I finally made it out to Quanah Hill after several suggestions from my subscribers on YouTube! I would say it did not disappoint!
The overall elevation after a full lap is still well under 1,000 feet, but the elevation changes are far more drastic than most North Texas trails. Steep climbs, followed by steep descents. At least in some sections. There are a couple of longer, more gradual downhill runs that still benefit from a few pedal strokes if you want to do more than just cruise down the trail.
It’s about an hour drive for me to get out there, which isn’t too bad. I’ll definitely go back! Check out the video!
“We yell on the trail, because the bears come close.”
That’s what the woman at the bike shop told me when I checked out my rental bike at the Canmore Nordic Centre. By the way, we’re talking about grizzly bears, not black bears! A bit nerve wracking, but certainly not enough to stop me from riding! Besides, I had bear spray with me. 😉
I screwed up by not ensuring that my gimbal batteries were fully charged, nor did I bring the spares with me, and the result was a gimbal that didn’t work as well as it could have. That was disappointing to me when I watched the footage back, because the riding was outstanding! The dirt was amazing. I know that sounds weird to anyone who is not a mountain biker. Let me try to explain. It wasn’t mud, but there was enough moisture to keep it soft, and prevent loose dirt from laying on top of the hard-packed trail. This is what we call “hero dirt” because you can go ahead and be a hero riding it! It has a high amount of grip, but it’s not tacky like mud. You can get a lot of speed.
Even without the great dirt, the trails were well designed, and being in that pine forest is what dreams are made of! Although I was somewhat adjusted to the elevation at this point, my legs were still sore from hiking two days prior, and the amount of climbing I did on this ride wore me out after 13+ miles.
hunt.style 