2008 Woodie Awards
Mountain bike trails are best in the fall
Roger Phillips
Issue date: 10/24/07 Section: Sports
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It also means cool mornings and warm, sunny afternoons, which is perfect weather for mountain biking.
"Fall has always been my favorite time to ride," said Scott Jensen of Meridian, Idaho. "The crowds are gone and the fall colors are really what make it cool for me. There's also that impending sense that the season is almost over, and it's special because you know you're doing your last rides."
Fall is also the only time of year when both the desert and the mountains are accessible, the temperatures at both high and low elevations are bearable. If you're planning a weekend, it's easier to get those prime campsites.
Jensen and I recently spent a weekend in the Stanley, Idaho, area checking out a couple of its most famous mountain bike trails: Fisher/Williams Creek Trail and the Elk Meadows Trail.
"Stanley, in general, has always been my favorite riding area. The mountains are so close they just seem bigger," Jensen said.
Fisher/Williams Creek Trail is nearly synonymous with mountain biking in Stanley.
It's an intermediate/expert trail because it's nearly 18 miles long and involves 1,500 feet of climbing. It's not a technically challenging ride, but it will work your legs and lungs, especially considering it tops out at over 8,000 feet.
The trailhead is located about 13.5 miles south of Stanley on Idaho 75.
You start at the marked parking area off the left side of Idaho 75 at Williams Creek. The ride starts there.
Ride your bike south on Idaho 78 for about 2.3 miles and turn left onto Fisher Creek Road. You have about 6.5 miles of uphill riding on a gravel road before you hit the marked trailhead. The road has a few steep and rough patches, but most people should be able to ride it.
From the end of the road, it's 9 miles of sublime and mostly downhill singletrack back to the Williams Creek parking lot.
You will wind through a burned area that looks a little rough, but the fire also opened up some great views of the Sawtooths and other nearby mountains.
You will then descend into a cool forest with tacky singletrack that holds your tires to the trail like a magnet. Watch your speed because there are a few "gotcha" spots, but overall, you can sit back in the saddle and feel like a gravity-fueled mountain bike warrior.
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