We’re heading to Massanutten - “your backyard mountain resort” and one of the best places in Virginia to dive into mountain biking. For Morgan Mowbry and Charles Sexton, it’s more than a destination, it’s home turf for adventure. As dedicated trail builders and volunteers, they’ve helped shape the riding experience on Massanutten’s Western Slope, where passion for both riding and community come together on the trails.
We explore how Massanutten Resort works collaboratively with the local community to create access to an incredible network of trails for every skill level - from smooth beginner and family- friendly trails to technical, expert-level singletrack. Morgan and Charles break down what makes Massanutten an ideal place to get started in mountain biking, including group rides and events for locals and visitors alike. Beyond the trails, Massanutten offers a full lineup of four-season activities, from skiing and snow tubing to waterparks, ziplining, hiking, and more, making it a true all-around adventure destination. And with Shenandoah National Park and the George Washington National Forest just minutes away, there are endless opportunities to expand your adventure.
We also dive into everything waiting nearby in downtown Harrisonburg, including local outfitters who can help you gear up, small businesses shaped by the region’s outdoor culture, and the restaurants Morgan and Charles recommend for refueling after a day on the bike. It’s a celebration of mountain biking, community collaboration, and the vibrant outdoor scene that makes the Shenandoah Valley a hub for riders and adventurers of all levels. Let’s Go!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jessica Bowser (00:01):
From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the
Chesapeake Bay, Virginia is amecca for outdoor travel and
adventure. Virginia outdooradventures Podcast is your local
guide for hiking, camping,kayaking, travel and so much
more. Get the information andthe inspiration to plan your own
adventure right here inVirginia. I'm your host, Jessica
(00:23):
Bowser, we're heading tomassanutton, your backyard
Mountain Resort, and one of thebest places in Virginia to dive
into mountain biking for MorganMowbray and Charles Sexton, it's
more than a destination. It'shome turf for adventure as
dedicated trail builders andvolunteers, they've helped shape
(00:44):
the riding experience onmassanutten's western slope,
where a passion for both ridingand community come together on
the trails, we explore howMassanutten resort works
collaboratively with the localcommunity to create access to an
incredible network of trails forevery skill level, from smooth,
beginner and family friendlytrails to technical expert
(01:05):
level. Single track Morgan andCharles break down. What makes
massanutton an ideal place toget started in mountain biking,
including group rides and eventsfor locals and visitors alike.
Beyond the trails, Massanuttenoffers a full lineup of four
season activities, from skiingand snow tubing to water parks,
zip lining hiking and more,making it a true all around
(01:27):
adventure destination. And withShenandoah National Park and the
George Washington NationalForest just minutes away, there
are endless opportunities toexpand your adventure. We also
dive into everything waitingnearby in downtown Harrisonburg,
including local outfitters whocan help you gear up, small
businesses shaped by theregion's outdoor culture and the
(01:49):
restaurants Morgan and Charlesrecommend for refueling after a
day on the bike. It's acelebration of mountain biking
community collaboration and thevibrant outdoor scene that makes
the Shenandoah Valley a hub forriders and adventurers of all
levels. Let's go, Morgan andCharles, welcome to Virginia
(02:10):
outdoor adventures.
Unknown (02:12):
Thanks for having us.
Jessica, good to see you. Thanksfor having us.
Jessica Bowser (02:15):
What do you love about Virginia's outdoors? I
Unknown (02:18):
like that there's a lot of variety, and what you can
experience the four seasons,basically, is what I'm referring
to. If you don't like winter,then we have spring, summer and
fall. There's just a lot ofvariety for people to enjoy,
things outside,then around the country. And we
get the four seasons. We get abeautiful fall, like right now,
in case people out in themountains that know it. We have
(02:39):
a beach in Virginia, and for thefolks at the beach, we have
mountains. So we're a coastalstate, and depending on what
you're into in any particularseason, there's just a lot to do
here. It's a beautiful state.
Jessica Bowser (02:53):
What makes massanutton resort your backyard
Mountain Resort?
Unknown (02:57):
I live five minutes away. That makes it my backyard.
Technically, you know,accessibility is the key, right?
So there's a lot of folks thatjust don't live close to
somewhere. They can be outdoorsall the time, and we get to
experience that here regularly,throughout the week, throughout
those seasons. And it just makesit really nice to be able to go
(03:17):
over there and experiencewhatever's happening with the
community multiple times a week.
And I would say the communityhere kind of brings in that
outdoor aspect, communityaspect, where it makes it feel
like home, and that's reallyimportant for my family, at
least.
Yeah, I would add to that, it'salso literally in my backyard.
(03:38):
We can all see it from see themountain, from our house pretty
much. And while there are otherresorts kind of nearby that are
great as well, massanutton is,you know, my go to place for the
things I enjoy, because I can gothere and ski or mountain bike
in the morning and then comeback in the afternoon and still
have the rest of the day to dowhat I want. So it just makes it
(04:00):
easy to get outside.
Jessica Bowser (04:01):
You both are located in the Shenandoah
Valley, so I'm wondering, howdoes your location near
Harrisonburg and the valleyshape the outdoor experiences
that it offers?
Unknown (04:12):
Yeah, I'm about 20 minutes from Harrisonburg, but
I'm also 1520 minutes from BlueRidge Parkway and the Shenandoah
National Park. There's alsoGeorge Washington National
Forest, which is a littlefurther from me, but I'm pretty
much surrounded in alldirections with access to trails
for hiking or biking, which Iknow a lot of people can't say
(04:33):
the same. So I'm very fortunate.
Yeah, you know, we moved up hereabout three years ago with our
family, and people ask, youknow, how did you end up near
Massanutten, and it's one ofthose things, if you put a.on
technically, the end of theridge where Massanutten sits,
and draw a circle in about anhour from any direction. From
that point, it just encompassesalmost a lifetime of things to
(04:57):
get into, whether that's flyfishing or. Rafting or kayaking,
mountain biking. We've got theNational Park on one side and
the national forest on theother, which is one of the
largest expanses of, you know,untouched land on the East
Coast. There's just so much toget into, and Massanutten sit
right smack in the middle of allof that. So for our family, we
(05:19):
just strategically picked thespot in between Harrisonburg and
the mountain so that we can goeither direction pretty quickly,
and it's just worked out reallywell for us for a convenience
factor.
Jessica Bowser (05:31):
Both of you are mountain bikers, and I want to
thank you for taking me toMassanutten and taking me out on
the trails. We had such anawesome time that day, and I got
to learn about not just yourpassion for mountain biking, but
your passion for the trails andthe whole mountain biking
community. What first drew youto mountain biking at
(05:52):
Massanutten?
Unknown (05:53):
Specifically, my first experience at Massanutten was
actually the bike park. There'sstill a lot of people in
Virginia that don't know thatMassanutten has an active
gravity lifts, Lift service,phenomenal bike park that's been
growing for years. It's reallygreat. And that was my first
experience, and that actuallyled me to pulling my wife
through Massanutten one day toshow her around a little bit.
(06:17):
And one of the reasons we endedup here. But the beauty is that,
you know, for mountain biking,specifically, just here locally
on the mountain we also have thewestern slope side, which is a
whole nother, 3540 miles oftrail at this point. So the
mountain bike experience here iswhat I came for. I didn't know
that the community was thislarge and that I would make as
many friends as we have. That'sbeen an added bonus. For sure,
(06:39):
the bike park was originallywhat pulled me in. So it's a
great spot.
Yeah, I would add to whatCharles said about the community
aspect, I think that's whatoriginally drew me to mountain
biking in that area. I didn'tlearn or start mountain biking
at Mass nothing, even though Igrew up going to Massanutten, as
(07:00):
far as I can remember, but thewestern slope group rides the
women's Monday night ridethrough Shenandoah Valley, bike
coalition and Massanutten iswhat originally drew me to want
to pursue mountain biking evenfurther on a regular basis. And
then, you know, once I found outthat some of those women in the
men who bike on the westernslope also do a lot of bike park
(07:23):
riding. I'm like, hey, I wantto, you know, check that out as
well. I had a little bit ofexperience, but not too much.
And so that kind of grew intogoing there on a daily basis and
then racing. And it just keepsgrowing, like Charles said, so
there's always new things toexperience.
Jessica Bowser (07:38):
I love the community feel of it. Mountain
biking general just has like, anawesome community group
everywhere we go throughout thestate. And I think the first
time that I was introduced to itwas probably when our friend
Thomas Jenkins took me mountainbiking for my first time. I did
an episode with him. I want tosay it was like Season Two. It
was episode 21 he introduced meto the whole community, and I
(08:02):
remember him saying thatsometimes you guys joke that you
spend less time mountain bikingand more time hanging out in the
parking lot, eating and drinkingtogether.
Unknown (08:12):
Yeah, it's funny. I feel bad for you, because Thomas
probably tried to kill you atNASA, nothing, a little bit,
just a little bit. Yeah, thatthat's the Thomas way, and we
love that about him. He's beenbuilding trail over here since
the beginning, so he's kind of alegend. So that's pretty amazing
that you got to spend time withThomas. And yeah, the community
aspect, there's a new person atMass and nothing. Shout Out Bob
(08:36):
Henson, that's come on as anoperations manager on that side
of the mountain, who's reallybeen trying to get involved in
the community. He's a mountainbiker, and he's going to work on
the ski side as well, but he'sbeen hanging out with us in the
parking lots and doing trailwork and showing up. And I think
he's amazed at the community,and I'm trying to explain to him
right now that the folks thatare hanging out in the parking
(08:57):
lots on the western slope sideof the mountain, those are the
same people that you see in thelift line come winter at 845
waiting for first chair. And sothe mountain is just that size,
where you don't have to makeplans, you don't need a text
thread or a whatsapp you justshow up and you're going to find
a friend, whether that's in themountain bike parking lot or
(09:19):
whether that's first chair on aFriday or Saturday morning
before the crowd said, but toget good snow, and you just show
up and there's like 10 or 15 ofyour best friends standing in a
lift line. So I think he waskind of just really stoked to
hear that, because you makefriends on one side of the
mountain, and then we just kindof operate all together
(09:40):
throughout the years, locals,and that's a really great vibe
for us.
Jessica Bowser (09:43):
Yeah, it's so fantastic because it's what gets
people coming back, right? And Ithink that for a lot of sports,
and it's not just mountainbiking, but like rock climbing
and caving, like all of theseactivities, have communities
that surround them, and when youfirst get into it. The people
you meet that gets you comingback. And Morgan, we were
talking about this when we weredriving around in your car
(10:05):
together, about how you becamefriends with people, and that's
what gets you coming back. Andit's the Monday night rides for
the women's group and getting toknow people, and knowing that
people are going to be therewhen you get there, that's what
gets people into it. And it'sthat sense of community that
makes you want to keep comingback and getting better and
better at the sports.
Unknown (10:26):
I don't think in my short amount of life lived so
far, I've ever had this manyfriends surrounding something
that I'm passionate about in ofcourse, you can find groups of
friends doing other thingsoutside or in your local
community, but I think it's thefact that mountain bikers are
typically very passionate aboutwhat they do, and they want to
(10:48):
find other people that enjoythat same thing. So even beyond
mountain biking, we hang out,you know, go to dinner or go to
a show. So it's just somethingvery special that I'm glad to be
a part of,
Jessica Bowser (11:01):
and I sensed it when I was on the trail and in
the parking lots before we evengot on the trails. I also sensed
it inside Shenandoah bicyclecompany, which is the bike shop
that Thomas Jenkins owns. Solike you feel it's in those
places and also all around town.
And I think I'm going to drop alink to that episode for anybody
who wants to hear going all theway back to season two, I'll put
that in the show notes. So ifanyone wants to listen to
(11:24):
Thomas's episode, they can, inaddition to what we just
mentioned, I feel like theShenandoah Valley Bicycle
Coalition is also a big part ofthe community, right?
Unknown (11:34):
Yeah, the coalition, you know, has its long standing
roots. And mountain biking,again, back to Thomas Jenkins,
the legend, and some of thefolks long before myself, they
started looking out for thepartnership with Massanutten for
the western slopes. And they'realso big stewards of trail and
access in the National Forest,which is extremely important for
(11:57):
everyone in the whole state oreast coast, to be honest about
it, and they've expanded into, Iwould say, the valley, top to
bottom, within the ShenandoahValley for projects like rail
trails, Sunset Park down inWaynesboro, a lot of different
trail projects, seven Bend StatePark, various projects all over
the valley that they're nowinvolved in. But there has been
(12:20):
a specific partnership with theBicycle Coalition and
Massanutten that's extremelyunique, really, nationally, to
have a nonprofit partner with acorporate entity like Great
Eastern that owns Massanutten,where they allow us access to
the Land to maintain and buildtrail really, without red flag,
(12:43):
and we get to be the stewards ofthat land as a partnership. And
that's really a unique setupthat a lot of people that come
and visit here don't understand.
You know, when they buy a trailpass that goes donation to the
trail team or to the land, theydon't understand where it's all
going but that partnership isextremely unique. It's been
growing, and so that's reallyawesome that we have the
(13:04):
coalition here. I think one ofthe best things we just finished
our annual Shenandoah ValleyBicycle Coalition camp out in
stokesville, that happens once ayear, and it is the most amazing
event. It's three days out instokesville, and I think we had
almost 400 people. I think 100of those were kids, and we all
(13:25):
just hunker down in thecampground and do community
food. And we had a bluegrass jamone night and group rides. And
it's like summer camp foradults. You know, is like, the
best way I can describe it, allyour friends are there. We're
all camping and having a goodtime. And so there's a lot
that's orchestrated by thosefolks. And you can be as big of
(13:47):
a part of it when you're in thecommunity as you want. There's
volunteer opportunities andengagement, or you can just
stand down and enjoy it all. Butit's a great opportunity for
everybody here.
I would agree I was actuallyable to bring my daughter to the
camp out he was talking about,and we got her on her little
(14:09):
Strider bike, which was reallyawesome to see. And it just
warmed my mom heart, because shewas doing something that I love,
and she was surrounded by allthese people of all ages riding
their bikes, which was reallycool. Charles was also
mentioning part of the westernslopes that, you know, mass
nothing allows us to be a partof. And I think it's also great
(14:31):
that Charles and I are a part ofthe coalition's trail Planning
Committee for the western slope.
So, like he mentioned, you canget involved as much as you
want. And when I heard there wasan opening for that, I was like,
Yes, I want to do that. And sobeing a part of that. And then,
you know, you can also do thedig days and volunteer helping
build some of those trails. Sothere's literally so many
(14:53):
avenues that you can go down tovolunteer or and be a part of,
or just. Enjoy it and decidelater if you want to, you know,
do more.
Jessica Bowser (15:03):
So there's a lot of options. Morgan, how old is
your daughter? Now? She's three.
We're in the terrible threes,and you had her on a bike
already. You're starting heryoung, huh? Well, she
Unknown (15:12):
actually got one last Christmas, and she liked it.
It's like, you know, she kind ofdoes the balance with the feet,
but she's not quite sure what todo after that. So we're working
on it. But she's like, when do Iget pads, elbow pads and knee
pads? I don't know.
Jessica Bowser (15:28):
Do they make them for kids that little? I'll
bet they do. I don't know.
Unknown (15:31):
I haven't even looked, but it's really, it's really
neat to see her do that.
Jessica Bowser (15:37):
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in the show notes of yourlistening app. Hurry. Orders
must be placed by December 10for holiday delivery. I love
(16:21):
that you two are so activelyengaged with Shenandoah Valley
Bicycle Coalition. I don't knowabout you, but I know when I
volunteer, I feel like it makesthe outdoor space that you're
using so much more meaningful,like when you are putting your
own blood, sweat and tears intobuilding trail and maintaining
trail and making it accessibleto the community. You take a
(16:41):
sense of pride in it that Ithink other people are lacking.
Like, I see people show up inparks and trails all the time
just to use it, and that'sgreat. Like, there's nothing
wrong with it, but you don't seethem really taking ownership of
it.
Unknown (16:54):
Yeah, you definitely get to learn more about the
trails and their impact and howthey were made, and where those
decisions were coming from, andwhy that decision was made to,
you know, make the trail slopethis way, or find more rocks to
make a rock garden here. So it'sdefinitely been something that
I'm glad I I started, I startedriding there at the western
(17:16):
slope, because they have so manytrails. And then once I got
involved in the trail buildingprocess, you just learn so much.
And blood, sweat and tears, likeyou mentioned, definitely are
part of that. I don't thinkthere's many sports that you can
you know, add all of thatbuilding and volunteerism into
what's something that you'repassionate about.
Yeah, I think the trail buildingaspect for me this year has just
(17:39):
been extremely important. It'sreally ramped up. For me, it is
kind of a sacrifice each weekfor me I work, travel for work a
little bit, and to come home andwant to ride a bike, and then to
spend an evening where I couldbe riding my bike. Building
trail is always a little bithard to do, but this area has a
(18:00):
legacy of legendary trailbuilding from Thomas and Sam
Skidmore and Lindsay and herfamily over at bluestone when I
moved here. And that's kind ofthe difference between Morgan
and I guess we should point outif she's grown up here whole
life, and I've got friends inthe parking lot that have grown
up here and been advocates andbuilders of these trails since
(18:21):
they were in middle school.
There's a gentleman that we ridewith on Monday night, Dan
geyser. His family owned a horsefarm on the nose of massanutton,
and they've been riding bikes onthe western slopes since he was
in middle school, riding a BMXbike back there, which is
insane. And so when I showed upnew to town. I just don't want
to be the guy that just goes inand rides trail. I want to know
(18:43):
how they did it. I'm interestedin, like, the modernization of
trail planning and and where wetake this place the next 10 to
20 years. And so I feel likeit's kind of to your point being
a steward of the opportunity andbeing grateful for what we have
like, putting in the time andeffort on the trail is extremely
important to me. I kind of fillmy bucket doing that. So I don't
(19:06):
expect everybody, you know, andI'm also my kids at college. So
some people are balancing thekids sports act right now, at my
age, three, teenagers at home,and don't have the time, I have
the time to volunteer. So that'sthat's where I've been putting
my time. And I love when we ridepast a rock or a corner or a
tree that you trim, or a trailthat you know it could be
(19:30):
maintenance or it could be abuild factor, and you can ride
by it for the next five or 10years, and you can remember that
experience, and like, who youwere standing with that night,
having fun building that trail,and that's something that I'm
just trying to, like, growmyself into and having a ball
with. Honestly, again, I don'thave to own that property. I
(19:52):
don't have to be a millionaireto have you know that acreage
on. The western side ofMassanutten, I get to go play
with it for free. Like that's anamazing thing for me, and the
bigger that we build that assetfor Massanutten, the likelihood
of it standing the test of timeincreases, and I want that to be
(20:15):
available for the community andfor the next generation of kids
that are out there ridingStrider bikes. So that's my kind
of why as to why I'm spending alot of time doing this.
Jessica Bowser (20:30):
Let's dive into the trails that are actually
available to folks. I knowpeople are listening, because
they are probably at this pointafter hearing you just itching
to get on the trails. So whatkind of trail options are
available for riders ofdifferent skill levels,
Unknown (20:47):
all skill levels, there's beginner, intermediate,
expert, and I think, you know,it does vary depending on where
you're riding. I think that kindof changes a little, but I would
say that, you know, the westernslope and even the bike park are
both great places if you're abeginner and you just want to
try mountain biking. And then ifyou, you know, get to riding
(21:08):
more and realize I want a littlemore challenge, then those
options are out there too, andI'm still working up to some of
those trails that Charlesprobably does every week.
There's so many trail that youcan't possibly, you know, do all
of it in in even a week.
Morgan kind of hit the nail onthe head. I think that's the
beautiful thing. We do havesomething for everybody. I would
(21:29):
say we're on the the more to geta little bit further in the
vocabulary, we're a little bitmore on the technical side of
riding in Virginia. They don'tcall Harrisonburg Rocktown for
nothing. And we dig in a lot ofrock. So people, people travel
from all over to come experienceour upper trails that are just
rock. A lot of them, you know,we have a trail called puzzler.
(21:51):
It's a puzzle of fitted rock.
And then at the bottom we've gotflow trail and green trail. And
we are on a head wall atMassanutten. So our lower trails
in the parking lot are going tobe your easiest get the family
started, new riders, and then asyou go up the mountain, it's
kind of a different experience.
And from top to bottom, it'skind of a beautiful thing. So a
(22:12):
little bit of everything, ourtrail plan that we're working on
for the future, you know, ourbiggest request was for flowy
trail and jump trail, of course,all the things that need the
most maintenance. That's kind ofthat modernization aspect, but
we do have a lot of rock to playwith, so I think you'll see
things kind of branch out hereinto that more beginner friendly
territory as well. Massanuttenis extremely interested in that
(22:36):
as they pull guests from theother side of the mountain for E
bike experiences and guidedexperiences to be able to manage
that. We're looking at thingslike adaptive trails. Those
things are really important tocommunities these days, but we
see people travel in Jessicafrom all over to ride. Here we
were in the parking lot justlast night, and there's a couple
(22:57):
from Quebec. And it's prettyoften that people as they're
making their East Coastpilgrimage down into either
Brevard or somewhere furthersouth, then massanutton becomes
one of those stops, which iskind of a really cool thing. It
always
Jessica Bowser (23:11):
amazes me when I hear people say that they have
international guests or guestsfrom all over the country coming
to their little place inVirginia. I think it just goes
to show the assets that we havehere and how amazing they are,
and that we shouldn't take themfor granted. But when we were
together riding on the westernslope, and I should point out,
Charles, your wife was with us,which was awesome. So it was the
(23:34):
four of us, we had a blast. Wewere riding a section of trail
that was relatively flat andeasy, and you were riding next
to me saying that it's thesetypes of trails that actually
attract the most people. It'sthe family friendly trails, the
beginner friendly trails, mostpeople are looking for that. And
I think there's maybe amisconception that mountain
(23:55):
bikers are always looking forreally difficult trails,
challenging technical trails.
And while there is a communityfor that, also a lot of people
just want to go out and be ableto experience it, even if they
don't have the skills for thosemore technical trails.
Unknown (24:10):
Data speaks for itself.
I'm kind of a data nerd, andthrough this planning process,
we now have things like strawberand trail forks that can give us
heat maps into the planningdiscussion trail forks is even
more amazing because it shows usthe direction of the flow on the
mountain as well. I think theCoalition did over 1100 surveys
for the plan. So we have thedata from surveys, and we also
(24:33):
have the actual ride data fromrunners and various communities
that are using these trails. Andyes, sometimes more advanced
riders who love the technicalstuff can be the noisy, loud
ones, you know, like, Don't dumbdown the trails. Like, that's
really a phrase that's thrownaround online all over and I
(24:53):
don't think we're into dumbingthings down at Massanutten, but.
In order to grow the communityof both riders and volunteers
and just the general usage of atrail system, you have to have
ways for people to enter thatspace comfortably, and that's
extremely important. And thatcould be a five year old kid and
(25:15):
his family or somebody visitingthe resort that's never mountain
bike before, and they go grab acouple rental bikes. You know,
we're trying not to have peoplekill themselves on their first
experience, because then theythey met you. Everybody knows
what it's like to do somethingnew that you suck at and and
it's fearful, and a lot ofpeople don't want to fall and so
(25:37):
building out those experiencesare really important for us
moving forward, as well asbuilding, you know, black
diamond level technical trail.
It's a wide ask, but we'reworking on it.
I don't think there's manyorganizations like the shinda
Valley bike coalition thatactually are asking their
(25:58):
community, what, what else doyou want on this mountain? Like,
what should we build next? Ithink that's a really cool thing
to be proud of, for them, andfor a community member like
myself, and then to be a part ofit and go build it like In what
world is is that happeninganywhere else? And maybe it is,
but I'm just extremely fortunateto be a part of that, and like
(26:22):
Charles mentioned, get morepeople that have never mountain
biked or that want to learn moreout there too.
Jessica Bowser (26:28):
Do you have any favorite trails on the western
slope you'd like to recommend tolisteners, either for new
beginners or people who are alittle more experienced?
Unknown (26:37):
My favorite trails vary, especially with the
variety of experience you need.
So if I'm looking for an easyday with some flow, I really
like happy hour. What's the oneright beside happy hour? Charles
talking about red, white andblue, or quarantine. Quarantine?
Yeah, Quarantine is reallygreat. You can start from the
middle down, if you want a lotof flow, or you can bike to the
(26:59):
top of the mountain pretty much,and get a lot of expert riding
in where some of it I walk,because I'm not there yet, and
then get into the flow. So thosetrails are pretty good beginner
trails for the variety that wehave.
The short answer is my my firstquestion to folks is like, what
(27:20):
do you like to ride? Is it, youknow, are you looking for like,
bike park flow, or do you wantto ride like the dumbest rock on
the mountain? And then, usually,based on their response, you can
send someone who's visiting in adirection that will fit their
choice. But no, I thinkQuarantine is really our
flagship. The heat map says thatQuarantine is the hottest trail
(27:44):
on the western slopes right now,and that speaks to that flowy
rocket alt line modern build.
Sam Skidmore, shout out, Samagain, who's one of our local
builders born and raised in thisarea, who's doing big things
these days, built that trail forus, and it's pretty phenomenal
all the way top to bottom. Andthere's a couple of other
(28:05):
flagships. Most people comehere, and puzzler is probably
the most infamous trail. There'snot a lot of trail anywhere on
the East Coast that was builtlike this one. It's just all
rock and and it's, it's placedrock. So you just, you go, just
the fact that they got up on thenose of the mountain and built
(28:25):
that trail blows my mind, andit's really cool. So quarantine
puzzler, those are probably theones if you visit that you
shouldn't miss.
Jessica Bowser (28:35):
What's the name of the trail? That is, it starts
near the Overlook where you candrive to the top of the
mountain, and people like to goup there because the views are
fantastic. But there's also atrail head right there, and
there's huge red signs that say,like danger and or warning or
something. It basically tellingyou that you better be a very,
(28:55):
very experienced rider for it.
What's the name of that one?
Unknown (28:58):
So that that is the upper, upper entrance of
quarantine. So that's the beautyof that trail, is you can enter
that trail in three differentspots, and as you get down the
mountain, it's more flow. We'regoing to build a hub up there
eventually that'll guide peopleas to like this is not a hiking
(29:19):
trail, like you could reallyinjure a mountain biker if
you're standing over here in theway. That's why we really red
flag the top of that thing.
Yeah, there's a lot of exposureon that top section of trail.
And so you know, to be on thatas a mountain biker and then
engage a hiker just is not agreat experience for either
person, probably. So that'slike, the one spot on the
(29:41):
mountain that that happens.
Jessica Bowser (29:44):
Yeah, I just brought that up because it
shares a trailhead with a hikingtrail, and we'll get to hiking
later. So it's a good thing thatyou marked it, because, like you
said, you don't want peoplegoing down the wrong trail. But
you know, it says no hikers allover the place. And I took a few
steps onto the trail because ittakes a. Sharp Turn close to the
trailhead, and I just wanted to,like, see what it looks like.
(30:04):
Because I don't think I've everbeen on a really technical,
difficult mountain biking trailbefore, and I was just curious
to see what it looked like. Andso I took a few steps down the
trail just to get a look. And ohmy goodness. I mean, if you are
a serious mountain biker, thatis the place to go. And all I
kept thinking was, like, Thomasprobably built this trail
because, like, I could see himjust flying down that thing. But
(30:27):
for somebody like me it would,it would be a death wish.
Unknown (30:30):
It can be Yes, that one. What do users
Jessica Bowser (30:34):
need to know about access and trail pass
information?
Unknown (30:38):
So on the western slope side of things, you can get
either a day pass, or you canget an annual trail pass. So the
day passes are available forsame day access, and you can
purchase it online, or you canscan the QR code in the parking
(30:58):
lot and get it just know,there's little service on the
western slope, so you'reprobably better off getting it
before you're out there. Andthen there's the annual pass.
And the cool thing about gettingthe annual pass is you can
volunteer your time and get it,or you can just pay for it. So
there's a few options out there.
(31:18):
The pass fee is going directlyto the western slope funding,
which is really a flat budget ofjust covering maintenance and
insurance liability, those typesof things. And so you really
just consider that a donation toShenandoah Valley Bicycle
Coalition. It's not likeanybody's making money off of
(31:39):
it. It's just there for us to beable to ride the trails, and
that actually flows pretty wellinto that relationship with
Massanutten. So I think this isthe unique piece about
Massanutten that is reallyunclear, because they have a
website, and sbbc has a website.
But if you buy an annual bikepark pass at Massanutten, which
is about 300 bucks early birdseason, and I actually can give
(32:02):
a code later on in my socialsfor 15% off. Shout out
Massanutten for that. Morgan hasa code too. I should say for 300
bucks, you get a bike park pass.
You get unlimited shuttles onthe western slopes, which they
run on Fridays and Saturdaysmost of the year on the western
(32:24):
slope side. And that also coversthat Shenandoah Valley Bicycle
Coalition annual fee ordonation. So for 300 bucks, you
get all of that, and I believeyou get two buddy passes to
Bryce. It's a ridiculous value.
And I know I'm a sales guy atheart, but I'm also pretty
passionate about growing themountain. There's no other
mountain in Virginia that hasthat amount of asset for for 300
(32:46):
bucks to throw at people formountain biking. So I would
encourage everybody to getSeason Passes. That's just if
you're going to be over here andriding, that's the way to do it.
Otherwise, obviously, all thosethings are available on a daily
schedule, so but shuttles, bikepark, western slopes all
included. That's the way to doit.
Jessica Bowser (33:06):
And what about visitors who don't actually own
their own mountain bikes? Arethere options to rent?
Unknown (33:13):
Yeah, they actually.
Massanutton has a really greatshop down at the bike park with
a full rental fleet. They've gotE bikes, trail bikes, downhill
bikes, they do tours on thewestern slope you can sign up
for they've got instructors onthat side. So really just
depends on your level and whatyou want to get. But they do
have bikes. It's really cool.
(33:34):
They definitely are the onlyPark in Virginia that will allow
you to rent a bike and take itover the mountain to the western
slope side. So you can, like,hit bike park for half a day on
a Saturday, transfer to the topand go ride the western slope
for three poles, and you'reabsolutely blown up by the end
of the day. And you do that withone rental. So that's pretty
(33:56):
amazing.
Jessica Bowser (33:56):
Also, that wraps up the first half of our
conversation with Morgan andCharles in part two next week,
we're stepping beyond themountain bike trails on the
western slope to explore evenmore of what makes massanutton
and the Shenandoah Valley suchan incredible outdoor
destination. We'll talk aboutadditional recreation options at
(34:17):
the resort year round ways toget outside and some of Morgan
and Charles favorite spots indowntown Harrisonburg, where
local Outfitters, smallbusinesses and great dining
round out the perfect adventure.
Virginia Outdoor Adventures isinspired by and supported by
listeners like you, which is whyyour messages and feedback means
(34:37):
so much to me. You can text medirectly by clicking on Send
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(35:01):
for my listeners, click onnewsletter. Sign up in your show
notes or visit Virginia outdooradventures.com thanks for
listening until next time.
Adventure on you.
From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the
Chesapeake Bay, Virginia is amecca for outdoor travel and
adventure. Virginia outdooradventures Podcast is your local
guide for hiking, camping,kayaking, travel and so much
more. Get the information andthe inspiration to plan your own
adventure right here inVirginia. I'm your host, Jessica
(00:23):
Bowser, we're heading tomassanutton, your backyard
Mountain Resort, and one of thebest places in Virginia to dive
into mountain biking for MorganMowbray and Charles Sexton, it's
more than a destination. It'shome turf for adventure as
dedicated trail builders andvolunteers, they've helped shape
(00:44):
the riding experience onmassanutten's western slope,
where a passion for both ridingand community come together on
the trails, we explore howMassanutten resort works
collaboratively with the localcommunity to create access to an
incredible network of trails forevery skill level, from smooth,
beginner and family friendlytrails to technical expert
(01:05):
level. Single track Morgan andCharles break down. What makes
massanutton an ideal place toget started in mountain biking,
including group rides and eventsfor locals and visitors alike.
Beyond the trails, Massanuttenoffers a full lineup of four
season activities, from skiingand snow tubing to water parks,
zip lining hiking and more,making it a true all around
(01:27):
adventure destination. And withShenandoah National Park and the
George Washington NationalForest just minutes away, there
are endless opportunities toexpand your adventure. We also
dive into everything waitingnearby in downtown Harrisonburg,
including local outfitters whocan help you gear up, small
businesses shaped by theregion's outdoor culture and the
(01:49):
restaurants Morgan and Charlesrecommend for refueling after a
day on the bike. It's acelebration of mountain biking
community collaboration and thevibrant outdoor scene that makes
the Shenandoah Valley a hub forriders and adventurers of all
levels. Let's go, Morgan andCharles, welcome to Virginia
(02:10):
outdoor adventures.
Unknown (02:12):
Thanks for having us.
Jessica, good to see you. Thanksfor having us.
Jessica Bowser (02:15):
What do you love about Virginia's outdoors? I
Unknown (02:18):
like that there's a lot of variety, and what you can
experience the four seasons,basically, is what I'm referring
to. If you don't like winter,then we have spring, summer and
fall. There's just a lot ofvariety for people to enjoy,
things outside,then around the country. And we
get the four seasons. We get abeautiful fall, like right now,
in case people out in themountains that know it. We have
(02:39):
a beach in Virginia, and for thefolks at the beach, we have
mountains. So we're a coastalstate, and depending on what
you're into in any particularseason, there's just a lot to do
here. It's a beautiful state.
Jessica Bowser (02:53):
What makes massanutton resort your backyard
Mountain Resort?
Unknown (02:57):
I live five minutes away. That makes it my backyard.
Technically, you know,accessibility is the key, right?
So there's a lot of folks thatjust don't live close to
somewhere. They can be outdoorsall the time, and we get to
experience that here regularly,throughout the week, throughout
those seasons. And it just makesit really nice to be able to go
(03:17):
over there and experiencewhatever's happening with the
community multiple times a week.
And I would say the communityhere kind of brings in that
outdoor aspect, communityaspect, where it makes it feel
like home, and that's reallyimportant for my family, at
least.
Yeah, I would add to that, it'salso literally in my backyard.
(03:38):
We can all see it from see themountain, from our house pretty
much. And while there are otherresorts kind of nearby that are
great as well, massanutton is,you know, my go to place for the
things I enjoy, because I can gothere and ski or mountain bike
in the morning and then comeback in the afternoon and still
have the rest of the day to dowhat I want. So it just makes it
(04:00):
easy to get outside.
Jessica Bowser (04:01):
You both are located in the Shenandoah
Valley, so I'm wondering, howdoes your location near
Harrisonburg and the valleyshape the outdoor experiences
that it offers?
Unknown (04:12):
Yeah, I'm about 20 minutes from Harrisonburg, but
I'm also 1520 minutes from BlueRidge Parkway and the Shenandoah
National Park. There's alsoGeorge Washington National
Forest, which is a littlefurther from me, but I'm pretty
much surrounded in alldirections with access to trails
for hiking or biking, which Iknow a lot of people can't say
(04:33):
the same. So I'm very fortunate.
Yeah, you know, we moved up hereabout three years ago with our
family, and people ask, youknow, how did you end up near
Massanutten, and it's one ofthose things, if you put a.on
technically, the end of theridge where Massanutten sits,
and draw a circle in about anhour from any direction. From
that point, it just encompassesalmost a lifetime of things to
(04:57):
get into, whether that's flyfishing or. Rafting or kayaking,
mountain biking. We've got theNational Park on one side and
the national forest on theother, which is one of the
largest expanses of, you know,untouched land on the East
Coast. There's just so much toget into, and Massanutten sit
right smack in the middle of allof that. So for our family, we
(05:19):
just strategically picked thespot in between Harrisonburg and
the mountain so that we can goeither direction pretty quickly,
and it's just worked out reallywell for us for a convenience
factor.
Jessica Bowser (05:31):
Both of you are mountain bikers, and I want to
thank you for taking me toMassanutten and taking me out on
the trails. We had such anawesome time that day, and I got
to learn about not just yourpassion for mountain biking, but
your passion for the trails andthe whole mountain biking
community. What first drew youto mountain biking at
(05:52):
Massanutten?
Unknown (05:53):
Specifically, my first experience at Massanutten was
actually the bike park. There'sstill a lot of people in
Virginia that don't know thatMassanutten has an active
gravity lifts, Lift service,phenomenal bike park that's been
growing for years. It's reallygreat. And that was my first
experience, and that actuallyled me to pulling my wife
through Massanutten one day toshow her around a little bit.
(06:17):
And one of the reasons we endedup here. But the beauty is that,
you know, for mountain biking,specifically, just here locally
on the mountain we also have thewestern slope side, which is a
whole nother, 3540 miles oftrail at this point. So the
mountain bike experience here iswhat I came for. I didn't know
that the community was thislarge and that I would make as
many friends as we have. That'sbeen an added bonus. For sure,
(06:39):
the bike park was originallywhat pulled me in. So it's a
great spot.
Yeah, I would add to whatCharles said about the community
aspect, I think that's whatoriginally drew me to mountain
biking in that area. I didn'tlearn or start mountain biking
at Mass nothing, even though Igrew up going to Massanutten, as
(07:00):
far as I can remember, but thewestern slope group rides the
women's Monday night ridethrough Shenandoah Valley, bike
coalition and Massanutten iswhat originally drew me to want
to pursue mountain biking evenfurther on a regular basis. And
then, you know, once I found outthat some of those women in the
men who bike on the westernslope also do a lot of bike park
(07:23):
riding. I'm like, hey, I wantto, you know, check that out as
well. I had a little bit ofexperience, but not too much.
And so that kind of grew intogoing there on a daily basis and
then racing. And it just keepsgrowing, like Charles said, so
there's always new things toexperience.
Jessica Bowser (07:38):
I love the community feel of it. Mountain
biking general just has like, anawesome community group
everywhere we go throughout thestate. And I think the first
time that I was introduced to itwas probably when our friend
Thomas Jenkins took me mountainbiking for my first time. I did
an episode with him. I want tosay it was like Season Two. It
was episode 21 he introduced meto the whole community, and I
(08:02):
remember him saying thatsometimes you guys joke that you
spend less time mountain bikingand more time hanging out in the
parking lot, eating and drinkingtogether.
Unknown (08:12):
Yeah, it's funny. I feel bad for you, because Thomas
probably tried to kill you atNASA, nothing, a little bit,
just a little bit. Yeah, thatthat's the Thomas way, and we
love that about him. He's beenbuilding trail over here since
the beginning, so he's kind of alegend. So that's pretty amazing
that you got to spend time withThomas. And yeah, the community
aspect, there's a new person atMass and nothing. Shout Out Bob
(08:36):
Henson, that's come on as anoperations manager on that side
of the mountain, who's reallybeen trying to get involved in
the community. He's a mountainbiker, and he's going to work on
the ski side as well, but he'sbeen hanging out with us in the
parking lots and doing trailwork and showing up. And I think
he's amazed at the community,and I'm trying to explain to him
right now that the folks thatare hanging out in the parking
(08:57):
lots on the western slope sideof the mountain, those are the
same people that you see in thelift line come winter at 845
waiting for first chair. And sothe mountain is just that size,
where you don't have to makeplans, you don't need a text
thread or a whatsapp you justshow up and you're going to find
a friend, whether that's in themountain bike parking lot or
(09:19):
whether that's first chair on aFriday or Saturday morning
before the crowd said, but toget good snow, and you just show
up and there's like 10 or 15 ofyour best friends standing in a
lift line. So I think he waskind of just really stoked to
hear that, because you makefriends on one side of the
mountain, and then we just kindof operate all together
(09:40):
throughout the years, locals,and that's a really great vibe
for us.
Jessica Bowser (09:43):
Yeah, it's so fantastic because it's what gets
people coming back, right? And Ithink that for a lot of sports,
and it's not just mountainbiking, but like rock climbing
and caving, like all of theseactivities, have communities
that surround them, and when youfirst get into it. The people
you meet that gets you comingback. And Morgan, we were
talking about this when we weredriving around in your car
(10:05):
together, about how you becamefriends with people, and that's
what gets you coming back. Andit's the Monday night rides for
the women's group and getting toknow people, and knowing that
people are going to be therewhen you get there, that's what
gets people into it. And it'sthat sense of community that
makes you want to keep comingback and getting better and
better at the sports.
Unknown (10:26):
I don't think in my short amount of life lived so
far, I've ever had this manyfriends surrounding something
that I'm passionate about in ofcourse, you can find groups of
friends doing other thingsoutside or in your local
community, but I think it's thefact that mountain bikers are
typically very passionate aboutwhat they do, and they want to
(10:48):
find other people that enjoythat same thing. So even beyond
mountain biking, we hang out,you know, go to dinner or go to
a show. So it's just somethingvery special that I'm glad to be
a part of,
Jessica Bowser (11:01):
and I sensed it when I was on the trail and in
the parking lots before we evengot on the trails. I also sensed
it inside Shenandoah bicyclecompany, which is the bike shop
that Thomas Jenkins owns. Solike you feel it's in those
places and also all around town.
And I think I'm going to drop alink to that episode for anybody
who wants to hear going all theway back to season two, I'll put
that in the show notes. So ifanyone wants to listen to
(11:24):
Thomas's episode, they can, inaddition to what we just
mentioned, I feel like theShenandoah Valley Bicycle
Coalition is also a big part ofthe community, right?
Unknown (11:34):
Yeah, the coalition, you know, has its long standing
roots. And mountain biking,again, back to Thomas Jenkins,
the legend, and some of thefolks long before myself, they
started looking out for thepartnership with Massanutten for
the western slopes. And they'realso big stewards of trail and
access in the National Forest,which is extremely important for
(11:57):
everyone in the whole state oreast coast, to be honest about
it, and they've expanded into, Iwould say, the valley, top to
bottom, within the ShenandoahValley for projects like rail
trails, Sunset Park down inWaynesboro, a lot of different
trail projects, seven Bend StatePark, various projects all over
the valley that they're nowinvolved in. But there has been
(12:20):
a specific partnership with theBicycle Coalition and
Massanutten that's extremelyunique, really, nationally, to
have a nonprofit partner with acorporate entity like Great
Eastern that owns Massanutten,where they allow us access to
the Land to maintain and buildtrail really, without red flag,
(12:43):
and we get to be the stewards ofthat land as a partnership. And
that's really a unique setupthat a lot of people that come
and visit here don't understand.
You know, when they buy a trailpass that goes donation to the
trail team or to the land, theydon't understand where it's all
going but that partnership isextremely unique. It's been
growing, and so that's reallyawesome that we have the
(13:04):
coalition here. I think one ofthe best things we just finished
our annual Shenandoah ValleyBicycle Coalition camp out in
stokesville, that happens once ayear, and it is the most amazing
event. It's three days out instokesville, and I think we had
almost 400 people. I think 100of those were kids, and we all
(13:25):
just hunker down in thecampground and do community
food. And we had a bluegrass jamone night and group rides. And
it's like summer camp foradults. You know, is like, the
best way I can describe it, allyour friends are there. We're
all camping and having a goodtime. And so there's a lot
that's orchestrated by thosefolks. And you can be as big of
(13:47):
a part of it when you're in thecommunity as you want. There's
volunteer opportunities andengagement, or you can just
stand down and enjoy it all. Butit's a great opportunity for
everybody here.
I would agree I was actuallyable to bring my daughter to the
camp out he was talking about,and we got her on her little
(14:09):
Strider bike, which was reallyawesome to see. And it just
warmed my mom heart, because shewas doing something that I love,
and she was surrounded by allthese people of all ages riding
their bikes, which was reallycool. Charles was also
mentioning part of the westernslopes that, you know, mass
nothing allows us to be a partof. And I think it's also great
(14:31):
that Charles and I are a part ofthe coalition's trail Planning
Committee for the western slope.
So, like he mentioned, you canget involved as much as you
want. And when I heard there wasan opening for that, I was like,
Yes, I want to do that. And sobeing a part of that. And then,
you know, you can also do thedig days and volunteer helping
build some of those trails. Sothere's literally so many
(14:53):
avenues that you can go down tovolunteer or and be a part of,
or just. Enjoy it and decidelater if you want to, you know,
do more.
Jessica Bowser (15:03):
So there's a lot of options. Morgan, how old is
your daughter? Now? She's three.
We're in the terrible threes,and you had her on a bike
already. You're starting heryoung, huh? Well, she
Unknown (15:12):
actually got one last Christmas, and she liked it.
It's like, you know, she kind ofdoes the balance with the feet,
but she's not quite sure what todo after that. So we're working
on it. But she's like, when do Iget pads, elbow pads and knee
pads? I don't know.
Jessica Bowser (15:28):
Do they make them for kids that little? I'll
bet they do. I don't know.
Unknown (15:31):
I haven't even looked, but it's really, it's really
neat to see her do that.
Jessica Bowser (15:37):
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in the show notes of yourlistening app. Hurry. Orders
must be placed by December 10for holiday delivery. I love
(16:21):
that you two are so activelyengaged with Shenandoah Valley
Bicycle Coalition. I don't knowabout you, but I know when I
volunteer, I feel like it makesthe outdoor space that you're
using so much more meaningful,like when you are putting your
own blood, sweat and tears intobuilding trail and maintaining
trail and making it accessibleto the community. You take a
(16:41):
sense of pride in it that Ithink other people are lacking.
Like, I see people show up inparks and trails all the time
just to use it, and that'sgreat. Like, there's nothing
wrong with it, but you don't seethem really taking ownership of
it.
Unknown (16:54):
Yeah, you definitely get to learn more about the
trails and their impact and howthey were made, and where those
decisions were coming from, andwhy that decision was made to,
you know, make the trail slopethis way, or find more rocks to
make a rock garden here. So it'sdefinitely been something that
I'm glad I I started, I startedriding there at the western
(17:16):
slope, because they have so manytrails. And then once I got
involved in the trail buildingprocess, you just learn so much.
And blood, sweat and tears, likeyou mentioned, definitely are
part of that. I don't thinkthere's many sports that you can
you know, add all of thatbuilding and volunteerism into
what's something that you'repassionate about.
Yeah, I think the trail buildingaspect for me this year has just
(17:39):
been extremely important. It'sreally ramped up. For me, it is
kind of a sacrifice each weekfor me I work, travel for work a
little bit, and to come home andwant to ride a bike, and then to
spend an evening where I couldbe riding my bike. Building
trail is always a little bithard to do, but this area has a
(18:00):
legacy of legendary trailbuilding from Thomas and Sam
Skidmore and Lindsay and herfamily over at bluestone when I
moved here. And that's kind ofthe difference between Morgan
and I guess we should point outif she's grown up here whole
life, and I've got friends inthe parking lot that have grown
up here and been advocates andbuilders of these trails since
(18:21):
they were in middle school.
There's a gentleman that we ridewith on Monday night, Dan
geyser. His family owned a horsefarm on the nose of massanutton,
and they've been riding bikes onthe western slopes since he was
in middle school, riding a BMXbike back there, which is
insane. And so when I showed upnew to town. I just don't want
to be the guy that just goes inand rides trail. I want to know
(18:43):
how they did it. I'm interestedin, like, the modernization of
trail planning and and where wetake this place the next 10 to
20 years. And so I feel likeit's kind of to your point being
a steward of the opportunity andbeing grateful for what we have
like, putting in the time andeffort on the trail is extremely
important to me. I kind of fillmy bucket doing that. So I don't
(19:06):
expect everybody, you know, andI'm also my kids at college. So
some people are balancing thekids sports act right now, at my
age, three, teenagers at home,and don't have the time, I have
the time to volunteer. So that'sthat's where I've been putting
my time. And I love when we ridepast a rock or a corner or a
tree that you trim, or a trailthat you know it could be
(19:30):
maintenance or it could be abuild factor, and you can ride
by it for the next five or 10years, and you can remember that
experience, and like, who youwere standing with that night,
having fun building that trail,and that's something that I'm
just trying to, like, growmyself into and having a ball
with. Honestly, again, I don'thave to own that property. I
(19:52):
don't have to be a millionaireto have you know that acreage
on. The western side ofMassanutten, I get to go play
with it for free. Like that's anamazing thing for me, and the
bigger that we build that assetfor Massanutten, the likelihood
of it standing the test of timeincreases, and I want that to be
(20:15):
available for the community andfor the next generation of kids
that are out there ridingStrider bikes. So that's my kind
of why as to why I'm spending alot of time doing this.
Jessica Bowser (20:30):
Let's dive into the trails that are actually
available to folks. I knowpeople are listening, because
they are probably at this pointafter hearing you just itching
to get on the trails. So whatkind of trail options are
available for riders ofdifferent skill levels,
Unknown (20:47):
all skill levels, there's beginner, intermediate,
expert, and I think, you know,it does vary depending on where
you're riding. I think that kindof changes a little, but I would
say that, you know, the westernslope and even the bike park are
both great places if you're abeginner and you just want to
try mountain biking. And then ifyou, you know, get to riding
(21:08):
more and realize I want a littlemore challenge, then those
options are out there too, andI'm still working up to some of
those trails that Charlesprobably does every week.
There's so many trail that youcan't possibly, you know, do all
of it in in even a week.
Morgan kind of hit the nail onthe head. I think that's the
beautiful thing. We do havesomething for everybody. I would
(21:29):
say we're on the the more to geta little bit further in the
vocabulary, we're a little bitmore on the technical side of
riding in Virginia. They don'tcall Harrisonburg Rocktown for
nothing. And we dig in a lot ofrock. So people, people travel
from all over to come experienceour upper trails that are just
rock. A lot of them, you know,we have a trail called puzzler.
(21:51):
It's a puzzle of fitted rock.
And then at the bottom we've gotflow trail and green trail. And
we are on a head wall atMassanutten. So our lower trails
in the parking lot are going tobe your easiest get the family
started, new riders, and then asyou go up the mountain, it's
kind of a different experience.
And from top to bottom, it'skind of a beautiful thing. So a
(22:12):
little bit of everything, ourtrail plan that we're working on
for the future, you know, ourbiggest request was for flowy
trail and jump trail, of course,all the things that need the
most maintenance. That's kind ofthat modernization aspect, but
we do have a lot of rock to playwith, so I think you'll see
things kind of branch out hereinto that more beginner friendly
territory as well. Massanuttenis extremely interested in that
(22:36):
as they pull guests from theother side of the mountain for E
bike experiences and guidedexperiences to be able to manage
that. We're looking at thingslike adaptive trails. Those
things are really important tocommunities these days, but we
see people travel in Jessicafrom all over to ride. Here we
were in the parking lot justlast night, and there's a couple
(22:57):
from Quebec. And it's prettyoften that people as they're
making their East Coastpilgrimage down into either
Brevard or somewhere furthersouth, then massanutton becomes
one of those stops, which iskind of a really cool thing. It
always
Jessica Bowser (23:11):
amazes me when I hear people say that they have
international guests or guestsfrom all over the country coming
to their little place inVirginia. I think it just goes
to show the assets that we havehere and how amazing they are,
and that we shouldn't take themfor granted. But when we were
together riding on the westernslope, and I should point out,
Charles, your wife was with us,which was awesome. So it was the
(23:34):
four of us, we had a blast. Wewere riding a section of trail
that was relatively flat andeasy, and you were riding next
to me saying that it's thesetypes of trails that actually
attract the most people. It'sthe family friendly trails, the
beginner friendly trails, mostpeople are looking for that. And
I think there's maybe amisconception that mountain
(23:55):
bikers are always looking forreally difficult trails,
challenging technical trails.
And while there is a communityfor that, also a lot of people
just want to go out and be ableto experience it, even if they
don't have the skills for thosemore technical trails.
Unknown (24:10):
Data speaks for itself.
I'm kind of a data nerd, andthrough this planning process,
we now have things like strawberand trail forks that can give us
heat maps into the planningdiscussion trail forks is even
more amazing because it shows usthe direction of the flow on the
mountain as well. I think theCoalition did over 1100 surveys
for the plan. So we have thedata from surveys, and we also
(24:33):
have the actual ride data fromrunners and various communities
that are using these trails. Andyes, sometimes more advanced
riders who love the technicalstuff can be the noisy, loud
ones, you know, like, Don't dumbdown the trails. Like, that's
really a phrase that's thrownaround online all over and I
(24:53):
don't think we're into dumbingthings down at Massanutten, but.
In order to grow the communityof both riders and volunteers
and just the general usage of atrail system, you have to have
ways for people to enter thatspace comfortably, and that's
extremely important. And thatcould be a five year old kid and
(25:15):
his family or somebody visitingthe resort that's never mountain
bike before, and they go grab acouple rental bikes. You know,
we're trying not to have peoplekill themselves on their first
experience, because then theythey met you. Everybody knows
what it's like to do somethingnew that you suck at and and
it's fearful, and a lot ofpeople don't want to fall and so
(25:37):
building out those experiencesare really important for us
moving forward, as well asbuilding, you know, black
diamond level technical trail.
It's a wide ask, but we'reworking on it.
I don't think there's manyorganizations like the shinda
Valley bike coalition thatactually are asking their
(25:58):
community, what, what else doyou want on this mountain? Like,
what should we build next? Ithink that's a really cool thing
to be proud of, for them, andfor a community member like
myself, and then to be a part ofit and go build it like In what
world is is that happeninganywhere else? And maybe it is,
but I'm just extremely fortunateto be a part of that, and like
(26:22):
Charles mentioned, get morepeople that have never mountain
biked or that want to learn moreout there too.
Jessica Bowser (26:28):
Do you have any favorite trails on the western
slope you'd like to recommend tolisteners, either for new
beginners or people who are alittle more experienced?
Unknown (26:37):
My favorite trails vary, especially with the
variety of experience you need.
So if I'm looking for an easyday with some flow, I really
like happy hour. What's the oneright beside happy hour? Charles
talking about red, white andblue, or quarantine. Quarantine?
Yeah, Quarantine is reallygreat. You can start from the
middle down, if you want a lotof flow, or you can bike to the
(26:59):
top of the mountain pretty much,and get a lot of expert riding
in where some of it I walk,because I'm not there yet, and
then get into the flow. So thosetrails are pretty good beginner
trails for the variety that wehave.
The short answer is my my firstquestion to folks is like, what
(27:20):
do you like to ride? Is it, youknow, are you looking for like,
bike park flow, or do you wantto ride like the dumbest rock on
the mountain? And then, usually,based on their response, you can
send someone who's visiting in adirection that will fit their
choice. But no, I thinkQuarantine is really our
flagship. The heat map says thatQuarantine is the hottest trail
(27:44):
on the western slopes right now,and that speaks to that flowy
rocket alt line modern build.
Sam Skidmore, shout out, Samagain, who's one of our local
builders born and raised in thisarea, who's doing big things
these days, built that trail forus, and it's pretty phenomenal
all the way top to bottom. Andthere's a couple of other
(28:05):
flagships. Most people comehere, and puzzler is probably
the most infamous trail. There'snot a lot of trail anywhere on
the East Coast that was builtlike this one. It's just all
rock and and it's, it's placedrock. So you just, you go, just
the fact that they got up on thenose of the mountain and built
(28:25):
that trail blows my mind, andit's really cool. So quarantine
puzzler, those are probably theones if you visit that you
shouldn't miss.
Jessica Bowser (28:35):
What's the name of the trail? That is, it starts
near the Overlook where you candrive to the top of the
mountain, and people like to goup there because the views are
fantastic. But there's also atrail head right there, and
there's huge red signs that say,like danger and or warning or
something. It basically tellingyou that you better be a very,
(28:55):
very experienced rider for it.
What's the name of that one?
Unknown (28:58):
So that that is the upper, upper entrance of
quarantine. So that's the beautyof that trail, is you can enter
that trail in three differentspots, and as you get down the
mountain, it's more flow. We'regoing to build a hub up there
eventually that'll guide peopleas to like this is not a hiking
(29:19):
trail, like you could reallyinjure a mountain biker if
you're standing over here in theway. That's why we really red
flag the top of that thing.
Yeah, there's a lot of exposureon that top section of trail.
And so you know, to be on thatas a mountain biker and then
engage a hiker just is not agreat experience for either
person, probably. So that'slike, the one spot on the
(29:41):
mountain that that happens.
Jessica Bowser (29:44):
Yeah, I just brought that up because it
shares a trailhead with a hikingtrail, and we'll get to hiking
later. So it's a good thing thatyou marked it, because, like you
said, you don't want peoplegoing down the wrong trail. But
you know, it says no hikers allover the place. And I took a few
steps onto the trail because ittakes a. Sharp Turn close to the
trailhead, and I just wanted to,like, see what it looks like.
(30:04):
Because I don't think I've everbeen on a really technical,
difficult mountain biking trailbefore, and I was just curious
to see what it looked like. Andso I took a few steps down the
trail just to get a look. And ohmy goodness. I mean, if you are
a serious mountain biker, thatis the place to go. And all I
kept thinking was, like, Thomasprobably built this trail
because, like, I could see himjust flying down that thing. But
(30:27):
for somebody like me it would,it would be a death wish.
Unknown (30:30):
It can be Yes, that one. What do users
Jessica Bowser (30:34):
need to know about access and trail pass
information?
Unknown (30:38):
So on the western slope side of things, you can get
either a day pass, or you canget an annual trail pass. So the
day passes are available forsame day access, and you can
purchase it online, or you canscan the QR code in the parking
(30:58):
lot and get it just know,there's little service on the
western slope, so you'reprobably better off getting it
before you're out there. Andthen there's the annual pass.
And the cool thing about gettingthe annual pass is you can
volunteer your time and get it,or you can just pay for it. So
there's a few options out there.
(31:18):
The pass fee is going directlyto the western slope funding,
which is really a flat budget ofjust covering maintenance and
insurance liability, those typesof things. And so you really
just consider that a donation toShenandoah Valley Bicycle
Coalition. It's not likeanybody's making money off of
(31:39):
it. It's just there for us to beable to ride the trails, and
that actually flows pretty wellinto that relationship with
Massanutten. So I think this isthe unique piece about
Massanutten that is reallyunclear, because they have a
website, and sbbc has a website.
But if you buy an annual bikepark pass at Massanutten, which
is about 300 bucks early birdseason, and I actually can give
(32:02):
a code later on in my socialsfor 15% off. Shout out
Massanutten for that. Morgan hasa code too. I should say for 300
bucks, you get a bike park pass.
You get unlimited shuttles onthe western slopes, which they
run on Fridays and Saturdaysmost of the year on the western
(32:24):
slope side. And that also coversthat Shenandoah Valley Bicycle
Coalition annual fee ordonation. So for 300 bucks, you
get all of that, and I believeyou get two buddy passes to
Bryce. It's a ridiculous value.
And I know I'm a sales guy atheart, but I'm also pretty
passionate about growing themountain. There's no other
mountain in Virginia that hasthat amount of asset for for 300
(32:46):
bucks to throw at people formountain biking. So I would
encourage everybody to getSeason Passes. That's just if
you're going to be over here andriding, that's the way to do it.
Otherwise, obviously, all thosethings are available on a daily
schedule, so but shuttles, bikepark, western slopes all
included. That's the way to doit.
Jessica Bowser (33:06):
And what about visitors who don't actually own
their own mountain bikes? Arethere options to rent?
Unknown (33:13):
Yeah, they actually.
Massanutton has a really greatshop down at the bike park with
a full rental fleet. They've gotE bikes, trail bikes, downhill
bikes, they do tours on thewestern slope you can sign up
for they've got instructors onthat side. So really just
depends on your level and whatyou want to get. But they do
have bikes. It's really cool.
(33:34):
They definitely are the onlyPark in Virginia that will allow
you to rent a bike and take itover the mountain to the western
slope side. So you can, like,hit bike park for half a day on
a Saturday, transfer to the topand go ride the western slope
for three poles, and you'reabsolutely blown up by the end
of the day. And you do that withone rental. So that's pretty
(33:56):
amazing.
Jessica Bowser (33:56):
Also, that wraps up the first half of our
conversation with Morgan andCharles in part two next week,
we're stepping beyond themountain bike trails on the
western slope to explore evenmore of what makes massanutton
and the Shenandoah Valley suchan incredible outdoor
destination. We'll talk aboutadditional recreation options at
(34:17):
the resort year round ways toget outside and some of Morgan
and Charles favorite spots indowntown Harrisonburg, where
local Outfitters, smallbusinesses and great dining
round out the perfect adventure.
Virginia Outdoor Adventures isinspired by and supported by
listeners like you, which is whyyour messages and feedback means
(34:37):
so much to me. You can text medirectly by clicking on Send
Jessica a text message in yourshow notes, I answer questions,
respond to comments and shareyour feedback on the show. Never
miss a new episode. Sign up formy email newsletter and receive
my listener resource guide withthe top podcast episodes of
Virginia. Outdoor bucket listand exclusive brand discounts
(35:01):
for my listeners, click onnewsletter. Sign up in your show
notes or visit Virginia outdooradventures.com thanks for
listening until next time.
Adventure on you.
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