Go Clipless

Trail Review: Greenbrier State Park

If you’re looking for a place to improve your rock navigation skills, Greenbrier is the place for you.  Greenbrier is what it is, a series of technically challenging trails with rocks, rocks, and more rocks. That said, it has some really fun downhills where you can really pick up a lot of speed (if your hands and feet can take the constant vibrations).  I’ll admit two things up front about this review: (1) I was having a bad day with my bike – my brand new Trek was having shifting problems, and (2) I am not a fan of these constant rock obstacle trails. 

Appreciating the trail for what it is...

Been riding close to home lately...mostly the Colt's Neck (Colvin Run/Difficult Run) loop. Dr.P (my riding buddy) and I have been getting back into the swing of things after taking some time off from riding and wanted to ride somewhere fast and familiar. The other day, we decided to head over to Fox Mill instead of Colt's Neck as we were getting bored of the same old trail.

The trouble is that we have gotten so used to the fast pace at Colt's Neck that we expected that same feeling at Fox Mill. Fox Mill is a trail that is meant to be explored. It is much more twisty then most of the trails in the area and there are only short sections which allow you to get up to full speed.

Trail Review: Fountainhead Regional Park Trail

Summary: Perhaps the most popular riding spot in the D.C. Metro area. This trail was built by mountain bikers for mountain bikers, unlike most of the mixed-use trails in the region. The trail was built by the Midatlantic Off Road Enthusiasts (MORE) in cooperation with REI and the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA) in 1997. It is incredibly well maintained due to the hardwork of volunteers and MORE.

This trail is one of the more challenging in the region and includes many technical hills, including the infamous Shock-a-billy!

Trail Review: Fox Mill District Park

Summary: Fox Mill District Park has a network of trails that has something for everyone. With several technical ascents/descents and a few switchbacks even the heartiest of mountain bikers will find some challenges at this small park. Despite the small footprint of this park, by the time you have traversed all of the loops and connecting trails you will have ridden approximately four miles. The park is located in Reston, VA between Fox Mill Road and Lawyers Road.

Maintained by the Reston Association, this small park connects with Folkstone Park to the southwest and The Glade to the northeast.

Trail Review: Colts Neck Trail aka Colvin Run/Difficult Run

Summary: In the heart of Reston, this trail has something for everyone. Made up of mostly wide singletrack, it can be ridden as a four mile (one way) out-and-back trail or you can link up with the Difficult Run Trail and stretch it all the way to the Potomac River in Great Falls Park. The trail can also be done as a ten mile loop with a few miles along Difficult Run and the W&OD trail.

From the end of Michael Faraday Court, the trail starts off fast with several small (optional) jumps. Once you cross a small tributary of Colvin Run there is a fork in the road. The left hand fork will take you deep into Lake Fairfax Park past campgrounds and soccer fields to Lake Fairfax. If pure mountain biking is your speed I suggest taking the right fork. Climb the hill and continue along the end of the soccer field - do not turn left as the arrow directs you - this will take you to the campgrounds described above.

New section of Fairfax Cross County Trail Complete

Thanks to Fairfax Trails and Streams the Cross County Trail (CCT) is another step toward being completed! This is according to the news page of the volunteer organization's Website.

For those who don't know, the CCT has been in development for quite some time and stretches some 40 plus miles from Great Falls to Lorton, Virginia. This north/south trail was born from the many protected stream valleys in Fairfax County. Two primary stream valleys make up this trail; Difficult Run in the north and Accotink Creek in the south.

Despite having this excellent resource right in the heart of a county with very few undeveloped places there appear to be few who have biked the entire trail. There are also many great trails that connect with the CCT, including:

- Colvin Run
- The Glade
- Fox Mill District Park and Folkstone Park
- Wakefield

You can learn more about the CCT from the following sites:

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/cctinfo.htm
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/cctmap.htm
http://www.fairfaxtrails.org/cct/
http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/9401/
http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/9401/difficul.html

While I have not yet ridden the entire trail I plan to do so shortly - so look for an update. Meanwhile if you have ridden the trail or parts of it, please share by posting a comment!

Trail Review: Folkstone Park - Little Difficult Run Stream Valley Park

Summary: Sandwiched between Fox Mill Road and West Ox Road and bordered by Folkstone Drive to the north, this fun little loop of singletrack in Oak Hill, VA (Herndon) is hardly known. This is not an overly challenging trail, but it does have a few technical spots. In a few cases the trail comes right to the edge of a six-foot drop-off into the stream. Also, there are a few marshy places with thin wooden bridges that make for an interesting challenge.