance. There's a lot of nice trails back there.

From there I crossed with plans to make my way back to the five points parking area. By no means were the trails clear but they were certainly a lot better than the West side of the airport.

I road the trails off to the left. Take the double track off to the left. You'll come to a log pile directing you to the single track off to your left. As you follow the ridge eventually you'll see a mega steep trail off to your left. Make this left down the steep section.

After the windy downhill you'll come to a small creek crossing. Immediately after the creek crossing take the trail to the right. If you immediately come to a wider creek you've gone the wrong way.

Eventually at the top of a climb you'll come to a mud pit followed by an old oil well. Come down off the hillside and start looking for your turn. The trail goes over a stream crossing a culvert. The trail will be this immediately to your right and starts with a very steep climb. If instead you reach the gravel road (Van/Gorder Road), you've gone too far. Turn around and find the trail, you're not too far past it. (Alternately this gravel road will lead you back to five points).

This section definitely had some undergrowth problems but it wasn't terrible. Alternately you could take a right and go up Van Gorder Road (up the hill).

Next you'll come to a 'T'. I went left. Next you will cross a gravel road (Van/Gorder Road).

After you cross the gravel road this next section of the trail is pretty clear. It takes you to the gravel road just a few yards south of the 5 points parking lot.

Bavington: Haul Road to Airport Loop

This was my first ride at the Bavington area and by the underbrush encountered I may have picked the road less traveled, but none-the less these were some fantastic trails and overall a great ride.

I parked at the sharp bend North of where Kramer road meets Haul and took the trail east headed towards the model airport. If you are driving North on Haul you'll pass Kramer on your right. There's a sign pointing towards Kramer for the model airport. After you pass Kramer you'll come an open marshy lowland area and then the road makes a sharp left. The trail head is on the bend on the right hand side of the road and can be hard to find.

The trail starts at the bottom of a wash out. As you continue up the ravine the trail will start up the hillside on the right and double back.

This section takes you on a narrow winding path east toward the model airport mostly following the ridge line and paralleling Kramer road.

The trail is well cut but the underbrush was just growing over. In July it was very weedy but still manageable.

After a mile and half the trail will come to a ridge that overlooks Kramer road. At this point the trail is about 50 yards from the road. Soon after, the trail comes to a 'Y'; the left branch heading up and clockwise around the airport and the right branch heading down towards the airport gate.

I took the left branch following the loop clockwise. In July this half of the loop is too overrun with weeds. A couple of times I was forced to get off my bike to get through. It's a great piece of trail, it would be awesome if it was given some maintenance.

The other half of the loop wasn't all weeded up like this. I would suggest making a right at the Y. The trail will spill out where the drive way for the model airport meets Kramer road. This driveway cuts loop in half. Head up the drive way (North) toward the model airport. As you head up the gravel road you'll see a sign for spectator parking. Ride into this tear shaped parking lot and find the trail. This trail will head North a little and then start taking you back clockwise around the loop.

Eventually the trail takes you back around to the model airport driveway. You can take the path you came in on or explore the trails directly across the street known as Rolands world.

Bavington - First Time

I've done a lot of riding in the area and I'm surprised I never made it out to Bavington. This place is fantastic. Many claim it to be the best single track in the area and I might agree. The trails are narrow twisting and windy. Way fun.

This place lacks what most trails in the area suffer from; extreme vertical variation. Too often trails in the area plummet into valleys and come straight back out again instead of follow valley contours or ridge lines. No matter which direction you are riding them in, you spend too much of your time walking your bike or devote most of your energy to nearly impossible climbs.

The trails at Bavington are different they are consistent and flowing; trails follow ridge lines and have gradual descents and uphills. I even road a switchback, such a novel idea out here in the east. Bavington gets my seal of approval.

Looked good on paper

Sometimes rides look better on paper, but let me start from the begining; I took my neighbor out for his first mountain biking experience. Now he say's he's ridden trails, like on his BMX bike as a kid and he really digs the rail trails but I said hey that's fun but you've never really gone 'Mountain Biking'. Mountain biking involves rocks, roots, mud, fast single track and grueling climbs. That's Mountain Biking; I love it!

So we spent a couple days getting my old GT back into a ridalbe state.

Now the only trails I knew close by was Frick, and Frick single track is just not a very kind introduction. So North Park came to mind and with a little research I thought I found a 'nice' ride. See my North Ridge Trail post below.

I could tell from the topo map there was going to be a climb involved and I invisioned a nice gradual climb following the contours out of the valley. I didn't want to pick anything too extreme. Like me he's out of shape and I wanted him to like mountain biking; not think of it as some kind of torture ritual disguised as fun and exercise.

So how grueling is that North Ridge trail climb? It's nearly half a mile and barely let's up. Let's just say he really gave it his best but my boy lost his lunch before he made it to the top. Now maybe those hot dogs we ate spent a little extra time in the the but I really think it was the climb. (See my road alternative to the North Ridge climb.

The image is a link to part of North Park on topo zone. If you're not familiar with topo zone click on the link and check it out. It's a great place to get topo maps.

Free Ride

Finally got to check out Free Ride. Free Ride is a bicycle recycling program that takes old donated bikes and helps someone who needs a bike fix them up. In return they ask for a donation of time or money. They'll also help your fix your bike. ' We won't work on your bike but we'll show you how to'.

They recruit volunteers and I always wanted to go there to see if I could help out a bit but I ended up there looking for a new bike for my son. We took his little full suspension tyke bike with us to donate and started our search. He found cool little silver diamond back single speed that didn't take much more work than inflating the tires. He was super excited with his find.

Don't think free ride is just for people without any kind of ride. I found quite a few things there to help out a needy trail rider. I found a suspension fork to replace my old blown out shock and pair of clipless pedles to swap with

If you feel like helping out, they seem to always be looking for people to help work on bikes, teach or even just straighten up and donating to them is a really cool and generous thing to do.

Free ride is in the city near the intersection of Pointe Breeze, Homewood and Wilkensburg. Here is their web site: [freeridepgh.org]

First Ride

I was introduced to mountain biking by my uncle when I spent some time out in Colorado. Yes the legendary Colorado single track. He gave me a quite proper initiation, as I feel we all should when we first start out. We started the ride with a fast climb rising several hundred feet on switch backs. At the top with temples throbbing they barely let me catch my breath before we took off on this wild downhill. I was trying like hell just to keep up, fearing I'd be left behind because they weren't waiting. The trail took me off of drop after drop, I just held on with white knuckles and my ass never even leaving the seat. Ouch!, my rear hurt so bad the next day. I was so happy to find them waiting up at bottom. I thought, my god this is the craziest damn thing I've ever done. I was afraid I might actually like it. Several years later I'm still here, alive and well with only a few bumps and bruises and only a couple very minor brain injuries. Riding has been good, I'm glad to be getting back into it.

Bridal Trail on North Ridge

North Park (North of Pittsburgh) has a lot of good Mountain Biking and lot's of single track. There are many many trails in and around the park but the trail 'system' and hell the entire park is pretty damn confusing. There's a lot of branching and intersections and none of the trails are very well connected. I've ridden there several times and ended up wondering around finding a trail here and there and not really getting a good handle on where I was or where I was going. But don't let that stop you from going, there is lots of great biking and that's what this site is for, to help you out.

So I did a little bit of online reconnaissance and came up with a nice little ride on the North side of the park.

North Park is North of Pittsburgh in the North Hills. From Pittsburgh take 279 to McKnight road and take McKnight up past the Ross Park mall. Bear right onto Babcock Blvd after the Peebles road intersection.

To get there take Babcock along the South end of the lake and turn North onto Pierce Mill Road. Pearce Mill Road runs along the lake. Up past the end of both North Park Lake and Marshall Lake there is a trail head opposite where Kummer road enters Pearce Mill Road.

The ride is pretty much all single track, not too technical, but has a steep climb. There's a lot of fun fast paced stuff once you get up on the ridge.

This trail begins where Kummer Road meets Pearce Mill Road and parallels North Ridge Road.

Park at the basketball courts on Kummer Road. [View on Google Maps]

Make a right out of the parking lot and go about 300 yards and bear right at the Y, staying on Kummer Road and cross the creek. As the bend straightens Brown road merges onto Kummer. Go about another 50 yards you will come to a triangle where Kummer road ends at Pearce Mill Road. Take the left fork of the triangle and the trail head is directly in front of you.

The trail head is directly in front of you, however unless your are in top shape I would recommend taking North Ridge Road to the top of the hill. The initial climb is manageable but it takes you down into a ravine and the second climb to the trail summit is very long (about 1/2 mile) and fairly steep. The trail is 100% climbable but it's long and doesn't let up much. Making this climb bottom to top without a rest is truly a physical and technical challenge.

Ok if you decide you are taking the road make a right onto Pearce Mill Road going South. Take this road 300 yards and make a left up the hill onto North Ridge Road. North Ridge road will climb for nearly half a mile.

After the trail summits it comes down and meets North Ridge road. If you are taking the road this is where you want to pick it up.

Follow the trail as is parallels North Ridge Road, there will be a couple of trail intersections and you'll want to keep right. This will take you to a picnic area at the top of the ridge point. Keep going and the trail will begin a fast but gradual descent. The trail merges onto another trail Look for the a trail on your right and take this uphill for a longer ride. Either direction will take to you to the down stream end of North Park Lake near the boat launch.

The best way back is to take the lower trail along the lake inlet. There is a section too steep the climb but this way gives you the best ride and least amount of walking. Keep an eye out for where you originally merged onto this trail on our way in. Take this branch up to the picnic area else you'll end up walking your bike up a very steep unpleasant and muddy section of trail. From there just backtrack.