Biking in the woods

As a kid growing up along the foothills in Southern California, John Roberts only had to open up his back door to hit the backcountry trails on his banana-seated Stingray bicycle.

At 53 years old and an avid mountain biker, the only things that have changed for Roberts is his outdoor gear, the scenery and a middle-aged set of lungs and legs that take longer to recharge than those in his youth. Perhaps more than that, though, is his appreciation for the get-up-and-go nature of the sport that keeps him feeling young, he said.

“I was riding trails and hills on my Stingray as a kid, so I guess you could say I’ve been mountain biking for a long time,” said Roberts, bedecked in a helmet, biking apparel and trail map as he paused for a breather on a rented, full-suspension bike at the base of the Canfield Mountain trail system on Nettleton Gulch Road, as the din of motorcycles echoed around the valley. In town for a Fourth of July family reunion at the lake, he added that he became more serious about the sport in the early 1990s after a ride with friends near his hometown of Santa Rosa, Calif.

And he’s been hooked ever since.

“I was like, ‘This is too cool.’ It’s the only hard cardiovascular workout where you get a workout and a reward – on the way down. You can work as hard as you want before you decide to turn around. That motivates you to keep on going,” he said. “The workout, without a doubt, is great. The only thing better for you is running. It’s challenging, and it makes me feel like I’m alive.”

Roberts is one example of a growing number of outdoor thrill seekers who share a passion for trail riding, where downed trees, gnarly roots, large rocks, mud puddles, steep dips and jaw-rattling drops are included on many courses. Across the region, more nonmotorized and multiuse trails are being created as North Idaho’s population grows and more people take up the outdoor sport, either to race or just for recreation.

Happy trails for mountain bikers

In the Lake City area alone, mountain bikers can find twisting, roller-coasting terrain ranging from beginner to advanced, or technical trails as they are known amongst bikers, in the wooded pathways on Canfield Mountain, Mineral Ridge and Beauty Bay. Many ski resorts, including Schweitzer and Silver mountains, offer summer passes for bike enthusiasts to experience the slopes in snow-free form. For those seeking a more relaxed ride, the Centennial Trail and Route of the Hiawatha are two popular systems that offer smooth transit through scenic country.

“I think it’s kind of been a trend in all uses, from all-terrain vehicles to motorcycles to horses. Mountain biking is one of those uses and it’s increasing,” said Kent Wellner, a recreation program manager for the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, which cover land from Canada to the St. Joe-Clearwater divide.

The IPNF maintains more than 2,000 miles of summer trails in ranger districts from Priest Lake and Bonners Ferry in the north, to Coeur d’Alene and St. Joe in the south, Wellner said. That total, though, doesn’t include snowmobile or winter cross-country ski trails. “These summer trails range from hiking trails to ATV trails. Most of these trails are currently open to mountain bikes,” Wellner added. “There are really a lot of opportunities to see some beautiful country. You don’t have to travel very far to find a good trail.”

Alongside the increase in mountain biking’s popularity, the technology behind the two-wheel design – and their prices – has evolved through the years as well, said T.J. Anderson of the shop Bicycle Sales and Service in town. “I think it’s definitely growing in popularity,” he said. “We’re starting to gear more toward being a mountain bike shop now.”

Choosing your ride

Riders can choose from several designs that can handle brutal abuse through a variety of zigzagging terrain. The “hardtail” bikes, which feature front suspension to absorb impacts, retail for anywhere from several hundred dollars to more than $1,000, and the more expensive full-suspension models, with front and back shocks for a more cushiony ride, start at about $1,000 and run upward of several thousand dollars.

Flanked by dozens of Trek model mountain cycles in the Fourth Street shop, Anderson said “the benefits of a full-suspension bike are that, for the weekend warrior, it’s a comfortable ride and it can handle difficult terrain more easily. On a full-suspension you can bomb for a weekend rider. But it’s kind of good to start on a hardtail because it teaches you how to pick a line.”

And don’t even think about hitting the summer slopes without some proper safeguards, Anderson added. Helmets, gloves and padded shorts can prove invaluable on any ride, especially longer trips.

While the sport might seem like more of a testosterone-fueled activity, he said more and more women have been taking it up. “We sell probably three to four men’s mountain bikes for every one woman’s,” he said.

Farther north, Farragut State Park offers more than 45 miles of nonmotorized, maintained trails through the 4,000-acre park. It’s become such a hit that every year park employees add about a mile of new trail, said Keith Jones, assistant park manager.

“It’s just been increasing every year, slowly but surely the word gets out. As more people get out and experience mountain biking, it grows,” he said, adding that the trail systems have developed into a series of intersecting paths that connect campsites to everything from meandering lake-side lanes to a 16-mile loop for experienced riders to the top of Bernard Peak, which overlooks Lake Pend Oreille. “Once they get a taste for it, it’s fun. There’s not a camper in here that doesn’t have a bike on the back. It’s kind of become our niche now.”

For the visiting Roberts, even though he’s on vacation, he said the lure of the mountain trails and his love for the exercise couldn’t be ignored. The first thing he did when he got into town was call around to the local bike shops to find a rental and some trails to explore. He found a bicycle at the Two Wheeler Dealer bike shop in Hayden, where anyone can rent road and mountain bikes for $40 a day or $150 per week, and pointed his tires toward Canfield.