I can remember back like 25 years ago when I was in boy scouts and we'd go hiking on the hiking trails at Jenny Wiley. Those hiking trails are brutally steep and the ridge sections are very short. They don't follow the contour of the land but rather they go straight up and down the slopes or ascend/descend very steeply via switchbacking style. From my own study of things so far a northern extension out n back along with a southern extension out n back would be good additions to the currently designated mountain bike trails. The reasoning for just wanting to do out n back extensions is because of the steepness of the hill slopes, one trail along the face of the hills would be easier to get approved and no trail access points from the road or campground would keep misuse/abuse of the trails minimized. A northern extension out n back could begin off of the Short Loop trail just before it begins the rapid descent back down the hill to the parking area. There is a slight trail there now where it could begin. Following the contour of the land around about four hollows to a point overlooking the campground may be like roughly a couple miles or so extension if done right. A southern extension out n back beginning at the switchback on the Switchback Loop trail and it going all the way to the sky lift hollow would be roughly a mile extension or so if done right. So riding the roughly three miles or so of trail extension out n back style would add six miles or so to the current 1.7 mile for about an 8 mile ride. Not a lot but more than what is there now and the out n back extensions could be constructed in a very fun riding style. Out n back trails or any trails can be made fun if the trail is laid out in ways where the altitude gains and losses are put into the equation in slight ways to where you don't notice you're climbing much and to where you get some fun descents. As an example say you go up ten feet in elevation in a mellow grade kind of way then go back down five feet in elevation over a certain distance. You just gained five feet in elevation without noticing it much due to the mellow grade ten feet of ascending then the five feet of descending. Repeat that method a lot to get a lot of altitude gain without it seeming like hard riding. On the way back guess what? You get to go up five then down ten repeatedly which would be a whole nuther deal and zoooooooooooommmmmmmmmm you would go. Trail scenarios like that repeated often would make an out n back trail or any trail fun to ride either direction. New trail at Jenny Wiley would probably be best built with like a five foot wide blade on some piece of machinery. The steepness of the slopes would make this five foot wide width be needed. The terrain around there is very steep. Some may think a five foot wide blade? Yes, a five foot wide blade because you will lose a foot in width on the upside slope due to erosion coming in on the trail tread and you will lose about a foot of width due to erosion on the downside slope of the trail tread thus leaving a three foot wide trail tread in the middle which is a nice singletrack width. I'll shut off the Czar of Dirt trail brain valve here and see what you all think....
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boat only access
I forgot to mention that the other side of the lake is accessible by boat only.
Trail map of Jenny Wiley
I can remember back like 25 years ago when I was in boy scouts and we'd go hiking on the hiking trails at Jenny Wiley. Those hiking trails are brutally steep and the ridge sections are very short. They don't follow the contour of the land but rather they go straight up and down the slopes or ascend/descend very steeply via switchbacking style. From my own study of things so far a northern extension out n back along with a southern extension out n back would be good additions to the currently designated mountain bike trails. The reasoning for just wanting to do out n back extensions is because of the steepness of the hill slopes, one trail along the face of the hills would be easier to get approved and no trail access points from the road or campground would keep misuse/abuse of the trails minimized. A northern extension out n back could begin off of the Short Loop trail just before it begins the rapid descent back down the hill to the parking area. There is a slight trail there now where it could begin. Following the contour of the land around about four hollows to a point overlooking the campground may be like roughly a couple miles or so extension if done right. A southern extension out n back beginning at the switchback on the Switchback Loop trail and it going all the way to the sky lift hollow would be roughly a mile extension or so if done right. So riding the roughly three miles or so of trail extension out n back style would add six miles or so to the current 1.7 mile for about an 8 mile ride. Not a lot but more than what is there now and the out n back extensions could be constructed in a very fun riding style. Out n back trails or any trails can be made fun if the trail is laid out in ways where the altitude gains and losses are put into the equation in slight ways to where you don't notice you're climbing much and to where you get some fun descents. As an example say you go up ten feet in elevation in a mellow grade kind of way then go back down five feet in elevation over a certain distance. You just gained five feet in elevation without noticing it much due to the mellow grade ten feet of ascending then the five feet of descending. Repeat that method a lot to get a lot of altitude gain without it seeming like hard riding. On the way back guess what? You get to go up five then down ten repeatedly which would be a whole nuther deal and zoooooooooooommmmmmmmmm you would go. Trail scenarios like that repeated often would make an out n back trail or any trail fun to ride either direction. New trail at Jenny Wiley would probably be best built with like a five foot wide blade on some piece of machinery. The steepness of the slopes would make this five foot wide width be needed. The terrain around there is very steep. Some may think a five foot wide blade? Yes, a five foot wide blade because you will lose a foot in width on the upside slope due to erosion coming in on the trail tread and you will lose about a foot of width due to erosion on the downside slope of the trail tread thus leaving a three foot wide trail tread in the middle which is a nice singletrack width. I'll shut off the Czar of Dirt trail brain valve here and see what you all think....