Mud Be Gone: The Maston is ready for your mountain bike

Following what seemed like an endless mud season, the trails at the Maston Allotment are again in great shape mountain for bike riding. Yes, there are some short muddy sections but they comprise no more than 10 percent of the long loop.

Some of the sections on the north end of the long loop are riding as fast as they ever have. But be aware that there’s a huge, newly fallen juniper limb blocking the trail just before (if you’re riding counter-clockwise) it starts to turn back south and parallel the Cline Falls Highway.

So how did riders rate the Maston on a 1 to 10 scale this past Saturday?

“Based on the fact that I thought it would be mud central,” noted one rider, “I’d give it an 11. But based on past rides here, easily a 7 to 8.” Most others asked the same question agreed.

There is talk of starting to create a singletrack on the berm to the side of the old canal sections of trail. Some riders have been using the berm and it makes sense to have an alternate path when the canal section gets axle deep in mud.

Also, a short section of trail is in the works for those who would prefer to ride around the Mason’s short, rocky technical hill section.

Photo: Bureau of Land Management.

This article appears in Mar 3-9, 2011.