MTB Ride Big Gem Park

Since Gary and I both had the day off, we decided to give the trails at Big Gem Park in Shenandoah a try. We already had a nice swim and were looking forward to a ride. As we packed up the bikes and headed south from Luray, the rain started.................and only intensified as we continued down the road. Determined to get a ride in, we pressed on. The rain actually stopped by the time we hit Stanley. The first thing we noticed as we entered Big Gem Park was the lack of any signage pointing the way to mountain bike trails. Even after a thorough walk through inspection on foot, no signs or even distinct trail heads were to be found. As we unloaded the bikes from the truck, it began to rain lightly. We proceeded down a freshly cut fire road in search of the trails. Light rain turned into steady rain, which turned into heavy rain. Finally we found a small section of berms, banked turns and log crossing obstacles. As we continued on the fire road, we encountered what looked to be single track trails. At this point the rain was pouring down and the trails were getting very muddy and slick. We both know that it's just poor etiquette to ride on soggy, wet trails because it tends to leave ruts that can be dangerous when they finally dry, so we decided to bag the ride after 20 minutes or so of slogging through mud. Last week we heard a representative from the town of Shenandoah mention that some of the trails were open to mountain biking, but good luck finding them if you decide to go. Another trip to the park will be made when the weather is better and we can spend time exploring. Despite the sogginess and minimal trail time, we still had fun. "Thrive Outside"