Cloud 9000

The ride starts with a cool jaunt through the trees, then a grunt up to the Ridge. The bulk of the ride is essentially fast, fun cross-mountain riding with great views and a little downhill thrown in. Near the end there’s a pretty solid climb, but it’s really good mountain biking, and the last mile and a half is excellent. It does, however, come at the end of a long trip, so save a little energy, because the whole ride is very much worth it.

Cloud 9000 starts with a shuttle up Guardsman Road to the ridge line above Park City. This single track ride takes you along the ridgeline from the top of Park City Mountain Resort all the way over to Canyons Resort, and then after a little bit of downhill, you head back on Park City’s IMBA Epic Mid-Mountain Trail. Once back over in Deer Valley/Park City Mountain Resort area, you can climb back up to the ridge to return to the shuttle, or you can pick one of several great single track trails back down to town.

Twenty-two of the twenty-eight miles are undulating cross-mountain trail which is as good as any riding you will find in the world, and better than most. The views are top-drawer as well as you ride along the ridge looking down into Big Cottonwood Canyon on your left and the whole of Snyderville Basin on your right.

The trip back through the aspen groves and evergreens doesn’t offer as much in the way of views, but in the fall it’s a kaleidoscope of color at 15 to 20 miles per hour. On the way back there’s a really fast cross-mountain stretch, then a medium length but very modest climb of about 500 feet, then good cross-mountain stuff, and finally a picturesque but steady and semi-long climb of about 1,500 feet over 5.5 miles. Honestly, the last climb isn’t technical or difficult, and if you were fresh, you wouldn’t mind it at all. The issue is just that you will have been on the bike for a while. If you are up for the time in the saddle, this is a signature ride for the area that shouldn’t be missed.