G O L D   H I L L   N O R T H

Sandpoint, Idaho

I proceed to ride downhill for 4 miles, at times hitting better than 15 mpg which is pretty fast when you consider one's absolute destruction begins on either side of the singletrack which is only inches away from one's rapidly spinning tires.

As my downhill adventure progresses I enter into the "zone", I slowly become at one with my bike. My only reality is the singletrack below me and the blur of the forest at my sides, rushing past my periphery at an ever increasing speed. I find myself in Heaven on the way down, hopelessly wishing it will never end. An unending downhill singletrack on legs of enduring steel fueled by limitless energy and enthusiasm, the ultimate nirvana for any mountain bike junkie as I have quickly become.

One mile from the end of the trail I meet Katie and Ron, two ambitious souls who are on their way up. It is their first break from their uphill ride and they look pretty sweat-free, one sign of an in-shape biker. They immediately size me up exclaiming I have a "hard tail" mountain bike. They of course have full suspension rigs which puts my bike to shame but I don't mind. Maybe someday I'll have one too. We chat for a bit then go our separate ways, me going downhill of course, much to my pleasure.

After another mile of downhill fun, I reach the trailhead and feel rather good about my biking accomplishment. It was a difficult ride in the beginning but the fruits of my labor, the views, and of course the downhill, make it well worth the effort. I'd do this trail again, it was a grand, scenic adventure.

Given all the wonderful things this trail has to offer, I rate this ride a solid 4.5 thumbs out of a possible 5 thumbs-up. If you're ever in Sandpoint, ID and in need of a mountain bike ride fix, check this one out, you won't be disappointed.