The ride shown here hits some of the best black diamond trails on the Bear's Best end of the network. Most of the trails in this area are generally intermediate or beginner difficulty, so there are only a few black diamond gems... but two of them make it into this loop.

To reach the technical gems, you'll have to pedal out on flowier and easier singletrack trails, which in and of themselves are still excellent. (For a more intermediate-friendly ride, check out the Perma Grin Figure-8.)

The first Black Diamond gem is Get Schwifty. While this might in actuality be more accurately rated as a a light black or dark blue trail, the delightful exposure, chunky climbing, and expansive views make this pedally trail highly-entertaining.

Eventually, you'll reach Circus, which is where the real fun begins! This challenging trail drops down the bottom of a rock-filled wash, with cliffs flanking the trail and soaring high above. The bottom of the wash is filled with ledge drops, rippled rock slabs, and steep rock rolls that are guaranteed to keep even advanced riders entertained!

After finishing Circus, this route begins climbing again, making for the top of the ridge separating the trails from the city. Once on top of the ridge, you'll circle around a little bit before ripping back down on the Morgan's Mile trail. This chunky descent offers one blindingly-fast straight away that plummets down the ridge... but make sure you stay on the trail, because the drop-off to the right could ruin your year.