Midwestern Escapes

So, this past Friday, which happened to be a rainy affair, I celebrated my 49th birthday.  What did I do?  I tried a mountain bike park in the Minneapolis metro area.  It turned out to be challenging and fun.

Unfortunately, after visiting the park, I didn’t find a lot of info.  The course we rode, according to my trail app, was just shy of two miles.  We actually biked more than one path, and I’d say our cumulative MTB distance was close to three miles.

The name of the area, which becomes a winter cross-country skiing haven, is known as Theodore Wirth Regional Park. It’s located in the burbs west of Downtown Minneapolis. The park is full of green, and definitely offers a break from the bustle of the city.

Theo Wirth offers a few fairly short trails to choose from, including a pump track and a black diamond. Like I said, we hooked up with a couple, and found one path in a neighboring park; that was on our ride towards the regional preserve.

I let my nephew lead the way.  According to him, he bikes less.  Yet, the kid, in masterful fashion, showed Uncle Chris who the superior rider was.

See the signing behind him? That was the two mile course. There are  many tricky parts on this particular loop.  It is full of steep climbs, jumps and drop offs.  Yet, the way it’s set up, you can reduce speed, I’m speaking of the jumps and drop-offs, if you don’t want to fly through the air. 

This hilly circuit is located near a restaurant, which offers progressive food choices. It also sports a training facility. The name of this complex, appearing brand new and fashionable, is the Trailhead. 

…but getting back to my bike run: for the year, even if these trails were rated similar to my usual haunt, this was my most difficult ride.  And though my ride was ridiculously fun, my legs ached afterwards.

What I discovered at Theo Wirth, at least before the mid-morning rain set in, was a great collection of trails. If you’re not a seasoned rider, these trails might prove too difficult. Yet, if you have some rides under your belt, and you feel comfortable in your abilities, this small collection of trails is a lot of fun!

Safe Travels!