Mountain Biking Season Begins
REMINDER: Pajarito Mountain Ski Area is proud to host the King of the Hill 3D Challenge archery tournament June 17-19. For the safety of all guests and event participants, our mountain will be closed for hiking and biking during this weekend. If you have any questions, please call us at (505)662-5725. Thank you!
With our mountain bike park now open on select weekends, I’ve turned our guest blog over to Neal Pederson, head of Pajarito’s trail-building group:
By guest contributor Neal Pederson
Mountain Biking Season Begins
The lifts have started to turn again, but instead of transporting skiers and snowboarders they now provide uplift for mountain bikers and hikers. We kicked off our mountain biking season at Summerfest with a unique downhill race using the Strava app. Each time riders went down Fast and Loose, the app would figure out their time via the GPS on their phones and updated the times live on the www.strava.com. At the end of the day prizes were awarded to the top three male and female with the fastest times down the run.
Opening weekend set wave to rave reviews from riders who were eager to get their gears turning. Rider Jerry Hazard says “this place is the bomb” and [the trails are] “raw and rugged with a down to earth setting.” Hazard’s statement is a testament to the hard work and dedication provided by Pajarito’s volunteer trail crew.
Volunteers working on the new elevated ladder bridge.
Getting the Trails Ready
The Pajarito rock star trail crew spent their spring prepping the trails for summer. Volunteers are responsible for maintaining all 30 trails in the bike park’s network. This spring, our hard-working group raked debris, repaired trails and built new features.
What’s New
We installed a brand new elevated ladder bridge (pictured right) on Mother’s Milk just in time for Summerfest. The new feature replaces the teeter totter that was destroyed by a downed tree this winter.
Insider Circuit!
If you’ve never experienced Pajarito’s mountain bike trail network, I suggest making Aspenola, a 2-mile downhill trail, your first ride because it is a nice single track that the volunteers keep raked. Next, I recommend moving on to Aspen for Trouble to Half Aspen for your second ride. One thing is for sure: no matter what trail you choose you’ll be in for an adrenaline-filled ride! To view our mountain biking trail map, click here.
Paul Chen taking on Natural Selection at Summerfest. Photo by Jerry Hazard.
Kudos
In May, MTBparks dubbed Pajarito #5 Best Bike Park in the Southwest for the third time in their 2015 Rider’s Choice Awards. We are committed to improving our mountain biking offerings and continuing to make Pajarito a national mountain biking destination.
Bike and Hike Schedule
Hike & Bike Events: available select weekends
FREE for Power Passholders!
$25 for mountain bike uplift
$149 for mountain bike season pass
Enjoy unlimited summer lift access during every hike and bike event for just $149.
