Port Gitchi-Gummi trail open at Spirit Mountain
Just in time for Bike Duluth Fest in early July, Spirit Mountain opened a new trail with the help of COGGS.
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“The idea behind it was just to create another way to start summer races, just reducing congestion on the top. So, yeah, and it was an awesome opportunity to build a really fun little, little section of trail,” said COGGS Executive Director Ansel Schimpff. “It’s always fun to have a fresh section for the race. Everyone had a good time, and it seems like it’s running well enough.”
Mountain biker Jenny Arndt frequently uses the trails at Spirit and was excited to check out the Port Gitchi-Gummi trail.
“I know everyone in the area here gets super stoked on it, especially at a place like Spirit Mountain,” said Arndt. “Adding a new gravity trail is always cool, especially when you get to incorporate it and open it at such a big event, to such a big audience.”
COGGS volunteers used chainsaws and other heavy equipment to complete the project. The Port Gitchi-Gummi trail has a Black Diamond difficulty rating, providing an added challenge for mountain bikers used to Duluth’s many trails.
“We’ve got a lot of kids that have grown up with these trails and we can’t build trails fast enough to keep up with their skill level as they’re improving,” said Schimpff. “So it’s really fun to watch and we’re just trying to match what our community is asking for.”
