Adam Harju will be in charge of building (additional) new single-track mountain bike trails on Pincushion Mountain this summer and fall. Harju recently received this nifty 28-inch wide Bobcat to assist in this laborious work. All told, there could be as many as 12 miles of single-track trails to ride by falls end.
Mountain bike riders will be pleased to learn that six to eight more miles of single track trails will be built at Pincushion Mountain this summer. Adam Harju, a passionate local mountain biker, has the contract to do the work.
The new trails will be built on the southeast side of the trail leading to the Pincushion overlook. They will interweave with the current trails and form a network between 10 and 12 miles long.
Coupled with the 25 kilometers of cross country ski trails that crisscross the mountain, mountain bike riders, runners and hikers will celebrate the new chance to explore even more wild green territory.
Currently there are 4.6 miles of singletrack trails on Pincushion. The trails are also used by hikers and trail runners, but preference is given to riders when the two meet.
Harju will have a 28-inch-wide Bobcat with a bucket scoop to work with. He will also hire some help with the project that is expected to take all summer and will continue into the fall. The Bobcat is on lease for the next six months, said Harju, who added that the U.S. Forest Service okayed and assisted trail layout. The trails are located on federal property.
Funding for the project comes from the county and state grants. It is also hoped that state Legacy funds will be awarded to the club for further trail development.
Trail Solutions will work in Tofte to complete phase two and three of the single-track system there. The sections are each 1.8 miles long and will bring the area’s total to five miles. The town of Tofte is helping to fund the project and other funds are coming from state and local grants.
“Ultimately,” said Tim Kennedy, a member of the North Shore Ski and Run Club who is an avid mountain biker/cross country skier, “we would like to get 15-20 miles of single-track bike paths in the county.” Staff photo/Brian Larsen
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