VT - Bolton Valley - Mountain Bike Trail Review with Map and Pictures

Preliminary Review

Description -                             Reviewed by Beastmaster

Well here it is the day after riding *Bolton* *Valley* VT and I still can't get that place outta my mind, it was Awsome! Very Happy

It helped that we had a Blue Bird Day, but the Mountain, the terrain the Trails as well as all the man made stunts all Kicked Arse!

The only not so good thing about *Bolton* was that the trails were not that well ridden (atleast not in the morning.) But by the afternoon the CT crew alone got Trail #1 and Trail #2, well packed down and ridden in, they were both super fun and flowy trails. They had made several man made natural log rides on the trails in the woods, probably 25-30 feet long about 6"-8" wide and ranging from 1 foot to about 5 feet high with an option to roll the end or drop it, all stunts had easy go arounds. Super solid and technical not easy! The trails were really fun and flowed super nice. A few tough sections in the woods with some slippery roots and tight corners but really fun and challenging.

The top 1/3 or so of the Mt. is Super Steep but there are easy ways down, however there are also extremely tough ways down super techy root infested 90 degree turn with 3 foot off camber drops off roots onto roots and rocks then into a steep slippery chute with a tight turn at the exit all surrounded by tighty knit forest. Granted this may have been the toughest trail we rode that day but it was tough by any standards ranging from Plattekill to Ragged and any other DH place that you can think of. *Bolton* had some tough sections! Super chalenging.

They also had a "Liftline Run" which was a straight on DH run that pretty much ran the entire length of the liftline and was pretty much a straight down stunt filled trail all under the lift for everyones viewing pleasure.

Near the top it starts with about a 4 ft tall ladder bridge drop down onto the natural tranny that is the ski trail it ends up being about a 5-7 footer depending on how fast you hit it.

Then you bomb down a long steep straightaway under the lift and come to the first man made ramp kicker, only about 2-3 feet tall, that launches you into the air in an attempt to clear about a 20 foot level section to the dirt tranny that awaits , then you continue bombing down ski trail to the second kicker ramp about the same size that you need to hit with considerable speed in order to clear the 25-30 foot flat section before the start of the dirt tranny.

You continue down the ski trail while everyone on the lift is watching you and head for the next stunt, a wide(4ft) ladder bridge that strats at about ground level and travels down the ski slop about 30-40' to a hight of about 6' and runs along the top of a Chevy Van and then launches you off the top of the Van and down onto a Wooden tranny that extends into a Dirt tranny, all in all a SUPER COOL stunt looks like something right out of Whistler or a Snowboard Park, cept this is for Mt. Bikes, super cool. It was only about a 3 foot drop from the top of the van to the wooden tranny but most people cleared the woden tranny completely and landed on the dirt tranny at the base the wooden tranny stillonly about a 4-5 foot drop and probably cleared about 10-15 feet in distance.

After successfully landing the Van Drop and hearing hoots and hollers from the chair you bomb down to a nice long tall skinny, it starts at ground level and extends down about 30 feet to a height of about 5-6' and then you can drop it or roll the end, the only catch is that the entire length of the stunt is only abou 4-6"wide, super techy and super fun! (the entire CT Crew cleaned all the Liftline stunts, CT boys represented in a BIG way) then you duck int some sweet singletrack and head down to the liftline. All that in one DH Liftline Run, you can't beat it!

However there had to be 7-12 trails if not more and although we only rode about 4-5 of them they were all really fun and flowy, almost all of the trails have atleast one if not two stunts or logrides on the way down at some point, some of the Best DH trails this side of Mesh! Seriously they were awsome!

I didn't even get to see the Waterfall Drop it was the talk of the day but we were having so much fun riding the trails we were on, we din't want to go looking for the Waterfall Drop, talk around the liftline had it ranging from 8' to 15' down with anywhere from a 10-15' gap that had to be cleared. Rolling Eyes SOme of the CT boys rode on Sunday so they will probably have the full skinny oon the Waterfall Drop I'll update after getting the inside scoop.

It really wasn't that horrible a drive up either we made it home form *Bolton* *Valley*, with about a 20 min stop for food, in 3 hours. (Granted my wife has a heavy foot and we were robably doing 90 most of the way, she REALLY wanted to get home before dark, but it is mostlikely a 3.5 hour drive at 70mph, easy 91 north to 89 north towards Burlington, get off exit 10 and head towards *Bolton* on Rt. 2, there are signs, it is about 8 miles from the exit to the access road to the Mt. then about another 3-4 miles to the resort.

The lift was SLOW 20 min up, but it ran pretty steadily after the first hour of operation. The resort was super nice, they have a great set up, nice deli right at the base lodge, with a kick arse covered deck to hang out and eat lunch, and everyone was super friendly and nice. Of note we didn't get to check it out, but heard of a really GREAT swimming hole at the begining of the access rode up to the Mt., it was hot enough to swim but we had no time. Camping IS allowed as are fires!$5/person, no showers but there are restrooms open all night.

All in all *Bolton* *Valley* was a Super Great place to Ride DH and stunts. Beastmaster gives it 10 flaming hot, spicy, stinky, wet, oderiferius chilly peppers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is open the first weekend of August, September, and October, It is well worth the trip! Don't miss out, go there ride everything and have FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beast has spoken!