After Work Special

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Unknown

This ride combines two of my favorite descents at Blackstrap: Bust-a-Move and Raven. You can easily link both of these trails before or after work, hence the name.

Park at the Hurricane Road parking lot just past the I-95 overpass.

From the lot, bike down the hill and turn immediately left onto Happy Cats, which is marked with blue blazes (about 100 feet from the lot). Follow this trail for a few hundred feet. You'll come to another fork at the opening of a field. Continue straight (do NOT turn left onto River Trail), and then continue straight again (do NOT turn left onto Bobcat).

Follow Happy Cats into the forest for about 0.5 miles, at which point the trail cuts right (look for a blue trail sign with an arrow on a tree to your right). Follow this trail for a short, fun downhill. Cross the stream (there are sharp left and right turns just before the stream--choose your own adventure) and then continue onward. Climb up a couple short, steep hills. This trail will eventually shoot you onto a wider trail. Turn left and follow that trail for a few hundred feet more until you come to a road.

Cross the road and pedal uphill for about a half mile. Ignore the sign for Outlook to your right. Near the top of the ridge, take your first left onto a trail marked with a blue square (Poplar Ridge). Follow this fast but narrow trail for about 0.25 miles. When the forest opens up a bit, there is a trail cutting back to your right. Go right and continue climbing up this last steep hill (there are a couple switchbacks). You can opt to take the white trail to your right, or you can keep biking up blue. If you stay on blue, you'll see a stone wall at the top. The trail begins to curve right. This is where the fun starts!

Ride the super fast and flowy descent (Bust-a-Move) all the way down to the road. There are some well-placed berms and fun drops to hit along the way. You can get some speed here. Just be cognizant of hikers and bikers climbing up the hill.

When you get to Blackstrap Road at the bottom, turn right and stay on the road. Ride on the road for about 0.5 miles, then turn left at another Blackstrap Hill Preserve parking lot on your left.

Follow the singletrack straight from the lot (White Oak, marked with white blazes) through a number of short rolling hills and narrow bridges. At the fork a few hundred feet from the lot, turn right. Pedal down some fun downhills. Be careful not to turn left at the private neighborhood trail as you zoom down (marked). Continue riding downhill. The trail will then level off. Continue pedaling (do NOT take Bobcat on your left), follow a curve left, and then take a sharp right back into the forest (Rocky Ridge, marked with green blazes).

Pedal up, past a bridge, and then up a doubletrack road, to the very top of the hill (power lines). It's a bit of a slog. From the top, take in the views and prepare yourself for Raven.

From the top of the power line hill, head back into the forest about 25 feet and look for a trail marked with a black square. This is the Raven Trail. Medium sized drops and berms abound. Follow the trail all the way down. It is awesome. If this is your first time, beware of a larger drop about 1000 feet down trail. You can easily dodge all drops that are too big for you.

Raven levels off at the end. Finish by riding along the river on River Trail. It will bring you back to the parking lot after about 0.5 miles.