Dan Boyles: Cuyuna Version 6.0

Today I made my sixth trip to the awesome mountain bike trails at Cuyuna. It is easily my favorite trail system in MN. While there are a number of decent climbs and corresponding descents, the technical sections are a big draw for me. There are multiple sections in the trail that completely baffle me. I also like the trail surface in general; there is something fascinating about how you can have infinite traction one minute and be skimming across the scree the next. There is an unnerving feeling when your tires start squirming around on the rocks that makes it a unique ride.

Given how much hype the trail was getting prior to opening, I was just a little skeptical about how great it would be. I was prepared for a lot of difficult climbs and heard about some extended descents and possibly even dedicated "downhill runs."

During my first ride in May I was pleasantly surprised at how well the trail was laid out. There are some climbs, but they are either steady and manageable or broken up to reduce the difficulty. There are only a few that I would call moderately challenging; the rest are not really noticeable. The downhills are great; some taking many minutes to complete, and if linked properly one can ride downhill for quite a while. Overall the trail is a great mix of riding; some flat fast sections, some really gnarly technical sections, and some 25+ mph descents with big rollers. You can easily ride all day long and not get bored, and only need to repeat sections here and there. The scenery is great, and the lakes make for a great post-ride swim.

While riding in the Black Hills last week, I found myself comparing the riding there to the Cuyuna trails. The fact that I was comparing the two says something about the quality of Cuyuna. There were many times during the Dakota 5-0 that I was thinking Cuyuna is more fun. The Dakota 5-0 trails are beautiful and challenging, and present real mountain riding. But the trails are rustic, pretty wide open and fairly easy to manage technical-wise. During the race I was often hoping for rockier or tighter trails. I think of Cuyuna as a mountain bike park, designed and built for the best riding experience possible. Many of the Dakota 5-0 trails felt more like cow paths than bike trails. Don't get me wrong, Dakota was a unique experience and a beautiful ride, but Cuyuna is right up there if you ask me.

I took some photos with my pile of a cell phone while riding today. I rode for 2 hours and tried to hit some of the trails I've seen least, and some of the ones I like best.