Like the rest of the Art Roscoe Trail system, Ridge Run is a ski trail that is designated for mountain biking in summer. Although these trails are wide enough to run a groomer, by summer most sections have a singletrack worn down the middle, so they don't really have that two-track feel.
Ridge Run starts right from the parking area at the Summit Trailhead, and provides access to the three loops near the summit (
Sweetwater,
Christian Hollow, and
Leonard Run). Once past these three loops, it truly turns into a "Ridge Run" as it follows the top of a long ridge that runs all the way along eastern edge of Allegany State Park.
After a mile or so on the top of the ridge, it maintains elevation by staying on the west side of the ridge while the summit stays higher to your left. WNYMBA is in the progress of constructing some new singletrack on this ridge so check wnymba.org for how you can help out and find out when this is completed.
Meanwhile, the trail gains the top of one of the ridge's side spurs, and offers a nice view through the trees on the right down into the Bova valley. The trail, however, curves left across this spur back towards the ridge. Soon it makes a sharp right turn before a long steep downhill. Be careful on this downhill because you can really build up speed, and at the bottom, a very slight right turn is much harder than it looks, and can often sport some wetness making it hard to gain enough traction to complete your turn.
After this slight but tricky bottom, the trail climbs gradually to the recently rebuilt lean-to. This is also where the downhill to the Bova Ski slope starts. But Ridge continues on down a more gradual downhill until it meets
Patterson near the lower junction with snowsnake.
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