A few years ago, Mimi wrote a blog post on “Conquering Pinecone” in the winter.

I was lucky enough to be with her that day, and it was the first time I conquered Pinecone as well.  That day helped me to realize that overcoming the built up anticipation is often times more than half the battle to overcoming challenges. That same anticipation is what has kept me from “Puke Hill” for years, but today I did it. And, I can’t wait to do it again. 

Alpine Trails, in partnership with the Mountain Trails Foundation, recently completed construction on a new trail in town, Pinecone Ridge. The trail has already received tons of hype around town, so after somehow convincing my boyfriend to wake up at 7 a.m. to get to our start, it was the perfect choice for this week’s trail.  *Disclaimer, we descended the trail, which apparently is the less popular choice, but seems to be the better option in my opinion.

Trails: Scott’s Bypass, “Puke Hill”, Pinecone Ridge, Mid-Mountain, Spiro

For details on how to get to the trailhead, check out Sam’s blog from last week.

Duration: 2 hours, 20 minutes, 13.50 miles of biking 
Difficulty:  Intermediate and Difficult
Don’t Forget:  Water, sunscreen, trail map, camera and a snack to enjoy as you take in the scenery.  You will need a shuttle car if you take the route we did. 

After winding through the mile and a half of awesome single track that makes up Scott’s Bypass, you arrive at the famed Puke Hill. There are several trails you can take here, but you are going to take the one that climbs uphill.  For a little reminder of winter fun, check out the Pinecone trail sign indicating where the Pinecone boot pack begins.

Puke Hill isn’t as bad as you would think; it covers 350 feet of elevation gain in about a half mile. The first part seems almost mellow, but don’t be fooled. Slow and steady wins the race and don’t be afraid to stop. Don’t forget that mountain biking is fun!  Once you conquer Puke Hill, you have arrived at the Pinecone Ridge trail head. Be sure and take a minute and enjoy the views of Big Cottonwood Canyon and the Park City valley. Being here in the middle of summer gives you a completely different perspective.

Pinecone Ridge is super fun as a downhill trail. We rode the trail on a Sunday, so we passed several uphill riders. Remember, the uphill rider, hikers and horses all have the right away. As a downhill biker you yield to everyone.  Cruise through the pine and aspen trees and again, don’t forget to stop and take in the view. I’d say riding down Pinecone Ridge on your bike is comparable to riding Pinecone in the winter. The trail was a little rockier than some of our Park City trails, but it is amazing to think that just a year ago it wasn’t even there. The guys at Alpine Trails did an awesome job. I am excited to add this ride to my repertoire of favorite rides.

After coming to the end of Pinecone Ridge, we linked up with Mid-Mountain heading toward Spiro. Once we arrived at Spiro we cruised down Spiro and actually didn’t pass a single uphill rider!

Yet again, another awesome ride and great way to enjoy Park City in the summer. Get out there and enjoy the trails.

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