L>R: Brett (hardtale70 on mtbnj), Erik (tmxownrsgrp), JimG, Al (Seabass), ???, Jae (jhchoi), Sean squatting (anrothar on mtbnj), Ryan (xc6701 on mtbnj), Jamie (jbogner), Techen (Stoked), Chris (stuffy), and Simon (Gumby).
Having ridden Blue Mountain for over 10 years I never managed to go further than 18 miles in a day. Trails were either undeveloped or maps unavailable, whatever the reason an epic session just never seemed feasible in the backwoods of Peekskill.
Fate would have it that over time several very devoted and skilled trail builders, and true leaders of our sport / passion in life, would create a network of award winning mtb trails at Blue Mountain. For them I am ever grateful and indebted.
Beautiful and accurate maps, sustainable and bombproof trails of every caliber are the fruit from years of hard work. The long sought after epic was now inevitable and in the works. Jamie Bogner of NYCMTB.com cracked the code and strung together close to 30 miles of the reservation’s trail network. All without backtracking or crossing over the same ground twice. Not to mention 95% of the route planned utilized each segment of trail in its best possible direction.
The conditions were near perfect. Other than the October cold and many unfortunate mechanical setbacks, almost half of the original group that began finished intact and very happy. The moment we finished I thought to myself how bad ass that was, that we were the first twelve to complete a Blue Mt epic and that I couldn’t wait for it to happen again next October in 2008, so my brother could do it with me.
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