Crystal Mountain downhill trails

[renranda]

For anyone looking for a great mountain biking vacation or weekend up north, the Crystal Mountain Resort starting offering downhill mountain biking off their new Loki chairlift this month. You can bring your own bike or rent a downhill specific bike from them. The lift ticket is $20/day. They developed three downhill trails with a bunch of jumps, drops and other features in conjunction with a MBT builder from Traverse City.( I don't remember his name, sorry) Also a new pump track.

They also have many miles of cross country trails linked into the Betsie River pathway (the peak to peak race route). The Arcadia trails are only 15 minutes away, and they are awesome. If you're looking for a scenic, longer ride, there is the Betsie Valley Trail that runs all the way to Frankfort and is about 20 miles long on an old railway.

Here's the link:

http://www.crystalmountain.com/summer/m ... ike-trails

[iamkickstand]

He goes by creamy here on the boards. He makes really fun trails. He's worked a lot with the resort to get their trails up and running.

[Shaguardriver]

How extreme are the trails I would like to take my 11 year old with above average handeling skills. We are both on cross country bikes front only suspension.

[iamkickstand]

How extreme are the trails I would like to take my 11 year old with above average handeling skills. We are both on cross country bikes front only suspension.

I've taken my 6 year old to the DH trails at Boyne Highlands. I'm taking him this weekend again.

Last year he rode on a mini BMX. We "MAY" stop at crystal to check it out on our way to boyne this weekend.

[jfactor!]

How extreme are the trails I would like to take my 11 year old with above average handeling skills. We are both on cross country bikes front only suspension.

I've taken my 6 year old to the DH trails at Boyne Highlands. I'm taking him this weekend again.

Last year he rode on a mini BMX. We "MAY" stop at crystal to check it out on our way to boyne this weekend.

Really? I wonder if my 11 year old daughter would want to try it on her BMX?

[iamkickstand]

How extreme are the trails I would like to take my 11 year old with above average handeling skills. We are both on cross country bikes front only suspension.

I've taken my 6 year old to the DH trails at Boyne Highlands. I'm taking him this weekend again.

Last year he rode on a mini BMX. We "MAY" stop at crystal to check it out on our way to boyne this weekend.

Really? I wonder if my 11 year old daughter would want to try it on her BMX?

Yeah, he hiked the bottom half of fun run and golgaroth while we raced shock to isis, then after the race I took him up the chair and he rod opeth, shock, fun run and golgaroth.

He had just turned 6. We'll be up there for the day on saturday.

[sisu]

anyone have a report on the new downhill trails at Crystal?

[ArcticRobot]

anyone have a report on the new downhill trails at Crystal?

Would like to hear comparison to Boyne Highlands as well.

[scat silvurz]

I've ridden the Peak to Peak XC race there for a few years, and the fun downhillish XC trails you ride down from the ski hill to the bottom are fun - they didn't have any "stunts" built yet. The Betsie River trail system, and the little trail system adjacent to Crystal (across the 2-lane hwy) are lots of fun. Not very technical at all, but fun in a rolling curving swoopy way, and the terrain is scenic. Fun XC trails, and you won't be bored. A kid would enjoy em, as would an adult, provided you're reasonably bike-fit. You'd be hard pressed to have a bad weekend riding those trails.

The new lift access DH trails have me intrigued!