Planning our first trip to H-M this summer. I'm wondering about the difficulty level of the black, and the red/black trails. What kind of obstacles are we talking about? We'll probably be hitting Rockhouse and maybe Bearwallow. Maybe one or two others. How bad are they?

 

When we ride there we always hit the blacks numbered in the 20s and 30s but generally stay away from those in the 90s. We have actually ridden all of the 20s and 30s and they are all ridable with some being more challenging than others. In those number in the 90s, we have actually only ridden trail 91. Most of it was passable but there was about a 100yd section that was uphill/downhill depending on direction with huge boulders creating 2-3 ft dropoffs/climbs. We ended up walking all four of our quads through that section instead of rolling them over the edge (I wouldn't be able to explain that one to my wife!). I know many people go there for the trails in the 90s, but I like to just ride and can do that on all of the green, blue, and blacks numbered in the 20s and 30s. Hope this helps! Make sure you eat at the Hillbilly Firepit in Man when you are there! We are heading to HMT in March, June, July, and October. Best riding on the east coast! Be sure to buy your food and gas while you are down there. Their economy appreciates us riders and they friendliness will show it!

 

Thanks for the info. Are the trails graded on a 1-100 scale or what?

 

The trails are rated with a color system and then go by number ranges within the color bands. The green trails are the easiest and all very manageable. The blue trails are the next band. These may be tighter, rockier, steeper, etc. than the green. For example...blue 25 has a nice elevation change that is gradual and very ridable whereas trail 40 is also blue but is a bit more steep and very rocky. Check out trail 45 when there...it has a nice, long, smooth climb. For an experienced rider, I would say you will be able to ride all of the blue and green without any trouble and won't think much of different numbering within the color bands. The black trails are where I notice the biggest range. The black trails numbered in the 20s (26, 28, and 29) are all ridable without a lot of conern. Trail 26 isn't bad at all but I would suggest riding from 30 towards 45. Trail 28 is a great trail. It runs on a ridge and has great views. It has the "rockhouse" that is definitely worth seeing. I would suggest riding this trail from south to north. Trail 29 is black because of one fairly steep portion on towards the intersection of trail 10. There is a cool bus/big truck off the side of this trail close to trail 10 that is worth seeing. We all prefer climbing hills as opposed to going down them so I would suggest riding from trail 10 to trail 23/40. Within the black band, going to the 30s increases the difficulty (32 and 35). These trails are ridable but were enough to push my comfort. I don't remember 32 too much as we haven't ridden it in a while, but I do remember 35 vividly. It has a nice climb that has a portion that gets real steep. I ride a 4x4 and didn't see the trail turning up until I was already going up. I got about halfway up and had lost momentum and was spinning my back tires. I had to stop on the incline and put it in 4 wheel drive. Never a comfortable feeling...had I had more speed/momentum or had my quad in 4 wheel drive to start I would have been fine. Problem with the steep part of the incline is that it was also rocky. When you go to the black 90s (91 and 93), SxS are no longer allowed and some of these trails may not be that ridable. We decided to try 91 this past summer and ended up walking our quads through a 100 yd portion of downhill with huge boulders and big dropoffs...we haven't tried 93 and I don't see us trying it any time soon. We go to ride and have too much $$$ invested to throw our quads over the side of the mountain...we believe it can happen easy enough that we don't need to ask for it. I know some others go and live for those trails, but we just like to ride and ride where we are comfortable. I consider my quad to be slightly undersized (400cc for someone weighing 240lbs) and am not really comfortable riding beyond the black 20s. I will ride the 30s, but it makes me white knuckled. I hope this helps! We rode about 275 miles at Rockhouse last summer and really enjoy the Gilbert/Man experience. Ride safe and post back with other questions...I can give suggestions on food and lodging!

 

Start with the blue and green trails until you get a feel for the terrain. There was a lot more rock face than we see where I'm from, some of the black trails are very steep and unforgiving. We lost a 4x4 quad on a black trail, rolled and then went over the edge, sucked to get it out! Ruined 1 guys trip.

 

I am heading there in April with my family and we will be sticking to the green/blue trails. I have a 9 and 12 year old so that limits what we will do.

 

Smartdave, what system do you plan to ride? The difficulty varies greatly from system to system. Little coal river is the easiest followed by Indian ridge, pinnacle creek, and then bear wallow/buffalo mountain/Rockhouse. I will say one spot to be aware of is the community connectors. I believe they are all green, but some have some iffy spots to be labeled green, especially if your kids are just starting out and leaving from a community to jump on the trails.

 

So we are doing Little coal river on the way down to Indian ridge and pinnacle creek. Rather than take my truck I will be renting a 25' motor home trailering my ATVs and staying at a campground near indian ridge

 

Good thread...I am trying to get a couple of buddies to go up there this year for the first time...thanks for explaining the grading system. Some of the black trails dont look too bad on video, but I know how that can be deceiving.

 

If you are even thinking about going, then go...make it happen somehow...you won't regret it. Coming from someone who lives in Ohio and has limited accessibility to trails, being able to park the truck and ride for days without ever getting back in the truck is awesome. The people if Gilbert, man, and the other localities are very friendly and welcoming. We now drive right by our local riding area and drive an extra four hours each way to ride HMT. The videos mare deceptive! We took a picture from the bottom of trail 91 and it doesn't look that bad. Having gone down it, it is rough! I would just suggest starting easy and going incrementally until you get to the point that you aren't comfortable. Have fun and ride safe!