SPIRIT MOUNTAIN

Directions to parking

To upper (main chalet) parking lot: From I-35 North or South take Exit 249. If you're heading north, take a hard right onto West Skyline Parkway. Heading south, you'll need to cross the Interstate overpass (heading toward McDonald's) to reach the parkway. At the intersection of West Skyline Parkway and Mountain Drive, turn left. Look for Spirit Mountain Place, on the left, by the big Spirit Mountain sign, which will take you to the chalet.   

Miles of trail

About 10.

Terrain range and difficulty

While some fire-road riding exists within these trails, the true Spirit Mountain experience is about sketchy descents, brutal climbs (including one called "The Puker"), jagged rocks & jarring roots, and lots of tight, twisty turns. More difficult than the actual riding, maybe, is keeping track of where you are; getting irreparably lost isn't too much of an issue (because downhill always leads to Grand Avenue), but taking full advantage of all the trails is tough without being guided by someone who knows where they're going.
Here's what www.spiritmt.com said in Spring 2009:
"Spirit Mountain is a wonderful area for Minnesota mountain biking, with challenging natural terrain and spectacular views of Lake Superior and the St. Louis Bay.
We are currently in the process of marking and grooming bike trails. In the near future we hope to have the trails marked and have trail maps available on this website and at the Chalet.  
Since the chairlifts are not operated during the summer months, there is no charge for mountain biking at Spirit Mountain.
Since trails are not currently marked or maintained, cyclists assume all risk and liability when using Spirit Mountain property for mountain biking purposes."

Trail Map

Larger Version: JPEG (2.5M) or PDF (316k)

Rider Insight

MTBR.com reviews

Various riders have various reasons for riding Spirit Mountain:

"It's burly and rocky," says COGGS President Adam Sundberg. "A great technical trail."

"I like riding the access roads and ski slopes," says Margi Fraboni. "I need a wide trail."

"At Spirit," says pro rider Sarah Kylander-Johnson, "You can stay on the railroad grades, or be intense, or ride Skyline. You can have any ride you want."

Or you can choose not to ride it.

"I used to like Spirit," says Jeff Fraboni, "but it's getting worn down. Too many rocks."

Most Spirit Mountain trails do require a certain amount of fitness (or fortitude) and technical skill (or patience). They're also a 20- or 25-minute drive for the many riders who live in east or central Duluth.

"I crash at least once per ride," says fit, skilled, experienced cyclist Mike Reuter. "I get so fatigued from the climbing. I enjoy the challenge of it. I feel like if I can do it on a singlespeed, I can feel pretty good about myself."

"You can definitely see Scott Kylander-Johnson's influence out there," says former Duluth resident Patrick McEnaney. Kylander-Johnson is well known as a bike-handling genius who understandably builds trails to challenge himself. They're difficult. "There are some points," says McEnaney, who's no slouch, "where I can't ride on my fully rigid bike. I'd need a full-suspension bike. That's a testament to [Scott's] skills."

Dan Glisczinski lives on Lakeview Avenue, near UMD, about a 12-mile ride from Spirit Mountain. He says, "I consider it a manly summer if at least once I ride out there, do a solid two-or-three-hour ride, then ride home."

Most riders from the neighborhoods around Glisczinski either drive to Spirit Mountain or stay closer to home.

"Spirit is my favorite riding in Duluth," says Reuter. "It's far enough from home that I don't do it all the time, but it's always a pleasure."

"I'm always surprised by how much there is to do there," says John Morrisson. "But the distance is one reason I don't go out there more often."

"I don't think I drove to go mountain biking once last summer," says Morrisson's and Glisczinski's buddy Ryan Marshik.

Expert rider Todd McFadden acknowledges that "It's tough to get around there if you don't know it. It's great to go out with someone who's experienced."

Favorite-route descriptions from Glisczinski and Reuter illustrate what McFadden's talking about—the descriptions are interesting, and they definitely convey some of the rides' flavors, but even smart, experienced guys like Glisczinski and Reuter are forced into a lack of precision. That can be true of describing any trail, but if you've ridden Spirit Mountain, you'll chuckle with familiarity at the vague specificity of these descriptions.

Glisczinski: "I ride the singletrack switchbacks on the southwest of the mountain to the fast bowl rides associated with the motorcycle-made trails at the very foot of the mountain, then connect to the long, slow, wide dirt climb back to the very top.  It's a terrific loop to celebrate with friends and refreshments."

Reuter: "There's one section I can't describe specifically, but it's where you come off some really steep stuff, and there's such a good flow that even when you're not pedaling you can stay smooth and keep going. There's just a flow to it that not many other trails have."

Comment on this ride!

Name:
Email: (not displayed)
Web Site:

<-- Enter the code displayed here

Comment:

*Comments submitted will be reviewed before being posted.