(Editor’s Note: Here is the latest blog post from the Mad River Riders that details the group’s trail works through spring, summer and fall.)
Last summer we added two fantastic new trails to the network, Lil’ Sumpin for rowdy descending and Butter Up for climbing from the Valley floor. We also finished Seriously Sharp Way by connecting it to the Rec Center with a beautiful bridge over Mill Brook. This year’s trail work season was quite different, with major restoration projects needed to rebuild, but also enhance, key parts of the network.
Trail Network Opening and Maintenance
With drought gripping The Valley for the last two months, it’s hard to recall just how wet the 2025 season started out. Thanks to all the hard work last summer, the network held up well against the excessive May rains. Early drainage work by volunteers and the trail crew kept Blueberry Lake ridable, and we opened up the rest of the network in late May after the trail crew took care of issues on Evolution, Seriously Sharp Way, and lower Revolution.
Dry weather with few storms meant fewer downed trees and less chainsaw work than usual. Thanks to the Team Sawyer volunteer group for quick work when trees did come down across trails.
Trail Restoration and Upgrades
Fair summer weather allowed the trail crew to focus attention on two important trail restoration projects. They first spent several weeks in Moretown rebuilding (and upgrading) trail and berms eroded by spring rain and disrupted by a GMP emergency powerline pole repair last winter. The team also refurbished the skills park features, which needed some love after several years of use, and re-routed a portion of the Pine Needle Path trail. The Town of Moretown provided crushed stone for resurfacing the Nature Path entrance, which doubles as the Library Story Walk.
Several trails on the west side of our core Howe Block network required far more significant work after the logging last Fall on a section of privately owned land. The lumberjack, himself a mountain biker, worked to minimize the impact on the trail, but Swell Hill, Race, Ridgie, Drop Loop, Maple Misty, Maple Twist, and Witches Brew and PowerLine were all unrideable at the start of the season.
Shoutout to the Stark Mountain Bike Works shop ride crew and other volunteers who cleared initial lines through the cut to restore key routes and get Maple Misty back. They improved many of the turns and drainage in several areas.
The summer trail crew then spent over a month restoring Ridgie, Race, Witches and Swell. They stuck as close as possible to the original lines and kept the classic MRV singletrack feel. But the team also upgraded the trails in spots, some subtle, and some obvious, like the two beautiful (optional) rock features along the spine of Ridgie.
The damaged section of Swell Hill received a major fun factor upgrade thanks to the generosity of our landowner partners and a private donor. The new machine work transformed what was primarily a climbing trail into a legit descender as well, with half a dozen fun features that riders can air, more berms and a couple of optional large rock features. Watch the Stark Mountain crew hitting hit here.
Several trails remain out of commission. The section of the Powerline trail connecting the bottom of Ridgie and Guyers is okay, but the extensive log skidder damage to the rest of the trail hasn’t been repaired. Nor have Maple Twist or Ridgie Drop Loop. The MRR trail committee hasn’t decided whether or not to restore them as both were less ridden options to nearby trails, so perhaps trail building could be better invested elsewhere. Have an opinion?
About a mile northeast, observant riders this summer noticed the reroute of Evolution taking shape near the summit of Dana Hill, where the switchbacks start descending. L&D Trailworks just completed the work, including a transition from old Evolution so subtle that most riders don’t even notice that change - until they realize how much better the trail flows now, with great berms and playful lips to pop.
Last but not least, the trail crew just finished building a progression trail at Mad Bush Falls. It winds around the property, into the woods and over the pond, and has several progression features in the field for riders to grow their abilities. Mad Bush Falls funded construction, but the trail is open to all. Trail crew members include Mack Gunthert, Nick Puerto, and Sky Reznik. Jose Darias is the trail crew leader.
Read more about the Mad River Riders at https://www.madriverriders.org
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