Michigan Tech - Flow Trail Ride

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Unknown

The Dual Slalom, Dirt Jumps, Sure Would flow trail and Don't Think flow trail connected end-to-end. Berms, gaps, and tables over 1 mile of descending. Go rounds so everyone can ride it. Advanced enough that few can master it.

The Flow Ride starts at the main trailhead. Just follow the yellow arrows to complete this ride. You start on Sure Would at the 3D map and after a quick turn through the red pine plantation at the trailhead and a gentle climb to the high point on the trails, you'll cross the ski trail and see the start of the descent. Take the left fork for the more advanced dirt jumps or head straight to the wooden starting ramp for the Dual Slalom course. The Dirt Jumps have interwoven lines. The main line features some pretty big gaps as you descend through the pines. Follow the leader here. The Dual Slalom is mellower, with repeated small berms and rollers that can be gapped. Race head to head against your buddy to the bottom on this one.

Half way down the Dual Slalom the Dirt Jump line joins back in. At the bottom of the slalom Sure Would turns right across the ski trail and begins a short, relatively flat section of berms and rollers as it crosses an old rail grade and pipeline easement. The it crosses another ski trail and begins a gentle descent in the woods parallel to the trail. Popping in and out of the tree line and an adjacent meadow containing a weather station, you dart your way downhill, loop through the woods and across a bridged stream, take a few pedal strokes, and roll up to the start of Don't Think.

Here's where the flow gets serious as the grade more than doubles and the trail descends along the edge of Hairpin ski loop. Now you're going fast from berm to berm amidst large mature oaks. Soon the berms are linked back to back as you cross one to the next, bmx park style. It can be a struggle to not get too much air on the transitions. A quick false flat at the pipeline crossing and you drop suddenly down into another series of chained berms, then start a straighter section of rollers and gaps, cross a stream to hit high walled 180, second berm, then rollers and gaps again.

Now you're making a transition into big hemlocks and things are darker as you hit one even bigger gap and prepare to drop into the stream bed again. Look up and see if you can spot the broken cross country skis screwed 20 feet up the hemlock at the bottom of Hairpin ski loop. Immediately following the drop is a step-up, roll down then a few flat rollers on a ridge, one last drop and roll out the end onto the ski trail.

From here you could join the Aerobic Adventure Ride by going straight, but this ride turns left on the ski trail, left again and heads back up the singletrack first on Outer Limits, then Twilight Zone in the most direct route to the top. Once Outer Limits crosses Core Loop ski trail, turn left onto Core and keep following the yellow arrows. This will quickly take you to the start of Don't Think again in case you want a quick repeat, or you can keep on Core to the bottom of the Dual Slalom where you can start on Sure Would again. Or keep following Core back to the main trailhead and call it a day.