I recently ordered a KH24 mountain unicycle and am itching to take it out this weekend. Last weekend, I completed the 13 mile Marshal Mesa loop on my Nimbus 29er and found it to be a moderate workout, and not very technical. I would like to find something with some more steep/technical terrain, but would like to avoid being creamed by an insanely fast biker on a trail with limited visibility.
Any trail suggestions?
Betasso Preserve is really nice. It’s not the most technical, but a definite step up from Marshal Mesa. It is closed to riding (cycles, not horses) on Wednesdays and Saturdays. If you want a serious workout you can ride the link trail from the canyon up to the loop, but I usually park at the trailhead off of Sugarloaf Rd. If you’re up for it the Nelson loop is super fun. It’s a bit narrower, and there are a few places with good exposure. You can always add mileage by doing laps on the loops.
The Picture Rock trail is also nice, but it is another step up from Betasso. the first couple of miles is nice flowing singletrack with nicely maintained trail. After about the 4th mile it starts to ascend the back side of Heil Valley Ranch, and it is winding switchbacks for a few miles. It gets to be rooty/rocky, and there are some blocks and steps you have to negotiate. There is a lot of rideable terrain even for a confident beginner as long as you don’t have a problem hoofing it past some of the more tech features.
If you want something a bit more like Marshall Mesa, but narrower, and more hills you may want to look into the White Rocks Trail in Heatherwood.
Thank you for the suggestions. I rode Picture Rock this weekend and it was just what I was looking for. The top 3/4 of a mile was too rocky for me to ride up, but sure was fun on the way down. Parts of the trail were extremely challenging, but I never felt completely overwhelmed. My new uni performed beautifully :D. I couldn’t be happier with my purchase.