S-Mountain: Tech Gnar Ride

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Not Allowed

Climb up to ride the most technical trails on S-Mountain down; Hooligan and Uncle Nazty. Hard work going up, most fun going down. Might consider bringing and wearing knee and elbow pads.

From the F Street parking lot, ride up Frontside, then continue going up on the easier Lil Rattler trail. At the intersection with CR173, Rusty Lung and Backbone, go straight up CR173 for just a bit, then turn left onto North Backbone.

Halfway up North Backbone turn right onto Dude Abides. This is a pretty steep climb, with a few optional lines - stay right for the 'easiest' uphill. At the top, where it connects to CR173, turn right, then turn sharp left onto Pauli, which starts as a loose, gravel road climb before the singletrack turns off to the left. Ride this fun, techy trail to the intersection with Uncle Nazty & Hooligan.

Lower the seat, and turn right, down Hooligan. This 'black' downhill trail features a number of rock features in the form of jumps, rollers, and some optional tech lines; some with significant exposure and potential to get yourself in trouble (read, get hurt).

After a rough and tumble ride, it connects into Sand Dunes, which in and of itself is a technical trail. Turn left, stay focussed and ride Sand Dunes until you get to a four-way intersection. Turn right onto Backbone, a smooth and easy ride after all the previous tech stuff. It climbs back to the intersection with Lil Rattler, Rusty Lung, and CR173, which you'll recognize from earlier in the right. Turn right and up CR173, and this time ignore the North Backbone trail. Keep going up on CR173, which gets loose and technical in spots. Pass Sand Dunes on your right, same with Pauli. Keep going up CR173, which likely will require a bit of walking, just before you get to the Uncle Nazty trail on your right.

Go down Uncle Nazty, which starts off pretty mellow. Pass Pauli and Hooligan. Uncle Nazty turns, well, nastier at this point. Optional lines appear, which might cause a bit of confusion, and 'trying again'. The trail gets progressively harder, increasing the potential to get hurt. Choose your lines wisely. The trail turns easier towards the intersection with Prospector. Once there, I recommend turning right onto Prospector. Turning left down to Cottonwood is another option, but Prospector is pretty special, as it hugs a steep side slope on the way down, with several sharp but fun turns. It has a bit of old school feel to it.

At the bottom, turn left onto Sand Dunes, you've been here before, but now go straight at the four-way intersection to continue down Sand Dunes. This is the shortest and most fun way back to the F Street parking lot; but be aware of hikers and runners going up Sand Dunes, please.