Cutoff Trail

Mountain bike trail for a summer camp in the Southern Sierras

In the spring of 2022 I got a contract to build some mountain bike trails for a summer camp. For about six weeks, I lived on site in the van and dug trails for ten hours a day. The camp is situated in the southern Sierra and operates as a ranch year round. I attended camp as a camper back in the day, a counselor for a few years, and this time as a trail builder, which was quite fun.

Campers mostly ride fireroads in the summer, so a more technical single-track option would allow kids to progress more and challenge themselves. And thus Cutoff trail was born.

The trail follows ridgeline for most of its duration, offering stellar views, and fast riding. In contrast to Santa Cruz, where the dirt is soft and wet, the earth at the ranch was very dry and hard to work with. I ended up using a flathead for almost all of the work, pulling out a pick and McLeod for the odd bench cut or berm.

Below are some photos from my time down there, as well as a video preview of Cutoff trail.