Kingdom Trails - East Bowl Downhill

[Tim]

I'm heading up tomorrow for a few days - have ridden the Darling Hill trails and enjoyed them and plan to try the trails at Burke this time around. Has anyone ridden the East Bowl downhill? I'm a "keep the tires on the ground" type of person, but would really enjoy riding East Bowl, having skied on and in the trees around it many a time. Can anyone who has ridden it tell me if this is a sensible proposition?

I would be doing this on Friday, so I would not be in the way of anyone riding faster than me (which is most people).

Tim

[Husqvarna]

The downhill trails rules require that you ride with a group of three or more, body armour, and a long travel dually.

I'm an all-mountian kinda rider, i like to get my wheels off the ground frequently but only a few feet at a time. I never done the downhill trails at Burke. But found the moose ally and j-bar trails to be fun, but i prefer the fast flowy trails of Darling Hill that the KT is so well known for.

Have Fun.

[Tim]

The downhill trails rules require that you ride with a group of three or more, body armour, and a long travel dually.

I'm an all-mountian kinda rider, i like to get my wheels off the ground frequently but only a few feet at a time. I never done the downhill trails at Burke. But found the moose ally and j-bar trails to be fun, but i prefer the fast flowy trails of Darling Hill that the KT is so well known for.

Have Fun.

Thanks. I'm aware of those rules, but, as far as I'm concerned, as they say in the movie "it's more of a guideline." I've been riding a 5x5 bike for 9 years (it was a "freeride" bike then, now it's an "all-mountain") so I'm OK on that score. Really just looking for someone who has ridden the trail to tell me what it's really like. I guess I'll probably try it - no objection to a little hiking if I'm not comfortable riding some spots.

Tim

[GregC]

I have ridden the DH trail at KT. Super steep, wet, rooty, and loose in spots. There are technical sections of tight turns and a really cool log ride over a stream. There are a couple big droppers to descent natural transitions but very technical .

I too was on a 5 and 5 bike.

[Tim]

Thanks Greg - I rode Darling Hill on Friday in the rain, and got up to Burke on Saturday in the blazing heat. If anyone needs to know how NOT to get up the mountain, I've got a route for them - it was brutal. Maybe would have been nice in the fall, but not on the first really hot day of the year. I started out along the top of East Bowl to the DH trail, but then had to give myself a talking to - I was in no shape to do it, not totally gassed and out of water to boot. Oh well - another day.

Tim