Spider Mountain: Reimagined
Get ready, y’all – we have BIG news at Spider Mountain. As we approach our four year birthday, we’re getting a little rowdy and a lot different as we reimagine what Spider Mountain can be.
Spider Mountain is beginning a massive renovation project on all of its green and blue trails with a goal to finish the revamp in time for the 4th birthday party of the resort Spiderversary February 24-26..
By reimagining sections of all of the green and blue lines across the mountain, the bike park intends to provide riders with a killer progression experience. If a guest can decently ride a bike, we want them to be able to ride the greens, and get stoked to shred the blues.
To do that, we’re planning to make our greens authentically green, and add poppy features to our blues that up the ante on fun. We’re adding a new section of green trail that will make the riding experience ridiculously rad.
Beginning with an easier Itsy-Bitsy that’s truly designed with newbie riders in mind, the park is developing a comprehensive trail system that rewards riders with faster speed as they level up.
The park is working with Steve Wentz of Momentum Trail Concepts as the mastermind behind the new progression trail system.
According to Steve’s website, “Steve has been digging in the dirt since he got his first bike as a child and determined he needed a jump across the street from his house. Everything Steve has enjoyed from biking, he’s earned through hard work.
That first bike? Bought with his own money. This determination has served Steve well over the years as he has enjoyed a successful career as a professional downhill racer. Sometimes called “one of the originators of the pump track”, Steve’s entire adulthood thus far has been spent on the pursuit of earthen perfection. Steve is an expert in machine operation, flow and on-site solutions for new or problematic trail areas.”
In addition, VitalMTB describes Steve’s career: “Steve is a former US Junior National DH team member, a former World Cup DH racer, he’s a professional trail builder, mad consumer of M&M’s and a long-time Vital MTB test rider. In 2004, Steve freeloaded a ride in Spomer’s 2001 Chevy Malibu from the Calgary World Cup to Denver with Clay Porter riding shotgun. Steve Wentz is a unique human being who can’t snap or whistle and was even a door-to-door window salesman.”
Steve will be overseeing the project and will be training Spider Mountain’s trail crew on the philosophies of effective downhill trailbuilding AND maintenance to keep the trails in top shape after weather and riders take their toll.
The project timeline has already completed the bottom of Venom and Recluse and will undertake the rest of the trails, beginning with Itsy-Bitsy in the coming weeks. The revamp will include a mix of machine and handbuilt sections.
The Green Trails
Itsy Bitsy will be reworked from top to bottom, with a new trail cut to create an easier line where the tight berms begin on the third section of the existing trail. The new Itsy Bitsy will cut above Venom in a straighter line and will offer an even easier way down. Itsy-Bitsy’s existing banked turns will become part of Centipede. A new line will be cut from the existing trail, creating an option for riders on Centipede to continue into the banked turns or choose the new easier Itsy-Bitsy trail.
Centipede will become a “double green” as a step-up from Itsy-Bitsy. Both trails will have purposeful features such as beginner banked turns, and smaller rollers that reward riders with speed as confidence grows.
The Blue Trails
Antidote will be completely reworked. It’s being crafted as a progression to Recluse. The team is emphasizing faster, flowier jumps.
Recluse has already been completed with bigger, rollable jumps that are massive. Advanced riders will be able to achieve big air as they gain speed.
The team is also creating hugely bigger, fast and rollable jumps on Venom that provide incredible options for big air. The team is working on creating A and B lines for line choices that make Venom a “double blue”
Viper’s Den will get a refresh as the mountain’s blue tech, and the North Shore style trail, Tarantula will get a faster, flowier feel.
The team is developing a lot of features on every trail that provide the rider with choices that vary the ride.
Over the coming weeks, check Spider Mountain’s social media pages for extensive updates on the rebuild. You won’t want to miss this!
