[martis]

So... the rest of the park crew and myself have been working constantly for the past month to get some new terrain completed.

Frankenstein, the trail which has been in the works seemingly since the middle of last year, is now 90% open. It's a tight, technical, rocky, east coast downhill run. Some small kinks need to be worked out, and the second to last section is proving to take much more work than we expected, but the sections that are open are fantastic. It definitely progresses throughout the run, from smallish, man-made rock gardens on mostly flat ground, to steep chutes, tight, technical gardens, and wide open drops out onto the slopes. Like I said, the 90% of the trail that we've completed is open to everyone.

We also added a new diving board from Helen's Woods out onto Showtime, which vastly improves any run down 007 or Super Connector. Makes for a nice opportunity to launch HUGE out into the bowl.

The green light has been given to go ahead with several other projects this season. The park has been financially successful throughout the season thus far, and as long as we're being approved, we're working as hard as we can to get more new stuff open, and improve what we've already got.

Keep in mind, every time you come up and ride, you're reinforcing the fact that the bike park is definitely a worthwhile endeavor for Seven Springs.

 

[rollertoaster]

no pics ??? I'm afraid it's too little too late. Seven Springs has already offended me enough to not return again.

 

[Arutha]

Thanks for the "diving board," I despised the previous method. I try and support you guys every weekend, I live 30 minutes away so I have to come up.


Any chance you guys might do a trail soon that doesn't merge? That's the biggest complaint I hear from others, as well as mine. You almost had it with Frankenstein but merging at the end in the woods could get bad if you ever have much of a crowd. You "should" go slower just in case someone is coming the other way...kind of lessens the fun.

I think it's great to have a place close to me but if you guys want to think about the future, that being more people coming up, then the merging is going to get dangerous and will probably make people less inclined to come. We already end up having to slow up a good bit in certain sections due to slower riders, I blame the funneling of trails for this.

Regardless keep pushing for more trails and let us know if there is anyway we can help.

 

[martis]

Thanks for the "diving board," I despised the previous method. I try and support you guys every weekend, I live 30 minutes away so I have to come up.


Any chance you guys might do a trail soon that doesn't merge? That's the biggest complaint I hear from others, as well as mine. You almost had it with Frankenstein but merging at the end in the woods could get bad if you ever have much of a crowd. You "should" go slower just in case someone is coming the other way...kind of lessens the fun.

I think it's great to have a place close to me but if you guys want to think about the future, that being more people coming up, then the merging is going to get dangerous and will probably make people less inclined to come. We already end up having to slow up a good bit in certain sections due to slower riders, I blame the funneling of trails for this.

Regardless keep pushing for more trails and let us know if there is anyway we can help.

unfortunately, we don't have a ton of room to work with on the front side of the mountain, and everything eventually has to filter through showtime or the foggy bowl. we're considering a third, alternate method of returning to the chair, but it's not up too high on the list of priorities. however, every intersection up there has been designed with an open line of sight onto the other trail, with the one we just completed being one of the clearest. intersections are the price we have to pay for the high-speed lift... right now at least. i won't go into too many details, but it's looking like the front face has about as many trails as we can pack onto it without having the trail map look like a spider web of intersections. take from that what you will.

and rollertoaster, i'm sorry you've been offended. i'll post some photos, although being about two weeks old, they're already outdated, as we've done quite a bit since then.

 

[martis]

photos didn't show up... d'oh. until i figure it out: http://www.pinkbike.com/forum/listcomments/?threadid=82401

 

[banshee_62]

I'm liking what i see at springs hopefully they can keep up the good work and get some more stuff in before the end of the season.

 

[skatetokil]

That diving board is no joke. Looks like you could land to flat if you're not careful.

 

[DHDreams]

I was out there yesterday. First time for me other than the GES race. I had an absolute blast! I probably made at least 20 runs, thanks to the 5 minute chairlift.

Some of the nice banked corners could use a little grooming.

I rode Frankenstein. It was a lot of fun. I just don't like the top section too much. It seemed to be a little too flat and the first corner, in the rocks, really steals a lot of your momentum that you had flying into it. Parts of it definitely feel like a true DH course though.

I'll definitely be back. I just wish that my son, who is under 12, was aloud to ride too. Website says you have to be atleast 12 to ride there. He was mad he couldn't go.

 

[banshee_62]

I was out there yesterday. First time for me other than the GES race. I had an absolute blast! I probably made at least 20 runs, thanks to the 5 minute chairlift.

Some of the nice banked corners could use a little grooming.

I rode Frankenstein. It was a lot of fun. I just don't like the top section too much. It seemed to be a little too flat and the first corner, in the rocks, really steals a lot of your momentum that you had flying into it. Parts of it definitely feel like a true DH course though.

I'll definitely be back. I just wish that my son, who is under 12, was aloud to ride too. Website says you have to be atleast 12 to ride there. He was mad he couldn't go.

Does he have a DH bike and has he ridden other places before ? if so you might be able to talk to one of the managers to let you, i know most kids his age dont ride DH nor do their parents. I would say give that a try might get lucky.

 

[martis]

i guess it's technically possible to go fast enough through helen's to land flat off of the diving board... but one of our other park crew guys hit it at warp speed (that's him with the red pack in the pinkbike photo) and he still landed on the transition after boosting it as long and as high as possible (this is a guy that regularly lands the last tabletop on showtime flat... 20 feet past the landing). the thing has been up for about two weeks now and we haven't had any issues. i'd say it's one of the most fun, flowy features up there.

i'm not entirely sure what to say about the issue with your son... bike park staff doesn't issue the lift tickets, that's at the discretion of the adventure staff. i'm sure if the circumstances (i.e. a good bike, and the fact that you would be riding with him) were up to snuff, you might have a chance at getting him on the hill for some runs down rock n' roll and 007. however, i would definitely recommend getting on the phone with the adventure center and talking with a supervisor. that's something that's worth a shot, although i'm pretty much in the dark over that issue. i'll bring it up tomorrow and see what i can find out.

 

[brainbckt]

Man, I wish I would have seen the improvements sooner; I would have been up last weekend. That launch into Showtime looks sweet. Off to Timberline this weekend and then Snowshoe the next. Will definitely hit the Springs over Labor Day.

 

[Arutha]

I can understand it. Hopefully management will allow the North face to be opened up some time in the future. Sadly Springs has made quite a few ski trails over the past five years and the woody sections keep getting smaller.

Everyone needs to ride here to help support the cause, I certainly don't want this going away. Keep up the good work.

 

[martis]

I can understand it. Hopefully management will allow the North face to be opened up some time in the future. Sadly Springs has made quite a few ski trails over the past five years and the woody sections keep getting smaller.

Everyone needs to ride here to help support the cause, I certainly don't want this going away. Keep up the good work.

from what i am told, the bike park disappearing is pretty much a non-issue. last year, the park lost money. this year, it's making money. that, in and of itself, in addition to allowing us to install permanent, cemented-in structures (pictures soon) tends to reinforce the idea that it's not going anywhere.

i can neither confirm nor deny any interest in north face. i think, ultimately, the higher-ups are going to choose their strategy based on what things look like at the end of the season for us. whatever happens, though, i assure you, myself and the rest of the park crew are riders ourselves, and if nothing else, want to improve and expand on the trails WE ride every day, and it makes us feel great to hear about people that are raving about (or even critiquing) Frankenstein or any other work we've done.

for those that have been hesitant to return after a less than fantastic visit... i'll just say that it really is worth another shot. keep in mind, seven springs is new to the downhill scene and is really working hard to make it a blast to ride. i can speak for the rest of the park crew in saying that everyone up here wants to be, because we love to ride and we love to build. i can't tell you how many days (today included) that i wanted to be on the hill working on a new section instead of driving the shuttle. so yeah... come up and ride.

 

[DHDreams]

Keep up the good work!

I love the passion you guys have for doing what you're doing.

 

[martis]

Keep up the good work!

I love the passion you guys have for doing what you're doing.

thank you. things seem to be paying off, as we're running an (almost) packed shuttle on a rainy wednesday. several out of towners today, a few guys from the DC area were out, as well as some other people on full-blown circa-2002 (and in great condition) monster huck bikes i hadn't seen before.

the new ladder bridge on frankenstein bypass was completed, test ridden, and opened by noon today. we're now at 95% complete, and fully rideable from top to bottom. the section that isn't completed is proving to be somewhat difficult, calling for cemented-in footers, more dirt, and lots of cutting, drilling, and screwdrivering. i guarantee when it's done, it will be the toughest hundred feet on the entire mountain.

remember, come up midweek, bring enough friends, and we'll turn the lift on. capacity on the shuttle is about 20...

 

[2000cx]

This is VERY good news...I am glad to hear there is working going into the mountain again. My group had all but written off our annual trip (read Mancation ) to 7 this year...but after passing this thread around there seems to be renewed interest. I for one am looking forward to making the trip, albeit NOT in October this year though. No offense to the Autumnfest folks but I just don't want to deal with the crowds at the lift again. Keep up the great work and we will see you in September!

 

[martis]

This is VERY good news...I am glad to hear there is working going into the mountain again. My group had all but written off our annual trip (read Mancation ) to 7 this year...but after passing this thread around there seems to be renewed interest. I for one am looking forward to making the trip, albeit NOT in October this year though. No offense to the Autumnfest folks but I just don't want to deal with the crowds at the lift again. Keep up the great work and we will see you in September!

you guys are the ones with the original videos up on youtube from 2007? i remember seeing those before i had even dusted off my bike in the spring of 2008.

regardless... i'm happy you guys may be reconsidering. that's why i'm posting on ridemonkey and pinkbike, really. it just seemed like the overall perception of our park wasn't too positive, and word just spread all over the place. i'm not trying to tell anyone their opinions are wrong, i just want to say: look, this is what we're doing up here. we're working hard at this, and if you like what you see, come up and check it out. when people buy tickets and ride up here, the higher-ups take notice, believe me. and that translates directly into more trails and features.

 

[Arutha]

you guys are the ones with the original videos up on youtube from 2007? i remember seeing those before i had even dusted off my bike in the spring of 2008.

regardless... i'm happy you guys may be reconsidering. that's why i'm posting on ridemonkey and pinkbike, really. it just seemed like the overall perception of our park wasn't too positive, and word just spread all over the place. i'm not trying to tell anyone their opinions are wrong, i just want to say: look, this is what we're doing up here. we're working hard at this, and if you like what you see, come up and check it out. when people buy tickets and ride up here, the higher-ups take notice, believe me. and that translates directly into more trails and features.

I agree, the more people that come the better it is going to get. Springs has great potential and Martis and company are working hard to make it better.

 

[jimbones]

never been to 7 springs, is it any good? I am not an advanced rider (Intermediate I'd say) Looks like a better place for me than Splattekill or Diablo.

 

[martis]

never been to 7 springs, is it any good? I am not an advanced rider (Intermediate I'd say) Looks like a better place for me than Splattekill or Diablo.

Unfortunately i've never been to Plattekill or Diablo. Hopefully by the end of the season I'll make it to at least one.

I think for intermediate riders, it's a really good time. The only trails that are truly "expert" runs are the bypass on EC-1, and most of the lower half of Frankenstein. 007 is easy enough for beginners, intermediate riders love it, and expert riders never get sick of it. Super Connector is the same way, but ramps it up with some more rock drops and ladders. Check out the videos on youtube (look for DH Productions) and keep in mind, some of the trails are a bit different and Frankenstein didn't even exist when these videos were made.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RmM39mwvEgc&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RmM39mwvEgc&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

 

[DHDreams]

never been to 7 springs, is it any good? I am not an advanced rider (Intermediate I'd say) Looks like a better place for me than Splattekill or Diablo.

7springs is a great place to ride for any skill level. It is like an amusement part for DH/Freeriders. The 5 minute lift ride makes all the difference in the world. I know Diablo has a fast lift too. Just think about how many more runs you can do and how much less sun burnt you'll get.

 

[DHDreams]

Unfortunately i've never been to Plattekill or Diablo. Hopefully by the end of the season I'll make it to at least one.

I think for intermediate riders, it's a really good time. The only trails that are truly "expert" runs are the bypass on EC-1, and most of the lower half of Frankenstein. 007 is easy enough for beginners, intermediate riders love it, and expert riders never get sick of it. Super Connector is the same way, but ramps it up with some more rock drops and ladders. Check out the videos on youtube (look for DH Productions) and keep in mind, some of the trails are a bit different and Frankenstein didn't even exist when these videos were made.

You should check out Diablo if you get the chance. It will give you some good ideas for building. They have an awesome network of trails over there and on a small hill.

 

[martis]

You should check out Diablo if you get the chance. It will give you some good ideas for building. They have an awesome network of trails over there and on a small hill.

definitely planning on it... i took a ten year sabbatical from any form of mountain biking (the whole high school senior year/college/real job thing crushed my will to ride for a long time) and just got back into it in early 2008. all these bike parks had sprung up and i'm trying to find the time and money to visit some of the local ones. i'm definitely planning a trip to ride and scope out diablo. hopefully i can get a chance to talk to some of the builders and pick their brains a bit.

 

[DHDreams]

definitely planning on it... i took a ten year sabbatical from any form of mountain biking (the whole high school senior year/college/real job thing crushed my will to ride for a long time) and just got back into it in early 2008. all these bike parks had sprung up and i'm trying to find the time and money to visit some of the local ones. i'm definitely planning a trip to ride and scope out diablo. hopefully i can get a chance to talk to some of the builders and pick their brains a bit.

We have a lot in common. I was out of it for about 9 years due to a new and growing family. I'm happy to be back and that my wife and family understand. It is what I love to do. Some guys swing a golf club or throw out a fishing line or hunt or whatever...I just love being in the woods on my bike flying down a trail.

 

[miragebass]

Rode here on friday, people are doing a great job building and expanding. By the end of the day we were hitting everything, all the features there are great for intermediate riders to expand their abilities. I did like the Frankenstein trail, though I have to say it's a bit flat for a true DH course. However, the technical difficulty is great on it, especially towards the bottom. My favorite trail is still Super connector to the lower part of 007. Step-up/down, rock drops, and the ladder kicker into show time just make for such a completely rip-able trail.

 

[martis]

Rode here on friday, people are doing a great job building and expanding. By the end of the day we were hitting everything, all the features there are great for intermediate riders to expand their abilities. I did like the Frankenstein trail, though I have to say it's a bit flat for a true DH course. However, the technical difficulty is great on it, especially towards the bottom. My favorite trail is still Super connector to the lower part of 007. Step-up/down, rock drops, and the ladder kicker into show time just make for such a completely rip-able trail.

i agree... the upper half of frankenstein is a bit flat... not much we can do about it, really. to remedy this, however... we are going to be putting in a connector from 007 to frankenstein, by the rock berm. it will enable you to have a fast, jump-filled first half of the run on 00, veer off past the hip after the road crossing, through a few switchbacks, over one of the most massive rocks we've seen on the mountain, then connect with frankenstein for a flat-out, rock-garden filled lower half of the run. i think it will easily rival the current champion of awesome multi-trail runs at seven springs... the infamous "upper 00 to lower EC".

 

[kmart1971]

Was out at 7 Springs yesterday. I agree that the top half of Frank is a little flat but do like the lower portion. Still like upper and lower EC the best, great runs!!!! I understand why you guys have to run the shuttle during weekdays but that was a bit of a downer, since i only had a couple hours to spend it would have been nice to get more runs in. Other then that the trails are great for me (intermidiate level) and the staff was friendly. Hope to be back again this year.

 

[martis]

Rode here on friday, people are doing a great job building and expanding. By the end of the day we were hitting everything, all the features there are great for intermediate riders to expand their abilities. I did like the Frankenstein trail, though I have to say it's a bit flat for a true DH course. However, the technical difficulty is great on it, especially towards the bottom. My favorite trail is still Super connector to the lower part of 007. Step-up/down, rock drops, and the ladder kicker into show time just make for such a completely rip-able trail.

i agree... the upper half of frankenstein is a bit flat... not much we can do about it, really. to remedy this, however... we are going to be putting in a connector from 007 to frankenstein, by the rock berm. it will enable you to have a fast, jump-filled first half of the run on 00, veer off past the hip after the road crossing, through a few switchbacks, over one of the most massive rocks we've seen on the mountain, then connect with frankenstein for a flat-out, rock-garden filled lower half of the run. i think it will easily rival the current champion of awesome multi-trail runs at seven springs... the infamous "upper 00 to lower EC".

i bashed up my shoulder yesterday, so i may not be building for a feww weeks, unfortunately.

 

[Antonio_B]

Just to let you know, I live in Chicago and am making a trip out to 7 springs over labor day weekend with a friend from St. Louis. The park looks great! It looks totally rideable on an Enduro SL, but I want to make sure that I'm not getting in over my head by taking this bike out there vs. renting a full-on DH bike. From a lot of the videos, it looked like quite a bit of the mountain was doable on 5"ish travel bikes.

 

[martis]

Just to let you know, I live in Chicago and am making a trip out to 7 springs over labor day weekend with a friend from St. Louis. The park looks great! It looks totally rideable on an Enduro SL, but I want to make sure that I'm not getting in over my head by taking this bike out there vs. renting a full-on DH bike. From a lot of the videos, it looked like quite a bit of the mountain was doable on 5"ish travel bikes.

a five inch travel bike is generally all you would need for pretty much everything up at seven springs. an enduro is more of an all-mountain bike than a four inch dirt jumper, but drop your seat a few inches and it will work just fine. just be careful plowing through the rock gardens and take it easy on frankenstein... there's a bit more margin of error on an eight inch travel bike than with an AM rig. but yeah, there's actually a few locals that ride enduros 3x a week at seven springs. you'll be fine.

 

[jimbones]

Guess my Balfa bb7 would be overkill?

 

[banshee_62]

Guess my Balfa bb7 would be overkill?

I dont think it would be i have a DH rig and have no problems

 

[martis]

there's quite a few spots up there where if you do have 7 or 8 inches of travel, you'll use it. but it's not really the majority of the mountain. i have a trek session 77 with 180 mm front and rear... it's set up to work as well on 007 as it does on frankenstein. now keep in mind, it's not as fast as the guys on their bottlerockets on 007, and it doesn't handle rock gardens like a V10 or demo 9 would... but it's capable through everything. here's my formula for perfect bikes on each trail:

Rock and Roll: whatever. an xc bike i guess.
007: 5 inch travel dirt jumper i.e. bottlerocket or jamis parker.
Super Connector: 6-7 inch travel freeride bike i.e. session 77 or SX trail.
EC-1: 7-8 inch travel freeride/DH bike i.e. santa cruz driver 8.
Frankenstein: 8 inch travel DH bike that still pedals well. V10, Shocker, etc.

i think 180mm is a happy medium up there, but 5 inches is by no means too little and 9 inches isn't too much. it's a fairly common sight to be watching from the lift and see one or two guys with xc hardtails trying to stay with the guys in full body armor on 8 inch travel bikes... on 007 at least.

 

[martis]

Guess my Balfa bb7 would be overkill?

and i think it would be cool to see someone on one of those shredding frankenstein. bring it up!

 

[jimbones]

and i think it would be cool to see someone on one of those shredding frankenstein. bring it up!

I plan on coming up in late Sept.
I am recovering from hand surgery.

 

[banshee_62]

Rock and Roll:whatever. an xc bike i guess.
007:5 inch travel dirt jumper i.e. bottlerocket or jamis parker.
Super Connector:6-7 inch travel freeride bike i.e. session 77 or SX trail.
EC-1:7-8 inch travel freeride/DH bike i.e. santa cruz driver 8.
Frankenstein:8 inch travel DH bike that still pedals well. V10, Shocker, etc.

martis i will agree with you totally except that you don't need anywhere near 5" of travel for 007 i rode it and super con for 2 yrs with a cove sanchez. a hardtail would do just fine in my opinion.

 

[Arutha]

martis i will agree with you totally except that you don't need anywhere near 5" of travel for 007 i rode it and super con for 2 yrs with a cove sanchez. a hardtail would do just fine in my opinion.

It's all personal preference. Hardtails can be ridden but I wouldn't. The hard packed trails have become fairly bumpy and I think you'll last longer with travel.

 

[martis]

It's all personal preference. Hardtails can be ridden but I wouldn't. The hard packed trails have become fairly bumpy and I think you'll last longer with travel.

i rode a hardtail for the first half of last season... i got very fatigued pretty quickly. this season, with a bit more exposed rock and thousands more tires making their way down the trail over the past 3 months... i'll stick with suspension, thank you.

in other news, the second to last ladder bridge on frank is DONE. it's 25+ feet in length with two lightly banked turns. it hasn't been ridden yet, but it looks and feels prime. this bridge alone took almost two full weeks of work to get to this point. i'll get some pictures tomorrow. we're planning the last (easier to build) ladder tomorrow, with construction hopefully beginning in the afternoon, depending on weather, etc. this one should take a bit less time. after that, we can officially close the books on frankenstein and start working on an entirely new trail. we have two new sections laid out... from the hip on 007 all the way down to the chairlift rock drop on ec-1. after looking at the map, i'm going to hike and have a look at an un-mapped section in the morning. if it looks good, i'll propose the idea to everyone... if it's feasible, we could be looking at a completely new trail all the way from the 007 hip to the section just above showtime.

then we have the good/bad news: weekday riding is done on september 7. that's a bummer, BUT the trail crew... we're still going to be working the same hours. and with no trail logs to fill out, no shuttle running, no ticket checking... this means building, building, and more building all the way until october 27. we discussed plans today... i think everyone will be pretty impressed.

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

martis, who are you? It's one of the kirk's here...

We should be up to check out frankenstein this weekend, now that the traveling is done for the dh season should be up for building as well.

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

yeah 007 isnt a full dh bike trail but nor is a-line at whistler but it is awesome on a full dh...regardless you can haul ass at springs on a full dh bike.

some guys brought short travel bikes to the ges race and it didnt work out so well for them, with the addition of frank the park is a 6-8" travel spot...