downhill |

I was going to go last summer, but then I got laid off from my job. I was going to go earlier this summer in June, but then I broke my wrist in April, and was not fully recovered by June. So FINALLY it all worked out for me to visit Angel Fire, NM a couple weeks ago!

I had heard a lot of great things about Angel Fire Bike Park. It’s one of the best bike parks around, even compared to some parks in Colorado. There’s a good variety of trails, and the trails are really fun. It’s also the closest major bike park to Dallas.

Getting there proved to be an adventure in itself! Due to the recent wildfire in Ute Park, Hwy 64 is prone to flooding, and it’s that time of year where afternoon storms are a daily occurrence. I had made it all the way to Cimarron, NM, just about 50 minutes away, when I came up on a road block. Due to the flooding, they shut down the road on a daily basis. I talked to some folks who had already been there waiting for over 2 hours! I waited for about 45 minutes before I decided to take the only logical alternate route I could find, which would add an hour and a half to the drive!

It wasn’t until I was at the point of no return, so to speak, that I found out this route included 9 miles of unpaved road through the mountains! In fact, I didn’t find that out until I was at the point where it turns from paved to unpaved! Mind you, I drive a Honda Accord Sport, which has low-profile tires. It isn’t made for roads like this!

The first half of this road was very rough, with a lot of rocks, but luckily nothing so big that a passenger car can’t handle it. However, because it was so rough, it meant that I had to creep along at 10 mph! Thankfully about halfway into this 9 mile stretch the road became smoother, and I could speed up some. I’ve never been so happy to be back on paved road as I was at the end of this! I didn’t take any pictures or video there, because I just didn’t want to stop!

When I made it through, and just started to enter Angel Fire, I was surprised by two bull elk just off the road to my right! What a treat as I arrived in town!

So when I finally made it to the campground, I had a change of heart. The tent camping area was less than desirable. Nobody else was camping in a tent there; only RV’s. It was cold, windy, and more rain was on the way. I decided I really didn’t want to camp! I got on my phone and found that Angel Fire Resort had a couple rooms left, and Expedia had them at a 15% discount (though it was still significantly more expensive than camping)!

Sometimes you can’t put a price on comfort. In the end, it was worth it.

Alright, so lets get to the bike park! Since I was at the resort, the park was right there. I got there early to get my pass and sign the waiver. As a result, I was 3rd in line to get on the lift when it opened at 9!

First run I figured I should take Easy Street (green) to warm up, get a good feel for the mountain, the speed, and how my Jeffsy handles it. After that it was time for some more rowdy trails! Ziggy (blue) is right there when you get off the lift, and it’s an absolute blast! Constant left & right flow with some technical chunk thrown in for good measure! I ended up riding it again later on (at a higher speed). Further down, I hit Boulder Dash (blue), which is a jump trail filled with table tops and big berms. I actually wish I would’ve taken this trail again just to work on jumps! The very first jump I thought I overshot, but looking back at the video, I think it was actually perfect! However, because I thought I overshot it, I was checking my speed on a lot of the other jumps, causing me to case them. Coming from the flat lands, it takes some getting used to! Slowly but surely I’ll continue to improve my jumping skills!

On my third run I took Angel’s Plunge (blue), and boy was that a riot! Steep with loose gravel at the top, this trail was FAST, flowing, and fun! I’d say it’s a must ride with any trip to the park!

Other trails I hit included Diesel (blue), Duke (blue), Sierra (green), and Chutes & Ladders (blue). Chutes & Ladders had a lot of wood features. These bridges climbed way up above the surface, and had some super steep drops! I actually skipped a couple of them, since I was riding alone, and they went straight into a sharp turn, and I wasn’t comfortable carrying so much speed into those turns. In hindsight, I probably could’ve done it and been fine. Maybe next time.

After five runs, the lift was closed due to storms in the area, but I was pretty well finished, anyway. Downhill mountain biking exhausts you in a different way than XC riding will. Your legs are fine, because you aren’t pedaling. But the rest of your body seems to take a beating! It actually takes a lot of energy, and a lot of muscle to maneuver the bike around at high speeds, through incredibly bumpy and steep terrain. So if you’ve never done it, don’t expect to be able to just ride all day! You will get tired!

Luckily this time I didn’t develop any blisters, thanks to my wonderful ESI Extra Chunky grips! Seriously love these grips! That “Extra Chunky” part is crucial!

Check out the video! #LiveTheAdventure

Yep, I finally rode park! I must say, taking a gondola up the mountain sure as heck beats pedal power!

But before we get to that, let’s talk about the craziness leading up to that day! Two days before I would leave, while driving home from a ride, a girl turned left in front of me as I traveled through an intersection. I had a green light, she was supposed to yield! It was a pretty bad wreck, by far the worst I’ve been in, though I’ve only ever been in one other wreck, and it was a low-speed deal back in Indy on a day when it was snowing (same thing, though, guy turned left in front of me).

Thankfully, I only sustained minor injuries. I had some bruises, a few small scrapes, I bit my tongue, and my neck was quite sore the next few days. I felt very lucky to not have been seriously hurt, especially right before my trip! That impact is no joke. I keep thinking about that the most. It’s just so forceful. I’m grateful for seat belts & air bags!

I didn’t waste any time, taking the following day off and going to buy a new (used) car! I didn’t want to mess with a rental, and didn’t want the hassle of trying to buy a car after getting back from vacation.

From Dallas, I flew up to Spokane, WA for one night, where I paid a visit to Palouse Falls. Unfortunately, part of the trail had been closed. That part went to the best overlook of the waterfall, with the whole canyon in the distance. So I had to settle for what I could get.

The next day it was off to Sandpoint, ID for one of my best friends’ wedding! The ceremony was on top of Schweitzer Mountain, and the reception at the resort. It was probably the most beautiful & fun wedding I’ve ever attended! Plus, I had not seen my friend in several years, so it was great to reflect on old memories and make new ones!

Since I was relatively close, I had to make a stop at Glacier National Park! Anyone who knows me knows that I am a National Park fiend! I love them! I was barely able to scratch the surface of this park in just half a day, but my goodness what a beautiful place! The rocky mountains are tall & steep, and the valleys are bright green, with crystal clear blue lakes. The air was pretty smoky from wildfires, but that didn’t really detract from the beauty much! I even got up close & personal with some mountain goats!

Then it was time to hit up Silver Mountain Bike Park in Kellogg, ID! I wanted to ride fairly hard, but the main goal was to make it safely down the mountain! I rented a downhill bike, the Giant Glory, from the bike shop there in the gondola village. This would be my first time riding a downhill bike as well! There in the village, a guy comes up to me and says he rode there yesterday, and he could show me around if I wish. We ended up riding and hanging out for the whole day. He owns a business in Miami, but said summer is their slow time, so he comes out west to travel around in his converted school bus! He had a really nice setup, complete with A/C & a shower!

After a 20 minute gondola ride, it was time to hit the trails! Getting used to the downhill bike took a little while. The head angle is really slack, which makes cornering a bit tougher. You really have to muscle the bike through those corners. I sure was glad to have 200 mm of travel, however! The trails were very dry and bumpy! Numerous riders braking in the same spot creates braking bumps, but these were beyond that. These were full blown potholes! I can only imagine how amazing these trails would be without those potholes!

Once I got a good feel for the bike, I began picking up speed, and even launched off a couple jumps! I’m sure it wasn’t really THAT much air, but to me it felt like a lot! There was definitely one that I flew higher and further than I ever have before. The bike was as smooth as butter on the landing! Big difference from a trail bike!

The ride was so much fun, but you’d never guess how tiring going downhill can be! Not only are you muscling the bike around, but you’re also in a constant attack position, which is basically halfway down in a squat! Your legs really start to burn after a while! The biggest issue I had, however, was wearing a blister on my left palm. Two things likely contributed to this; hard braking through those potholes, and the thin grips. I have pretty big hands, and the thin grips that come on most bikes feel too small for me. As a result, it feels like there are a lot of skin folds on my palms, creating ample opportunities for blisters to form.

During our ride, we met a guy from Creston, AB, just north of the border in Canada. He said he had been riding downhill for 15 years, and he came to this park often. We stopped at a section that featured 3 consecutive table tops, where he gave us some pointers on jumping. I felt pretty good on these jumps, and cleared all of them with no problems! Getting good at jumping just takes a lot of practice, and slowly working your way up to bigger and bigger jumps. I’m not in any rush!

After two full runs down the mountain, exhausted from the heat, and a nasty blister on my left hand, we were done for the day! It felt amazing to rinse off in the cool waters of the Coeur d’Alene River! I had mentioned it was a great time for some ice cream as well, and figured there had to be a place in the village! Well, technically it was frozen yogurt, but that would suffice!

I left with a huge smile on my face. That was a truly spectacular day! Best of all, I did not crash once all day! Check out the video below!

Tag Archives: downhill

Angel Fire Bike Park

My First Bike Park!