Introducing Kimmers

MTBVT allies Noah Noyes and Caleb Magoon of Morrisville’s Power Play Sports check in with a sneak peek of Lamoille County’s newest ribbon of bliss.

It’s no secret to the riders that live in Lamoille County that we’re one of Vermont’s great hot spots for MTB fun. With a huge diversity of trails and a vibrant community of riders, it’s not a stretch to say that we’re becoming one of the east coast’s premier spots. Thanks to the tireless efforts of individuals as well as groups like the Stowe Mountain Bike Club, local riding continues to get better and better every year.

Last week Noah Noyes and I made the trek to Stowe to shred the new trail Kimmers, SMBC’s latest addition to their system. Designed and engineered by local shredder turned pro trail builder Hardy Avery, SMBC has been building anticipation for what is sure to be their latest gem. There is much fundraising and trail cutting to do before the loop is complete, but the official opening of the Kimmers descent is August 20. Being the bloodhounds we are for a new rip, Noah and I couldn’t resist the temptation to bushwack into the backcountry to be some of the first. And get a sneak preview.

Kimmers is one hell of a trail, featuring a fast, switchbacked descent with some fun features for the advanced riders. Anyone who has ridden Hardy’s trails before will recognize the smooth, fast flow, and quality craftsmanship. With a huge amount of gravel trucked in, beautiful bridges and immaculate stone work, this is a well built trail we’ll be riding this trail for years to come. No question, Hardy and his crew have outdone themselves.

I wouldn’t necessarily call this a difficult or overly technical ride. The finished, smooth quality of the trail has left it hospitable to riders of all abilities. A few optional drops, air-outs and rock obstacles offer something fun for the slayers as well as ride-arounds for less technical riders. Though the gravel was still fairly loose when we rode it, we got a taste of the best thing this trail has to offer: speed. After a few more riders have been through, this is sure to be a fast and fun rip that can be bombed. The big berms, well paced rollers and near complete lack of climbs means you’ll be shredding all the way to the bottom.

Noah and I also took the long way to the top of Kimmers, bushwhacking the forthcoming single-track ascent. Having a sneak peak at this made us salivate for the completion of the loop. Currently an uncut, flagged path is the challenging climb through some classic Vermont Hardwoods. A winding, switchbacked tour past old rock walls, over craggy ledges and through some awesome open forest, it promises to be a great climb. Given its length and variety of terrain, it won’t be for the fainthearted though. Depending on how much Hardy decides to smooth out the features, the climb’s difficulty could vary from intermediate to advanced. Either way, no one will be disappointed when this loop is complete.

Stowe Mountain Bike Club – Weekend Update 8/12/2011 from greg young on Vimeo.

Kimmers is slated to open August 20th. Check out the SMBC website for more info, or to donate a few bucks to the resuscitation of the Derby Trail.