Scouring the Strava and Garmin web sites for MTB trails at the base of any finger lake was fruitless. An email to the owner of a local bike shop (who I had recollected organized this mythical ride) resulted in no reply. An initial email to the guy who I thought I remembered talking to yielded a kickback email saying the recipient no longer exists. One more try to another email I found for the guy and Voila. He said, "Yes its called the Seven Turns and its a slice of heaven and it at the base of Honeoye Lake". I was jubilant in realizing I was not crazy (If you know me you realize, This is often debatable).
I had the occasion to try the trail. Its nuts. It features 1.3 miles of climbing at an average grade of 14%. To put that in perspective, tour deFrance riders consider 6-8% hard. This is off road which makes it even harder. Well I made it to the top and you get rewarded with a nice view. The decent is nothing short of harrowing. 25 mph off road feels like 45 mph on a road bike. Squeezing the hydraulic disc brakes as hard as I can with one finger. Fortunately I survived the decent. Next adventure...hang gliding .
14% for 1.3 miles.uugh |
The Payoff |