Eureka! Downhill

Spring is here and the trails are dry...for now! It's been a REALLY long winter and until recently, I hadn't ridden since October.

A couple weeks ago I got to take a day trip to Arkansas with a friend. The weather was iffy the days prior and there had been some rain, so I didn't know if I'd make it until about 10:30 the night prior. We woke up early and headed to Eureka Springs to ride the downhill trail. 4 hours later we pulled in and geared up for our first run. I'd like to say I was really excited, but the only way to get to the top that day was to push up, and I wasn't looking forward to that, but the weather was spot on at about 60 degrees and overcast, so it darn near perfect.

On the way up I got to see what I was up against and really study the trail before I rode it, which to me is key in not breaking bones. My first mtn bike ride I didn't do this and it it was Trail 1 - Shannon 0. Ended up with several broken bones and probably a slight concussion.

Once at the top we got a drink, caught our breath, and let the good times roll!!

The ES DH trail is very smooth with lines around pretty much every feature. This is great for beginners and more mellow riders who just want to check it out. I am all about making things accessible for all groups. This gains interest in our sport and especially in this discipline.

The go big or go home lines can be intimidating after being off a bike for 5 months, but in the end we hit about every line save for the big stepdown at the top. This thing is intimidating, but totally do-able. It's probably only a 6ft step-down, but the turn afterward just seems like it's going the wrong way for the direction of the line. I headed in a couple times but opted for the sally line instead. Just wasn't feeling it and any good mtn biker knows, if you're not feeling it, it's probably not going to turn out in your favor.

Aside form the step-down up top, there's a three tier rock roller to drop, a couple gap jumps and hipped jumps to berms, and a nice rock slab step down with plenty of room to bomb it. That last one is fun, but right after a slow, non-bermed turn so it takes a few pedal strokes to really hit the transition.

All the berms that are there are super packed and smooth. No big braking bumps (pot holes) like you'd experience at the big resorts. They make the flow of the trail darn near perfect. About the third run I was railing them pretty good for a guy who lives in LevelLand.

After a huge burger and fries (some sort of bbq concoction with grilled onions and mushrooms I think) at The Rowdy Beaver, which is highly recommended, we headed back down for two more runs. We were both hurting on that 5th and final hike to the top, but the ride down was super sweet and really fast.

After 5 runs and cramped legs, we were on the long road back home to KC. I was super stoked to get back on the bike, and even more pumped that I finally got to try out my new GT Sanction setup. The bike handled well, but will need some minor adjustments and parts upgrades to make it a killer!

We are heading back down in a week to camp and ride again, but this time we will have a shuttle driver!!!! That's and easy 10 runs per day and I can't wait for some more sweet, sweet downhill! I'll get some pics this time around and share the experience in my next post.

'Til then, thanks for checking in and God bless.

-Shannon