Theo’s new South Wirth flow trail: best in the Twin Cities Metro

South Wirth mapI rode the new South Wirth trail at Theodore Wirth MTB Park in Minneapolis on Monday afternoon. It’s a hoot. It’s crammed with flow features that can be rolled for intermediate level riders. But advanced level riders (or wannabes like me) will have a rollicking good time. There’s nothing like this trail in the metro area. It’s like having a slice of the intermediate/advanced flow trails at Cuyuna, Spirit Mountain and CAMBA , all packed into a very small area. Truly amazing. Props to MORC, MOCA, and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board for making it happen (details below).

Here’s a 1 min 45 second video clip, taken with my GoPro in a chest harness. You’ll see when I got to the drops that I stopped and walked them, turned around and walked back, then rode them but not fast enough to clear them. I sorta rolled them and was lucky I didn’t crash. I’ll be back asap to try again.

Update Nov. 13: I rode the trail again last Sunday. My first two attempts at the two drops were lame. But then I watched a few others and that helped. After a few more runs, I felt like I was getting the hang of it. It’s a hoot. Here’s my 90-second video that includes a couple of those other riders who showed me how to do it:

Theo Dirt Boss Steve Boyd posted this photo and tribute to the MOCA Facebook page a week or so ago. (That’s Steve in the left corner of the photo):

Once upon a time there was a dream. It was a big dream. Make these signs go away and turn an amazing section of Theo Wirth woods into a nearly two mile Theo Wirth mountain biking wonderland. Sometimes dreams get to come true. Today is one of those days.

Steve Boyd and Theo Trail CrewWe started out the summer by asking you to help make this dream come true by donating to our fundraiser. We needed a total of $17,500 to cover our commitment to this project. 270 of you stepped up in a huge way. We knocked our fundraising goal out of the park. Sometimes dreams get to come true. Today is one of those days.

We started out the summer with another dream. Greatly reduce the cost of this project by doing the corridor clearing ourselves. Nearly two miles of 10’ wide corridor to clear by hand seemed like a daunting task. People doubted. Heck….I doubted. We sent out the calls for help. You responded…and then some. We knocked this one out of the park as well. Sometimes dreams get to come true. Today is one of those days.

It took nearly 12 years for this dream to come true. If it wasn’t for the fortitude and the “can do” attitude of folks like Mara Larson, Matt Moore, Chuck Chenvert, Shawn Sheely, Shawn Jeppesen, Steef Mansfield… and many others… it would still be a dream. If not for the awesome support of Andrea Weber, Tyler Pederson and the rest of the MPRB team… it would still be a dream. If not for you… it would still be a dream.

Today this dream came true.

South Wirth is open. Go ride!

Steve for the Theo Trail Crew

 

 

 

2 Comments

  1. Drew said:

    Can’t wait to ride that

    February 26, 2015
  2. Griff Wigley said:

    It’s rideable in winter, Drew, depending on snow conditions.

    February 26, 2015

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