Burger and Fries is one of the most well known trails on Blue Mountain. The large rock formation near its northern edge makes this trail instantly recognisable.

This trail is ridiculously fun in either direction. This video shows us entering from Manor Road, meaning we are going down the trail (but up the rock face). Pay attention if you’re entering from this vantage point because you’ll need to hang a right a few seconds later, otherwise you will find yourself on Weasel.

Less than a minute in, you will see flashes of the monolith in the corner of your left eye as you snake through the trees, until finally, you’re confronted by what may seem like the end of the trail. Don’t be a hoser and waste your time looking around for a bypass — there isn’t one! The trail continues straight up the very same rock face that has been squeezing your testes so hard that you could pack them inside your front wheel bearings.

Then it begins….

The deafening silence of the forest wraps itself around you. The sound of your heartbeat echoing inside your helmet is causing your temples to throb. You’ve killed the engine.

Why is the engine off?
Did I do that?
Yeah, must’ve been me…

The “what if” scenarios begin to make their way inside your head:

calculating
theorizing
running the numbers

….metal damage
….brain damage

Jesus, this could be serious.

Do we turn around?
We should turn around.
Yeah, that sounds good.
We’re turning around.

You look over towards your riding buddy hoping to find an approving glance but that hope is dashed when you see him frozen in the mist, staring wide-eyed at the silver faced, green haired Medusa unrelenting in her will to turn you around.

Jeez, I wish Gandalf were here….

Hahahaaa! Okay, okay, lets get back to reality — maybe I’m embellishing just a little a bit here :)

The rock has surprisingly good traction regardless if it’s bone dry or glistening in morning dew. You should stay middle to middle-left, and avoid the small but almost vertical lip that could send you off your line and into trouble (3:37).

Don’t bail on your climb if you’ve suddenly lost momentum or your mojo — just give it more gas and watch in amazement how your bike is hauling your puckered sphincter over the top!

Once over you’ll be rewarded with a long winding decent with options to veer off onto 20/20, Licence Plate, Ferret, or other trails that I can’t recall at the moment.

But wait!

Turn your bike around and head back the way you came to enjoy the same switchbacks going up! Once you’ve reached the rock face just grab a healthy amount of front and rear brake to hold whatever speed you’re comfy with and head down the same line you came up. Remember, if it’s not covered in snow or ice, the rock will offer up lots of traction!

McNutt Difficulty Level: Easy (but can be a mental “hard” the very first time)

Get To Know McNutt – Burger and Fries (down) from motorambler on Vimeo.

 

Nothing beats riding McNutt in the snow! Click the image to see more.

Pinto descending into hell

 

Feb, 2012

Sandman is basically the “highway” into McNutt from the 256 Street staging area. You can enter Sandman (I couldn’t resist) by riding beyond the yellow gate for about 90 seconds at a moderate pace, continuing past the Trials Trail marker, and turning into the trail-head which is on the right side of the dirt road. Alternatively, you could take the shortcut and enter via Trials Trail. The intersection of Trials Trail and Sandman is about halfway across the upper section of Sandman.

McNutt Difficulty Level: Easy

Get To Know McNutt – Upper Sandman from motorambler on Vimeo.

 

The rocky road up to Cypress Lake was like a river today. Sixty seconds in and water was flowing over the top of my boots — I felt like a salmon swimming up river! The hard-packed snow made reaching the lake impossible for a lazy person like me, so I turned around at about the half way mark. The pump station has had some work done along its lower fence — the nice little trail is gone and has been replaced by temporary grader work. Who knows what’s to come? No memory card in my pocket camera meant I was left with six photos for the day :(

2010_12_12_eagle_ridge_trails

2010_12_12_eagle_ridge_trails

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