by Jack Spaulding
Outdoors Writer
Brown County State Park’s trails over hills and through hollers win international acclaim
If you Google “mountain biking” you will find the origination of the sport began in the mid-1970s when a few biking “freaks” in the state of California took to the hills as the sport of bicycling was rapidly developing.
As for Californians being the first at mountain biking … that is not entirely true. They just capitalized and profited by adding a level of extreme sport to bicycling.
Apparently Google and Wikipedia lack complete research or don’t know any obscure, rural, bicycling historians from the very early 1960s. This is when mountain biking, actually “hill and holler” biking, was invented just outside Moscow, Ind. I know, because I was there.
Faced with another endless summer of unorganized sports, the boys in town decided we needed a worthwhile project. Naturally, we came up with something fun and challenging … build a bike trail along the east side of Flatrock River through Benson’s big woods to join up with the county road jog down by Chet Gosnell’s farm. Nevermind there was already a well-maintained gravel road leading to the same destination on the west side of the river.
It was a tough assignment, but Leroy, Huck, Tom, Larry, Bobby, John, Ora and I hacked brush, leveled ground with pick and shovel, tore out broken strands of ancient wire fence, and built bridges of saplings and boughs lashed with binder twine over small ravines and creeks.
When we were finished, the trail was a challenging run with some pretty impressive hills and hollers. Going south, there was one hill no one could climb, and we had to get off and push or carry our bikes. But, coming back north on the trail, we could get up enough speed to make the summit, then plunge and careen down the steep embankment on the other side.
I would have enjoyed the plunging and careening more if it happened slower.
Our Huffy and Schwinn bikes really took a beating. We crashed a lot, and several of us still have the scars to prove it, but the feel of accomplishment of building the trail and the exhilarating ride through the forest made it all seem worthwhile.
I doubt if we long-ago lads from Moscow will ever gain even the slightest recognition for pioneering the sport. But, never underestimate Hoosiers … the builders of the mountain bike trails in Indiana’s Brown County State Park recently got some very special, world-wide recognition.
Brown County State Park’s mountain bike trails have won the International Mountain Bicycling Association’s (IMBA) honor of offering enthusiasts an “epic” ride. Only four other trails were honored internationally this year with the same designation. Overall, IMBA’s list now includes 51 destinations in the United States, four in Canada, and one each in Italy and Wales. The organization started the program of recognizing world class mountain bike trails in 2000.
“If you are a mountain biker, this is your bucket list,” said IMBA’s website. “Every single one of the mountain bike trails listed on this page (http://www.imba.com/epics) will blow your mind … guaranteed!”
IMBA’s description of Brown County explains why the park’s system of mountain bicycling trails warrant the recognition.
“This is flowing singletrack at its best, built in one of the largest contiguous hardwood forests east of the Mississippi River. The trail designers used every bit of the 600 feet of elevation change available to create five independent loops and three connector trails. Difficulty ranges from a beginner-friendly loop to black diamond fare. Expect to drop into valleys and creek crossings before climbing to overlooks with vistas of the surrounding hills. The hardy clay soil allows for sculpted turns and features — get ready to carve, climb and do it again.”
Brown County State Park mountain bike trails are the only Indiana trails on the list. Michigan, with two trails, and Ohio, with one, are the only border states listed.
The Brown County State Park mountain bike trails were built and are maintained by volunteers from the Hoosier Mountain Bike Association (hmba.org). HMBA president Paul Arlinghaus said the group has had the epic designation as a goal for a long time.
“Ten years ago if you lived in Indiana and wanted to mountain bike, you had to travel somewhere else,” Arlinghaus said. “This (honor) celebrates the success we’ve had not only for those around here but also shows that it’s worthwhile for others to travel here to ride.”
IMBA Communications Director Mark Eller says compilation of epics originally focused on backcountry rides, but then broadened. The creation of other categories this year allowed the focus to go back to the original idea.
Although a state park may not fit some people’s idea of epic in terms of “backcountry,” Eller said Brown County does.
“There is a consistent feeling of being able to lose yourself in the woods,” he said. “The rider experience is a backcountry experience.”
Although Brown County offers trails suited for beginners, the IMBA honor is for the park’s more challenging trails.
“We try to find trails that give people high bars to shoot for,” Eller said.
Other trails listed as epics this year were Kerr Scott Trails in North Carolina; Mountain Hero in Yukon, Canada; Rattling Creek in Pennsylvania; and the W2 Trail in Wales.
IMBA posts an online form to get annual nominations for the epic list. Once a trail is nominated, IMBA depends on its network of clubs and field experts to judge which trails get honored. Eller said IMBA gets 40 to 50 nominations a year.
For more information see the state parks website at stateparks.IN.gov/2988.htm. Brown County State Park is located at 1450 Ind. 46 East in Nashville. Daily gate admission to the park is $5 per in-state car and $7 per out-of-state car.
To view other photos of Brown County’s mountain bike trails in all seasons, visit: http://www.browncountymountainbiking.com. (Above photo from Brown County State Park courtesy of Sub-9 Productions.)
till next time,
Jack Spaulding is a state outdoors writer and a consumer of RushShelby Energy from Milroy. Readers with questions or comments can write to him in care of Electric Consumer, P.O. Box 24517, Indianapolis, IN 46224; or e-mail jackspaulding@hughes.net.