MT. BIKING
GO THERE
A trail with a view
Eagles Nest Loop is sure to capture your mountain biking spirit IF YOU’RE NOT AFRAID of climbing, love riding rock and appreciate breathtaking views, then the Eagles Nest loop is what you want to hit at Calabogie Peaks Resort. This seven-kilometre trail starts at the base of the mountain and is a mixture of single-track, double-track and old forestry roads. As the trail has a couple of intersections, the correct route has been lined with white rocks to guide you on your way. Start off at the base of the mountain and head up the road towards the garage. Continue past the garage along the laneway. I refer to this section as the ghetto of Calabogie. At the end of the laneway you’ll cross a small bridge over a creek on your left. This is the start to your first climb, which will get you thinking twice about why you mountain bike. This single-track section turns right onto double-track trail and continues to climb away from the resort. This double-track trail rolls up and down before joining with a road and turning left for one last climb before you head back into single-track. The trail doesn’t waste any time in making sure you’re on the ball, with a three-step drop that will raise the hair on your back. Fortunately, every descent leads to a climb–keep your momentum because the next one is the steepest on the trail. At the end of this climb you’ll be rewarded with your first panoramic view atop the Eagles Nest escarpment. The next section of rock gardens and roots gets you fighting for traction before blessedly leading to rock slabs that you can crank off. If you can drag your concentration away from the trail, this whole section is spotted with breathtaking views. The trail will again test your technical Ottawa Outdoors Fall
skills with a bunch of drops along the rock ridges that line the top of the escarpment. At this point you might run into a few climbers topping out over the rock. The next climb sends you away from the edge of the escarpment and into a forest of pines with the entrance marked by a massive fallen pine. The forest leads you to the most technical part of the ride with a series of three drops. On the first drop, stay left and you’ll be able to ride out the ledge. The second is a steep 2.5 metre drop that has a sharp right at the bottom, so bank out to the left and you’ll be able to make the corner. The next drop gives you two
choices. If you stick to the original line, it will bring you atop the rock slab before dropping you into the rock garden below. You can then use the bank at the bottom to make the corner. The second choice is to stay left and break the descent into three smaller, less vertical drops. Having survived that section, you’ll take a gentle climb back atop the escarpment. After some twisty and pitted
Illustration by Wah Phung-Lu.
By Mike Clarke Calabogie Peaks Resort
13
