Somewhere In Connecticut
Photo: Justin Hoelzl/Pinkbike
Overview:
After seeing the sickest video on Pinkbike and using Google Earth for 2 weeks straight, I had finally found what are possibly the gnarliest trails in New England. These trails lie on a tiny hill behind train tracks and are almost hidden in plain sight. There are five trails, some of which have both vulgar and normal names, so for obvious purposes, I’ll use the non offensive names.
Pros:
These trails are basically a tiny version of the Pacific Northwest squeezed into the shortest hill. If you’re looking for gnar, this place has got you covered with loamy chutes, sketchy rock features, and even a skinny log ride drop that closely resembles the north shore. Another benefit is that each trail has its own character: Lockjaw is a loamy fall line without a rock insight that’s pretty steep. Dyslexia starts off with a squirrel catcher in the form of either an insane slab drop or tight rock chute (depending on which line you take), before going into the freshest berms known to mankind. Commuter is much more ridden in and rides like a mini world cup track on steroids with gnarly rocks and an insane log drop. Rusty Rod has some slabby rock and a dope Shark fin at the bottom, and Chicken of the Cave (reference to Anchorman 2) is just pure janky rock that’ll throw you over the bars if you’re not careful.
Cons:
Steep trails plus a tiny hill isn’t really a good equation if you’re looking to maximize your time on the downhills. Most of the trails will give you the adrenaline rush of a lifetime before being over in a matter of seconds, leaving you hungry for more. Unfortunately, the only way back up is either an exhausting hike up the trail you could barely ride down, or you’ll have to cross over an active railroad track and very dangerous highway to get back to your car if you plan on shuttling. This next part kind of goes without saying but its worth mentioning just in case: DON’T ride here if you’re a beginner, or (probably due to some kind of mental illness) you enjoy climbing.
Rating: 7.5
Aside from their sheer difficulty, I see no actually issue with the trails themselves, and I think the builders did as much as humanely possible despite the limits of the landscape. If you’re looking for a challenge that rivals British Columbian gnar, look no further.