Steamboat Bike Park Well On Their Way
10 Apr 2014
Q&A: Steamboat Bike Park
Who are you and what do you do at Steamboat Bike Park?
Trevyn Newpher
Supervisor
Steamboat Bike School and Professional Mtn Biker
Tell us a little bit about Steamboat Bike Park.
The Steamboat Bike Park is an extraordinary new bike park in northwest Colorado with 2,000 vertical feet of beginner, intermediate, advanced single track, and flow trails.
How long ago was Steamboat Bike Park developed? Who or what was the driving force?
Collaboration between Steamboat and local enthusiasts to develop downhill specific trails began in earnest in 2009. After significant planning and permitting, the USFS provided a Decision Notice in June 2011, paving the way for Gravity Logic to work with the resort to begin developing trails that summer with riding beginning that fall.
How many visitors do you get in a weekend/season at the bike park? What has been your biggest day on record?
The Steamboat Bike Park, being in its infancy is beginning to be discovered. The growth in ridership has been exponential since its inception and 2014 should prove to be a year of true recognition by the bike park community!
What is the most popular trail at your bike park?
· Rustler’s Ridge, an intermediate flow trail with incredible valley views.
· Rawhide, a single track flowing, yet challenging trail with jump and drop options throughout is a close second.
Will there be any new trails added this year or will you be re-developing any existing trails?
A beginner trail called Tenderfoot was completed at the end of the 2013 summer season and will be fully operational for the 2014 riding season. A new jump trail Flying Diamond is partially complete and new sections will open periodically throughout the 2014 summer season.
Describe the predominant “style” of riding at your park? (Natural vs. Manmade, DH/Tech/Steep vs. Flow/Features) Typically, what kind of terrain do you have? (Rocky, Dry-dusty, Tacky, Roots)…
Steamboat has a mix of great terrain but is primarily sandy to loam soils, creating an incredibly tacky surface for days after even a minimal rainfall. With a base elevation lower than most other parks in Colorado, Steamboat has a rather vibrant array of vegetation with many trails winding through large groves of Aspen trees and thick undergrowth, a truly unique experience. In terms of design, the trail crew has done an excellent job of making the most of the terrain. By including natural features, such as rocks, bridges, drops, and many manmade jumps, the trail crew has provided exciting terrain for all levels of ability!
What is the mountain bike scene/culture like at your bike park?
As a new bike park, the Steamboat Mountain Bike culture is growing rapidly. Considering this, it’s easy to say that the excitement around Steamboat’s new Bike Park is incredibly strong. The resort tends to see a large demographic of users from all over the world visiting the park on a daily basis including riders ranging from first time mountain bikers taking part in daily lessons to cross-county riders dabbling in the gravity side of the sport to dedicated professionals. The park offers something for everyone and locally the community stands behind mountain biking and general outdoor sports with a great passion. It’s why most of us live here after all. It’s not uncommon to see many of the locals riding the park daily from open till close and jumping at the chance to show a guest their favorite trails both within and around the park trail network.
Tell me a little bit about your town. Where do out-of-towners like to stay while visiting Steamboat? Are there any restaurants or bars that mtb-ers like to hang?
Steamboat is a genuinely friendly western town in northwest Colorado, uniquely situated in the Yampa Valley with a wide variety of lodging options, restaurants and bars to enjoy. The Bear River Umbrella bar is right at the base of the Bike Park with great views of several trails including an advanced jump trail called Bull Rider.
Will you have any big events going on this summer at your bike park?
Steamboat will be hosting a downhill event series every other week on Wednesday evenings, several EnduroX events and multiple cross-country and downhill events including the traditional season closing event – Steamboat Summer Endo.
Do you have an opening day yet?
Steamboat hosts a sponsorship day, June 12th from 3 – 7 for Routt County Riders (RCR), a local biking advocacy group, to kick off the season. Specially-priced tickets are offered on this day with proceeds benefiting the RCR trails maintenance program. The Steamboat Bike Park opens officially on June 13th.
What does the future hold for Steamboat?
The Steamboat Bike Park is well on its way to being internationally known as a premier Bike Park with unique attributes that some say will help elevate it to be one of the best in the world!
.jpg)
Comments