Rides Around Helena

Mount Helena

EBrider said:

I am with the family, so can't be gone on an all day epic. Probably looking to get out a couple times for maybe 2 hours.

Thanks

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There is a guide book to riding Helena. My favorite, and one I try to do once a year, is the Helena Ridge ride. I park across the street from the Blackfoot Brewry tasting room. Ride south on the road to where it turns to dirt, take a right up Grizzly Gulch then keep riding until I get to the trailhead. It is a fairly quick climb to get to the ridge then it is a magical ride down the ridge and back to your car which is conviniently located at the brewry, just in time for refreshments. A google search will give you more info.

There's a bunch of 1-2 hour rides you can do from town. A few of them are included in Montana Singletrack, which is a great book to have if you spend time in various parts of MT. The folks at Great Divide Cyclery and Big Sky Cyclery can point you in the right direction as well.

Thanks for the help. I'm familiar with the Blackfoot Brewery, those guys ran the homebrew shop when I lived there and then they had the brewery open last time I was in town. That sounds like a good ride.

I'm renting a bike from Great Divide, spoke with them on the phone a few weeks ago. The website says that they have a group ride on Wed morning, which I will try if they still do that. I also ordered the book.

Thanks for the advice. The first ride was Wakina Sky trail back to Grizzly Gulch, then up to Mt Helena Ridge. I meant to catch Show me the Horses trail back down, but missed it. Second time, started the same way, but went down Grizzly Gulch to Mini Ridge up to Helena Ridge to ride as an out and back, which I figured would make it easier to find Show me the Horses. As I climbed to the top of the ridge, I saw a momma black bear with two cubs. I thought maybe I could get a picture, but she got on her hind legs and waved her front arms in the air. Since I was already past, I just descended Grizzly Gulch at that point.

Great Divide Cylclery was very helpful. Set me up on a Stumpy one day and an Epic 29er the next.

GDC is top notch

Wakina sky loop then back up the ridge to come down horse is good. Also hit rocky road loop to warm up then go up 2006 to the top of mount ascension then come down entertainment. That should do you pretty good.

entertainment is fun but goes by way too fast for how much effort it takes to summit it i think.

horse is my favorite chunk of trail in the area. i do loops on it and go up the road and take the lower ridge trail back up to the top so i dont mess up anybody elses ride down.

Does anyone know how the York 38 special ride is? My friend is getting a little more into riding, and I though of coming out next year for the 76 mile version and he can do the 38.

I love the friendly York bar, used to stop for beer and a burger on our way home from fishing on the MO. I figure with a burger included, it can't be all bad.

SamL3227 said:

entertainment is fun but goes by way too fast for how much effort it takes to summit it i think.

horse is my favorite chunk of trail in the area. i do loops on it and go up the road and take the lower ridge trail back up to the top so i dont mess up anybody elses ride down.

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Well if you like horse than you know about Emmets right, I like that better. Also on entertainment there is a wider loop.

EBrider said:

Does anyone know how the York 38 special ride is? .

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I haven't ridden it but heard that it's mostly dirt road and ATV trails with one pretty long climb. My wife and I were considering entering it on our tandem but aren't don't think we feel like making the early Sat morning start time.

EBrider said:

Does anyone know how the York 38 special ride is? My friend is getting a little more into riding, and I though of coming out next year for the 76 mile version and he can do the 38.

I love the friendly York bar, used to stop for beer and a burger on our way home from fishing on the MO. I figure with a burger included, it can't be all bad.

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I have fun, but I wouldn't say the ride itself is fun. I have zero interest in racing it, so for me it's about getting out for a long ride with friends and supporting a charity. That said, the downhill is kind of fun.

York Bar is awesome. It's where the magic happens. And they're still my favorite burgers in MT.

dir-T said:

I haven't ridden it but heard that it's mostly dirt road and ATV trails with one pretty long climb.

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Well-traveled gravel road up to Indian Flats, very lightly used gravel road down from Indian Flats, and then a couple miles of (fun) singletrack down to the Vigilante Campground. Then 8 miles of gravel road back down to York.

The climb is long, but it's not that punishing. Actually, the first climb out of York towards Nelson is the worst. You're not warmed up, and it's steep. Fortunately that goes by pretty quickly.

Destroyer ZC said:

Well if you like horse than you know about Emmets right, I like that better. Also on entertainment there is a wider loop.

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I do too, actually. But my favorite trail is probably Dump Out (aka Contour). I live right there, so I ride that several times a week for a quickie out and back. It's also the rockiest trail in the South Hills, so it's a hoot.