I ride my bike everyday. Well, everyday that I can make time for it. Fortunatly for myself, the summer season in the High Peaks Region is much slower and more relaxed. Compared to the busy Winter demands of working in the ski industry, the summertime is… well awesome. If your looking for outdoor oppurtunities here in the High Peaks Region, there is enough to keep you busy for a lifetime.
Mountain biking is getting huge in Carrabassett Valley. Between the work of Carrabassett Region NEMBA, Maine Huts and Trails, Sugarloaf and the Town of Carrabassett Valley, we are well on our way to becoming a world class destination for mountain biking.
Anyhoo…
CV Nemba president Dave Hughes once said that riding here in the High Peaks Region is an adventure. “There’s a lot of trails and riding spots in the state mostly confined to small areas or tracts of land but when you ride up here your going on an adventure.” This is great. Becuase it’s true. You can ride all day and not see one person or cross one paved road. This being said remember to ride prepared. Have all you need with you to fix your bike or yourself. Be sure to have a plan, stick to it, and tell someone your plan.
Last week my dog Carra and I decided to leave from the Maine Huts and Trails Stratton Brook Hut parking area just north of the Sugarloaf Access road. I had yet to visit the hut in the “summer” season. I figured we’d ride up to the hut have lunch and make some kind of a loop back to the parking area and our starting point.
The trail up to the Stratton Brook hut is fairly new and can be challenging in spots. It’s also mostly a gradual uphill with a few shorter steeper sections. The views you are rewarded with from your efforts are well worth it.
There were a few spots of walking my bike through wet/muddy sections. The forest soon becomes scattered with huge hardwood trees. More views open up as well along the way. You’ll also notice signs of new singletrack being constructed along the way, a joint effort between Maine Huts and CV NEMBA. Maine Huts and Trails is making an effort over the next couple years to focus on their trails and trail construction. This includes new singletrack for mountain bikers.
After just under 3 miles from the parking lot you reach a dirt road which climbs the last hundred feet or so to the Hut. The views from the hut are amazing. Especially those of Bigelow.
After a few minutes to check out the hut, we found a nice spot to eat some lunch.
fmi: mainehuts.org
From the Hut we ventured down the Stratton Brook Hut “work road” and found our way to a four wheeler trail along the powerlines . We startled a Black Bear munching on berries which was quite exciting. The bear took off as soon as it saw us and im sure did not stick around to check us out…
… we then connected to the end of the Stratton Brook Road where most folks park to hike some aspects of the Bigelow Range and the Appalachian Trail. From here we continued on to the “Esker Trail” also known as the “Houston Brook Trail”.
The Esker trail leads you back down to Carrabassett Valley where we connected to the Narrow Gauge Pathway and cruised back up to our starting point.
This is just a small sample of some of the backcountry riding you can take advantage of in the High Peaks Region. A great center for all things mountain biking is the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center just off rt 27 in Carrabassett Valley. Carrabassett Valley Bike is located there for all your repair needs and Maine Huts and Trails will have a staff member there serving lunches, snacks and trail info. It’s a great take off point for riding in the region. Remember if you want, it can be quite the adventure so ride prepared.
Be safe have fun and see you out on the trails this summer!
fmi: mainehuts.org
carrabassett.nemba.org
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