Finally Went to Highland Bike Park

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion) 05/31/2018 at 10:48 • Filed to: bikelopnik

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Mind = blown.

Flyby:

I only live about 30 minutes from there, but typically when I ride, I just have an hour or two, so I go locally - like, VERY locally. I am lucky that I can ride up mountains right from my house, or just a few minutes away even. I know 30 minutes isn’t far, really, but in 40 minutes on my bike, I can be on top of the mountain behind my house; back to the house in around 1hr TOTAL, which is just the drive time to Highland.

Wednesday nights they stay open late but only for ride-yourself-up access, for $10. So we made four climbs before quitting, and it was absolutely amazing. THEN, there’s a lodge at the bottom with good food and excellent beer. Nothing like a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a pitcher of Boom Sauce to wash it all down, after hucking myself and my suddenly-inadequate-feeling trail bike down some of these runs.

No, I didn’t do any of the huge jumps or 10'+ drops, but I got plenty of air. Their trails are SO well made, but they’re not all manicured, either - there’s plenty of more natural terrain to be had, as well. It’s about 500' vertical, which is fine. It’s just steep enough, and yet the ‘up’ trail (they designate one easy trail for up when they’re doing that) was a nice easy switchback, I never breathed super hard and we could have conversations on the way up, even on the 4th lap.

I can’t wait to go back. How did I go this long without going? Oh right, I have two small kids and a full-time job. But man, I was missing out. If you’re a mountain biker in New England or just beyond, it’s worth the trip.

PatBateman > functionoverfashion 05/31/2018 at 10:55

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Can take sweet jumps better than a Raptor

functionoverfashion > PatBateman 05/31/2018 at 11:00

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Yes I can. Although there was one “surprise” gap I went over that I landed so hard on, I was sure I broke something on my bike. Not even a flat! Yay?

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > functionoverfashion 05/31/2018 at 11:02

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man this looks so fun, illinois doesnt have anything like these bike parks and it makes me sad

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > functionoverfashion 05/31/2018 at 11:03

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Looks amazing.

functionoverfashion > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 05/31/2018 at 11:04

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Come to New Hampshire! Or actually, you should start one.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > functionoverfashion 05/31/2018 at 11:05

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lol illinois is flat man our biggest hills are old land fills they turn into ski slopes in the winter

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > functionoverfashion 05/31/2018 at 11:06

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Yeah, that looks like fun. I started mountain biking in the early 1990's and got back into it seriously about 6 years ago and am having to re-learn how to ride berms, drops, doubles etc.. It’s so fun to hit a double or take a big drop. The consequences are much higher tho for a screw up, it usually results in broken bones or broken bikes.

Here is a sweet edit of our local freeride area.

functionoverfashion > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 05/31/2018 at 11:07

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I was so intimidated at first, because I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t end up finding myself at the top of a mandatory 10' drop with too much momentum not to just ‘go for it’ but really, there are ride-arounds on everything, and signs at every drop - no inidication of size, but at least you can prepare - and the landings are sooo good that it doesn’t matter.

Anyway, you can ride any trail slowly at first, spot everything, and try another line the next run. It’s just so well done.

Censored > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 05/31/2018 at 11:08

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Let me guess, Chicago. There are plenty of awesome trails in Illinois.

functionoverfashion > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/31/2018 at 11:13

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That looks awesome.

This is... diabolical. I love it

functionoverfashion > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/31/2018 at 11:14

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This is the screengrab I was referring to. Thanks, kinja

functionoverfashion > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/31/2018 at 11:17

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Also, same here - I rode a lot in high school and college, but not much after. I found that a boat was a way better way to meet girls (it worked, I met my wife that way), but then a few years later I found that with a wife and kids I needed to get back in shape. It helps that all my friends ride, too.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Censored 05/31/2018 at 11:18

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southern suburbs but yeah, there isnt any trails worth riding that are within an hours drive of me. i would assume most of illinois is the same until you get to the hills in southern illinois along the Kentucky border

BeaterGT > functionoverfashion 05/31/2018 at 11:19

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Looks like a ton of fun. I hit Mountain Creek for the first time last year, can’t wait to hit up more bike parks.

functionoverfashion > BeaterGT 05/31/2018 at 11:23

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Man, it was amazing. I knew it was there all along, but it really hit home that this is a former ski area whose only business is biking. And beer sales. It’s awesome that such a thing exists. I remember in the 90's when some local ski areas would run their lifts for bike access, but the trails were just... the ski trails. Or the access road. That had little to no appeal to me. This, on the other hand, was so good it was worth doing the climb - partly because it’s well-designed and the climb wasn’t hard. But also it’s just a ton of fun. And it’s not a ski area half-assing an attempt to generate summer revenue, it’s the whole purpose of the place, and they are damn good at it.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > functionoverfashion 05/31/2018 at 11:23

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That specific trail is very difficult to ride. I walk about 1/3 of it if there are no ride arounds.

functionoverfashion > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 05/31/2018 at 11:25

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You don’t really need steep hills, though - you need surprisingly little pitch to get up some speed. Of course the vertical helps make more interesting stuff, but low grades are fun... we just don’t have any of THAT around here, most things are very steep up and down.

BeaterGT > functionoverfashion 05/31/2018 at 11:25

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I’ll have to make the trip, did they have rentals or can you get them nearby?

DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back > BeaterGT 05/31/2018 at 11:27

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Hows the difficulty level there? My wife and I will be in the area in September and are thinking about going for a day (renting downhill bikes there). The problem is that we’re from Houston and while I’d say we’re fairly proficient on our local trails, I honestly don’t remember the last time I saw an actual mountain. I want to be able to get the most out of the experience, but it appears they really only have a few blues.

functionoverfashion > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 05/31/2018 at 11:28

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There are some trails nearby with big, unmarked drops that just scare me, even though I know where they are. Partly because people modify them at will and there’s no way to know until it’s too late. I don’t even ride those few trails, for that reason.

There’s a local group trying to build trails, etc. but it’s controversial and they aren’t that great at trail building either. The best stuff is totally unmarked, unsanctioned, and user-only maintained. With some exceptions like Highland, obviously, and some big areas in Vermont.

functionoverfashion > BeaterGT 05/31/2018 at 11:30

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They do rentals, including full protective gear! Bring your wallet, lol. But they do offer everything you’d need. They even do lessons. There’s a big shopping area nearby, too, if you have a SO who doesn’t ride but wants to come along. Just sayin.

OPPOsaurus WRX > functionoverfashion 05/31/2018 at 11:30

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Been there, code brown’d that.

that place is awesome. They have a deal for i think $100 you get an hour lesson, lift ticket, body armor and a bike rental (full suspension team bike) its well worth it fi you are there for the day. The bike makes a massive difference. The last time I was there I saw one guy down with a broken collar bone and another getting scraped into an ambulance with a broken everything.

Censored > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 05/31/2018 at 11:38

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Yep, SoIL is where its at for nature. Highly under rated area from the common misconception that all of Illinois is Chicago. Illinois is not all flat, and Illinois does have great bike parks. You just chose the wrong half to live in and forgot the other half.

Most of the bike trails are shared horse trails, so that’s a bit of a downer as there’s crap on the trails.

functionoverfashion > OPPOsaurus WRX 05/31/2018 at 11:39

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haha yep, on all counts. Lots of creative ways to get hurt there, for sure.

There is a deal like that, and I think it’s even less on some days, probably weekdays though. I’d be tempted to rent a bike next time, but also mine keeps me in check a little, even if I do break it - better it than me.

The guys I rode with were quite casual about describing all the crashes they’d had when using the rental bikes. Hmm.

BeaterGT > DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back 05/31/2018 at 11:44

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You have access to everything really in terms of difficulty. My friend didn’t even let me on the lesser blue/green trails so I couldn’t tell you personally how they are but I saw plenty of younger kids and people getting guided on them. If you haven’t done downhill before, there will be some learning to do (stay off the brakes!). Another thing is I’m not sure what conditions you are used to but these trails can get VERY rocky. Pretty sure Mountain Creek is known for their rock gardens. Another thing you can do is check out Youtube videos of the different trails to try and get a feel for them.

BeaterGT > functionoverfashion 05/31/2018 at 11:45

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Appreciate it. I usually fly/drive in and rent, has worked pretty well over the past couple of years.

RallyWrench > functionoverfashion 05/31/2018 at 12:00

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Kick ass, love a little park riding but it’s a rare occurrence for me. The videos I’ve seen shot at Highland are amazing. Funny how quickly a bike can feel inadequate in places like that, right?

The nearest big parks for me are at least 3 hours away, and those with any real elevation (Mammoth, China Peak, and Northstar) are over 5 hours. More like 8 for Northstar. But like you I have two small kids and a full time-plus job, so it only happens once a summer, really. And big air isn’t for me, can’t afford the consequences. I’m fortunate to have pretty killer riding at my doorstep too, a life saver. Peak elevation is only maybe 1700 feet, but I can string together over 2500 climbing and several fun descents over 3 hours.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Censored 05/31/2018 at 12:00

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i wouldnt say northern illinois is the wrong illinois, politics asside (because by god theyre awful) chicago still has plenty of things to offer. i wouldnt want to live anywhere else to be quite honest. that said id still love to do some trail riding down south but that would have to be a weekend trip not something i could realistically do in a day

Censored > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 05/31/2018 at 12:14

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I was just giving you a hard time. I like to visit Chicago, but I can only take it for about 3 days at a time. If you ever venture south, make sure to hit up Garden of the Gods (first Picture). It can be a bit crowded depending on timing, but it is amazing and there are tons of trails.

Illinois politics are a pure joke, I’d like to see them all out.

functionoverfashion > RallyWrench 05/31/2018 at 12:19

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It all counts. I won’t do the big jumps on a local trail I ride a lot, because of the home-grown build and proximity of trees to landings.

When it comes to this kind of stuff with kids who are too small to join you, I say every little bit counts; anything is better than nothing.

Have fun, be safe. Cheers.