FATMAP by Strava

Time Warp -> West Side Shuttle

Drop Time Warp then head to the little-ridden West Side.

Mountain Biking Severe

Distance
39 km
Ascent
640 m
Descent
2 km
Duration
2-3 hrs
Low Point
570 m
High Point
2.1 km
Gradient
10˚
Time Warp -> West Side Shuttle Map

While Jabberwocky is the most renowned trail in Ashland, if you ask riders who've explored most of the trail network, they often name Time Warp as their favorite trail.

Description

Getting to Time Warp requires a bit of climbing from the shuttle drop off point, unlike the classic Mt. Ashland shuttle run. You'll have to pedal around the backside of the mountain, but on the way up to the top of the trail, you'll enjoy panoramic views from the wide-open meadows, which will make you forget the extra work you're going through.

Time Warp is a black diamond descent with high-speed downhills with long sightlines. While some of the trails on Mt. Ashland are tight and twisty, the high speeds and wide-open ripping on Time Warp offer a breath of fresh air. The black diamond rating comes from the drops, rock slabs, and occasional rock gardens, but if anything, it's a light black rating. Most competent mountain bikers will have a blast on Time Warp, with the expert riders sending all of the hucks and the more timid riders opting for the alt lines.

After dropping out of Time Warp, this route takes a hard left on the gravel road and heads over to the west side of the Ashland Watershed. Buckle up: you have 7.5 miles of gravel grinding to do to reach the next section of singletrack. While the riding isn't overly hard, and there are only a few mellow climbs, you'll still have to keep those pedals turning over to get to your reward: No Candies.

The trails on the West Side receive a fraction of the traffic of the East Side trails, and No Candies shows it. This sinuous singletrack trail snakes through the trees, with ferns leaning into the trail and loamy soil covering the track. No Candies isn't solely a downhill rip—there are a few climbs mixed in—but it's a true gem of a trail.

After connecting downhill on some gravel roads, the next singletrack is Fell on Knee. This trail doesn't feel bike-optimized at all, and is relatively exposed with some awkward switchbacks and tree gates. The main goal of riding Fell on Knee is to get to the final descent down Hitt Road.

Hitt Road is an old mining road that has degraded dramatically over the years. Now a doubletrack trail, don't let the idea of descending doubletrack dissuade you. This trail is filled with rock gardens, hucks, berms, jumps, and all manner of features to play on. Thanks to the long sightlines, you can absolutely mach down this old school-style descent! While totally different from finishing a ride on Jabberwocky, Hitt Road is fun in its own right.

Difficulty

Severe

Widely variable, narrow trail tread with steeper grades and unavoidable obstacles of 15in/38cm tall or less. Obstacles may include unavoidable bridges 24in/61cm wide or less, large rocks, gravel, difficult root sections, and more. Ideal for advanced-level riders.

Medium Exposure

2 out of 4

The trail contains some obstacles such as outcroppings and rock which could cause injury.

Remoteness

3 out of 4

Little chance of being seen or helped in case of an accident.

Best time to visit

between July and October

Features

  • Technical
  • Picturesque
  • Shuttle-run
  • Singletrack
  • In the forest
  • Drops
  • Jumps
  • Roots
  • Rock Rolls
  • Rock Slabs
  • Rock Gardens

Similar routes nearby

Guidebooks in this area