Oh, March. You were so promising for an early start to mountain biking season this year! As temperatures soared into the 60s for days at a time with hardly a cloud in the sky – and as Bridger passholders did their best to stay positive as a season’s snowpack turned to a splashy mess – our thoughts turned to fat tires rolling up and down local singletrack. But, March got fickle towards the end and sent us into an April that started -and stayed- cold and snowy. Great for late season backcountry turns! Heartbreaking for those of us who had started daydreaming about the great rides that waited just around the corner, polishing and tuning the smallest details of our long-neglected rides. As I write this article the calendar is edging towards May and a chilly wind is blowing fresh snowfall off the branches outside my window. This is how it goes with springtime in the Rockies.

Fortunately, lower elevation trails around town tend to melt off fast at the sun’s return. Here are a couple options that should be available sooner than later as long as Mother Nature cooperates and keeps the snowline above the valley floor.
Leverich Canyon: Can we even begin to thank The Dirt Concern enough for their role in building this gem of a trail? I can’t. It is one of my absolute favorites in the area: a sure fire good time of a ride minutes from downtown. The uphill is a steady grind. At a total of approximately 4 miles, this isn’t a long ride – but you’ll earn your climbing stripes on a steep grade that starts almost immediately and is nearly unrelenting until you reach the top. And there you’ll find your reward: the berms and rollers built into the downhill make it fast, flowy and a non-stop smile inducer from start to finish. Word of caution: if you hit the rollers fast enough you will definitely become airborne and landing on corners can be a smidge tricky.

The trail should be pretty clear down low within the next couple of weeks, but expect to hit patches of snow in the woods about mid-way up the climb for at least a month or so. Riders should always practice solid trail ethics of sticking to the trail and walking bikes through spots that would get torn up by a slipping, spinning knobby tire. Melt water is bound to pool up behind some of the roller jumps making for an exciting splash landing. The trail understandably tends to get a lot of riders looking for a quick fun trail after work. Try to ride earlier in the day for a less crowded experience.

South Cottonwood Canyon: This is the perfect option for riders looking to build biking fitness after a long winter of lift-service skiing and supporting the local craft beer industry. While the initial climb from the trailhead is a switchbacky push, most of the ride is through mellow rolling terrain. Several stream crossings require riders to walk bikes across a narrow log bridge, but in terms of riding there’s really nothing too technical to worry about it you’re looking to rebuild confidence for the season or just getting into mountain biking. The stream crossings also make this trail ideal for bringing along your canine companions. The trail is an out-and-back, meaning you can push it as far as your early season legs and the unpredictable weather that defines early mountain biking season will allow before turning back.

I went for a trail run up South Cottonwood a week ago, and judging from the sheer volume of mud I brought home on my running shoes, it will still be a while before this trail is fully rideable.

Which brings me to the “best bet for right now” trail option…
Lewis and Clark Caverns: If you’re willing to travel a bit, Lewis and Clark Caverns is always a sure-fire bet for drier early season riding. The Caverns are located in Whitehall in what seems like a snow shadow spared heavy accumulation even when surrounding areas are blanketed. The gravelly dry climate soil also tends to drain a lot faster than clay mud. You won’t be wearing nearly as much of the trail on your face and the back of your shorts as you would be after an early season ride in Bozeman.

I rode the Caverns back during one of the teaser spring weekends in early March. The loop we did was about 10 miles total and did a good job of reminding me nothing gets you ready for mountain biking season like mountain biking. There’s just enough climb in the uphill to get a solid workout, but it’s totally manageable if you pace yourself. The views of the surrounding mountains and the “escape to the desert” feeling you get when the sun shines on the sage brush and canyon walls are worth the trip alone.

It takes about 45 minutes to get to the Caverns via I-90 and a side road (signs are visible at the offramp for Three Forks/Highway 287), but its well worth it to quell the early season mountain biking jones.

Local bike shops are usually a good place to get the latest reports on trail conditions. And here’s to hoping mountain snowpack stays strong and valley trails dry out soon!

Shannon Hughes is a writer and marketing strategist who seeks silence and adventure in the mountains. She can be contacted at shannon@spur-studio.com