What to expect from Spider Mtn?

[Bamwa]

Hey Mojos, SM virgin here. Only ridden 2 parks, Trestle in CO and Highland in NH. Trestle didn't really get to push it since I was with my girl and riding Green World most of the day. Highland was small but amazing and the progression was something else. By the end of the day is was really easy to clear the tabletops after learning the course through multiple runs. Felt like going noob to sender in five hours and I didn't want to leave. 

 

Is Spider Mtn anything close to that because I'm pretty much xc. Will I be tearing it up and dying to go back by 4 pm? I will be taking my xc Voodoo Canzo 29er with stans crest wheels, full pads and full face helmet, unless I dust of the Titus Switchblade 26er. I'm hoping the progression that I seek I will find. Should we get there at open or will I get my jollies by getting there at noon? What's y'all's experience?

Sincerely,

Buffalo Slaghammer

[TAF]

Following ... my wife wants me to take her!

[CrownKing]

Went there last Sunday, I'll admit I had a better time than I thought I would.  We got there at 10:30 and I think it was most crowded then, as the day went on it seemed to clear out.  As far as the mountain, It is split into 3rds.  Top, Middle, and bottom.  This made it feel like it had more 'runs' because you can mix each section with to make multiple unique ways to get down.  

I saw all kinds of bikes and skill levels out there.  Hardtails, FS trail bikes (I was on a FS trail), walmart bikes, and 5 yr olds on their pink kid bikes.  I would say that the green is fine for anyone, most of the blue runs are a big step up. I skipped the blacks this trip.   Make sure everyone knows how enter/exit berms.  I saw a lot of folks enter low then lip out.  

Oh, one other thing, you place your own bike on the charlift which can be challenging for some.  And the porta pottys stunk pretty bad.

Otherwise I would go again.  Hope this helps.

[Bamwa]

Thanks...Porta pottys??? They don't have a clubhouse/repair/rental shop with a real bathroom?  Hmmmm.  Thanks for the answer but can you elaborate on the progression aspect? No send to full send? Thanks

[CrownKing]

no clubhouse, there are outdoor (shack or old shipping container, I don't remember which) repair and rental areas.  2 porta-pottys at base and 2 up top.

As far as send/no send, everything I did was rollable or you could send it, but a few blues were slick, steep, and had wooden features that were a bit trippy.  I loved them but my 16 yr old  had trouble.  I have been there a total of 1 time, so maybe someone with more experience can chime in about that aspect.

[4fun]

40 minutes ago, Bamwa said:

Thanks...Porta pottys??? They don't have a clubhouse/repair/rental shop with a real bathroom?  Hmmmm.  Thanks for the answer but can you elaborate on the progression aspect? No send to full send? Thanks

Every jump is rollable, but there are some big tables that make you feel like you're flying. 

[olddbrider]

I'd suggest getting there as early as possible. Lift lines are typically very short until 9:30 or 10, then get pretty long for a couple of hours, then get short again once people start taking lunch breaks and heading home. I've been dozens of times, but I still typically warm up with a run down Itsy Bitsy (green). It's fun and flowy and gets the blood pumping. When you are ready to take a step up, I'd suggest Antidote. It's a jump trail, but everything is rollable and once you start getting comfortable the jumps on that line are really fun and not intimidating. A word to the wise, after you make a big, sweeping left on Antidote, watch your speed as you go into another left turn with a roller. It's very easy to get pushed off the right side of the trail and into the trees. Vipers Den is what I would call the techy blue line. It doesn't have any big features, but it's got some chunk and can be sorta gnarly in spots depending on your speed. Lots of people seem to get freaked out by Tarantula because of the wood features, but everything is rollable. If you are going to try to get up on the wall ride, commit to it. When I see people crash there it's because they don't have enough speed and don't lean their body. Recluse is a short flow line on the middle 1/3 of the hill. It's super fun with good berms and a few tables and rollers you can double if you feel like pushing it. Venom is the blue jump trail on the bottom 1/3 of the hill. Big tables at the end, but there is a somewhat technical section at the beginning that trips up a lot of first-timers. There are multiple lines, but my approach is to go high as you approach the left turn, then hug the right side of the trail as you go down the steep section. At the end of the chunky stuff, there's a really fun rock drop on the left if you're into that sort of thing. Sticky Icky (single black) is really fun, with a couple of advanced sections. If you want to get a taste of it, ride the first section from the top to the first road crossing. If you feel comfortable at that point, just know that it does get progressively more technical. If you aren't feeling it, you can always bail at the road and go hit any of the other trails to your right. Last weekend, Sticky Icky was pretty blown out from the race, making it a little less fun than it normally is. Hopefully, today's rain will help with that... Stinger is a beast. It's steep and technical with a couple of high-consequence features. Again, you can ride the first part of it to the road to get a taste of what you're in for, but just like with Sticky Icky, it gets significantly more difficult after the road crossing. There's a very steep, chunky section followed by a small drop to a wooden ramp. For me, the best line is to go just to the right of the little tree that precedes the drop, then just let her roll off the drop and then get on the brakes quick because there's a hard left right after the ramp ends. After another steep, technical section you'll come to the big waterfall feature. Probably a good idea to stop and take a look here before sending it. They have made a smoother line on the far right that goes right between 2 trees. It's not easy, but it's much less intimidating that taking the original line right down the middle over a series of rock ledges.

That's probably more info than you were looking for. Sorry.

Getting the bike on the lift seems to confound a lot of people, but I think they make it harder than it needs to be. As you get to the front of the line, stand your bike up on it's rear wheel. Put one hand under the seatpost and the other on your stem. As the lift goes by, hoist your bike slightly off the ground and put your front wheel over the hook. I feel like it works best with the handlebars of each bike pointing out - away from the center of the chair.

 

[circuitbreaker]

the runs are quite short, except for the green trail, so i find you're actually spending more time on the lift then riding. So i can ride all day no problem. the runs are fun, and there is plenty of stuff to challenge you, but i'm not sure i would qualify the trails as progressive in the same way you see at other bike parks.

[ATXZJ]

2 hours ago, olddbrider said:

They have made a smoother line on the far right that goes right between 2 trees. It's not easy, but it's much less intimidating that taking the original line right down the middle over a series of rock ledges.

 

 

thats good to know. we were out there a week or so after the enduro race that section was pretty gnarly. 

Spider is an awesome trip for texas MTB. Wife spent the whole day on her FS XC bike riding the greens working on technique and was really happy with the place. I think my favorites were the single black trails at the top.  

Would avoid if damp. If you don't like tacos, bring food. They rent bikes so might be fun to try if you are doubting your bike. Your bike is probably fine though. I armor up for the bigger stuff but IMHO, the greens and the blues are fine with knee pads and a full face.

 

[mack_turtle]

22 hours ago, ATXZJ said:

If you don't like tacos, bring food. 

WTF? who doesn't like tacos and what are they doing in Texas in the first place?

Edited December 12, 2020 by mack_turtle

[Cafeend]

Dont go today since they are closed due to rain

[ATXZJ]

1 hour ago, mack_turtle said:

WFT? who doesn't like tacos and what are they doing in Texas in the first place?

Just sayin.

Also, some people live on the coast and won't eat seafood. Sixes

[TheX]

Tacos are food from the gods.

[Sluggo]

Climb the road up if the line is long. 

[circuitbreaker]

Regarding progression, looks like they are opening a trail specifically for this. Pretty cool:

You asked for it — you got it! Centipede is our newest trail at Spider Mountain, opening Saturday, December 19. Centipede is a fantastic way to progress a beginner rider from green to blue, but terrific fun for anyone. The trail starts halfway down the mountain between Tarantula and Viper's Den and has incredible flow, drops, and rollers. We can't wait for you to try it out.