Hosted by Ski Hut, the Women’s Trail Series aims to create comfortability with varying terrain in Duluth. So far this summer, there has been one at Lester Park on June 10 and one at Mission Creek on July 8. 

“We’re going to each of the different major trailheads in Duluth for mountain biking, and the idea behind this event is to teach women some basic maintenance skills on their bike, teach them some basic mountain biking skills to help them improve whatever level that they’re at, and then to go on some group rides so that they feel confident on trails that maybe they haven’t been on or haven’t been confident enough to go on,” explained Ski Hut employee Krista Holden. 

Group settings like the Women’s Trail Series help make it less stressful for beginners to navigate the trails. 

“When I started mountain biking in Duluth, there were no women’s groups that I knew of or that I could find, and I only ever rode with men,” said Holden. “I wanted to create a welcoming space for women to meet other women to ride with so that there wasn’t the pressure of being one of the guys. Instead, you can be one of the girls, and whatever pace you’re at and whatever level you’re at, there’s other people to ride with.”

Ski Hut Ambassador TIffany Kari Cizmas taught women basic bike maintenance and other essential skills at the Mission Creek stop of the Women’s Trail Series. 

“The goal is just to get people, especially women tonight, comfortable on their bikes, wanting to come back out, feeling like they know what they’re doing, and then be able to teach others and carry it on and be healthy,” said Cizmas. “Sometimes the really the best way to start is with a group like this group that works on beginner skills, getting you teaching people to start right from the beginning with really good form and such so they can move forward gracefully with maybe less accidents if they were to happen or slips or anything scary.”

The next stop for the Women’s Trail Series will be at Piedmont on July 22, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Attendees can take riding to the next level at Piedmont and learn how to ride any size feature in a safe manner. 

The last portion of the Women’s Trail Series will be at Spirit Mountain on August 12. This will be a chance to experience downhill mountain biking while taking in the views of Lake Superior.