“Up to the Bottom Bracket” Ride from Olson Fire Tower

Trail Talk!

Sport: Mountain Bike

Participants: 3

Trail(s): Forest Road 717, Forest Road 18, Blackwater Canyon Trail

System: Hambleton, WV to Hendricks, WV

9.2 out of 10

If you’re looking for a fun, low-stress ride to shake off the winter rust, this 17+ mile downhill adventure from the Olson Fire Tower to the Blackwater Canyon Trail is just what you need. It’s a great way to get back into the swing of things without worrying about a tough, technical ride—especially when most of it is downhill. That being said, the real challenge comes in the form of lose rocks, prevalent mud, and deep puddles.

Our journey started with the climb up the stairs to the top of the Olson Fire Tower, and let me tell you, it’s not for the faint of heart—especially on a windy day. The tower was swaying a bit in the gusts, and I won’t lie, it felt a little unnerving up there. But once we reached the top and took in the breathtaking views, it was all worth it. If you ever find yourself in the area on Route 219 between, essentially, Thomas and Parsons, definitely give it a try.

Hold on tight when the wind picks up.

   

Once we made it back down from the tower, the real fun began. The fire road we started on was mostly downhill, which made for an easy, breezy ride, but it was far from smooth sailing. The trail was packed with rocks and huge mud pits that slowed us down every time we hit one. The mud went from slick to gloopy to puddly in no time, and we had to stay alert.

Along the way, we detoured twice—once to check out a rock outcropping in the middle of a cascading waterfall, which was a nice excuse to take a breather and snap some photos. The second detour took us to an incredible overlook of the canyon, where we had a moment to appreciate the scenery before jumping back into the muddy madness.

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Despite the ease of the downhill, navigating the trail wasn’t without its challenges. My friend almost lost a shoe to the mud (it nearly got sucked off their foot), and another friend’s bike slid out from underneath her in an especially slick section, sending her into a bit of a tumble. As for me, I found myself stuck in the middle of a puddle, my bike not moving an inch. Thankfully, I spotted a rock just big enough to step on and pick my way out to the edge without my boots filling up with water. There were ways to navigate around the puddles but, once I was muddy, I decided “through” was the quickest way for several of the big ones!

By the time we made it to the Blackwater Canyon Trail, we were covered in mud, our bikes were caked, and we were all laughing at the wild ride we had just experienced. It wasn’t the toughest trail out there, but it sure made for an adventure.

If you’re looking to ease back into riding after a winter break, this is a great option. It’s mostly downhill and not overly technical, but the muddy, rocky terrain adds just the right amount of challenge to keep things interesting. Grab your bike, embrace the mud, and enjoy the ride! We went 17.54 miles with just 319 feet of elevation with a 2 hours and 7 minutes moving time.

This photo was taken just about 5 minutes in and I already had mud on my cheek… So fun! Join us next time!