Over the summer I discovered a fun healthy activity that I could do with my friends. Mountain biking. One of my friends had heard about a place we could go to that was free and it was only about twenty minutes from my house. The place in mind was called “Balm Boyette Scrub Reserve.” So one day we decided to load up our bikes and go for a ride.

 

The first time we went we got lost. I know that if you are new to the sport and are looking for a place to go to that this isn’t what you would want to hear, but the truth is we could have been more careful. This might give you an idea of how big the place is or maybe some insight of how bad our sense of direction is. Never the less we had a blast. At the beginning of the reserve is the parking lot with a map of the trails at its far side. From there is a two mile double track path to the main trails with one beginner trail placed somewhere within the stretch. At first I thought that the two mile stretch would tire me out before I could get to the trails, but soon realized that it wasn’t that bad and that it served as a good warm up.

After the warm up we came to the beginning of the first trail which was marked with a blue sign, intermediate. The blue trails to the right lead to the beginner trails which are marked with green signs and to the left are a paths that leads to the more advanced trails. Of course we chose the more advanced trails on our first day out. From there we went from trail to trail trying the more difficult black diamond marked trails at out own discretion. These can be a bit scary at first, but once you have done it a couple of times it becomes a lot of fun, its kind of like being on a rollercoaster ride.

The black trails lead us to the back of the reserve which neither of us had realized. Soon we found a double track which we followed not knowing that it would take us even deeper in to the park, this was our mistake. After we couldn’t find any more trails we checked the time and decided that it was time to head back because I had to go to work in a little while. Eventually we back tracked and found our way out although I ended up being late for work.

So, this is a great place to go for a bike ride though some fun trails, not to mention that there is no fee for entry. Just remember a couple things if you have never been there before. For starters, before you go print a map of the place so you can have a copy with you while you are biking. And secondly, bring plenty of water. Now when I go I bring a camel pack, it is a great investment for any bike rider. If you ever get in to the sport you will find that it is a lot of fun and a great workout that anyone can enjoy. If you can’t make it to the scrub reserve hopefully you can find a similar park near you.