It's basically impossible to build a true downhill flow trail in the loose decomposed granite and sand that comprises the soil at hawes, but the builders did the best that they possibly could. While the berms aren't huge, and you won't find any massive jumps, the flow the builders managed to achieve is downright impressive.

Adding to the appeal of Big Sister is the ability to make it more or less difficult, depending on your skill level. Big Sister is filled with optional hucks and jumps that can all be bypassed by intermediate riders or sent by advanced riders. The sightlines on most of these features are wide-open, allowing you to drop into the trail blind and still spot your landings quite easily (at least, most of the time).

If you're truly trying to rip down Big Sister, take care of the shifting decomposed granite trail surface. While it's quite typical of the region, the shifting sand and loose pebbles have a tendency to form pits that are just begging to wash out your tires.

Route Options

While you can easily ride Big Sister on its own, this loop forms a great addition to other rides in the Hawes Trail System, such as Red Mountain Rush.