Good Trails, Bad Spiders | Monte Sano State Park | Huntsville, AL

The trails out at Monte Sano State Park are great but the day was overshadowed by many spider encounters and a silly spill at the end. Hope you like it!
/ strava
Trails in the video:
Sinks
Bankhead Trail
McKay Hollow

[@alancalvert953]

Don’t text and drive!😂

[@petedivine]

nice trails

[@way7952]

Armadillos are super cute they do carry a good couple diseases including leprosy. Just general caution there

[@_Aitch_]

Good thing I didn't try to pick em up lol. Definitely don't wan't to get leprosy.

[@jamesmathews243]

The climbs back up at Monte Sano are brutal. I could ride the downhills all day but I'm limited to 4 or 5 rides back up.

[@_Aitch_]

You got that right... Just did the Go Nuts Enduro there today and by stage 4 and stage 5 I was toast.

[@bigalrc]

Surrons welcome? 😬

[@justin_mtb2649]

Probably best to wait until race week to practice for this one when the trails are busy lol

[@_Aitch_]

Definitely would agree. Unfortunate that the top route on trailforks takes you through the spider pit. Would probably be good in fall or winter too

[@TNcountrylife]

What camera are you running and on what rig. I can't get nowhere near the stable footage with my set up.

[@_Aitch_]

This was a GoPro Hero 9 mounted to the chin of my full face helmet

[@JamesLG4]

I am with you regarding the spiders. I hate riding through the webs, freaks me out.

[@_Aitch_]

Creepy little bugs. If they didn't eat mosquitos and flies they'd be a 0/10 bug

[@offdaystv]

The biking was sick but the armadillos getting that close to you was even more insane 🤯

[@_Aitch_]

They weren’t scared at all… idk what they’re putting in the water out there!

[@bermchasin]

one of my most popular videos was just a trail full of spiders. HATE THEM.

[@_Aitch_]

They are probably just as pissed when we destroy their homes 😂... Tough life for a spider to just build and rebuild

[@andrewmoffatt3948]

These are my local trails. I learned to mountain bike at Monte Sano on a hardtail and this more or less summaries my experience, some fun trails, but more trails that started great and ended terribly lol. I think there are supposed to be a bunch of new trail work going on during the winter of 2022 though, so maybe it'll be worth revisiting in the next few years 🤷‍♂️

[@_Aitch_]

Haha sometimes that's just the way it goes. I'll make it back there again someday. Hopefully next time it ends up a better than it started

[@jimjohanson8152]

Hey Andrew! Polygon is fixed -Lucas

[@softbatch7236]

@MTB H, I'm a local to HSV and it's great to see our trails up there, Sinks and Bankhead/RMAD are fun. I'm actually the original uploader of the route for 3rd Coast, I don't think anyone that knows the trails would recommend it, almost no one rides McKay Hollow but Bluffline is good to go. The spiders are a daily occurrence in the morning so stick to the most used trails to skip out on them.

[@_Aitch_]

Sweet thanks for the info. I honestly really enjoyed the trails I rode and liked McKay Hollow until the spiders derailed it. I bet when the weather gets a little cooler and the spiders go away it would be a blast. I'd love to come back and give it another shot. So next time I go, your top 3 recommendations are Sinks, Bankhead, and Bluffline?

[@softbatch7236]

@@_Aitch_ Most of my rides end up with some combination of (in order of least to most likely spider activity post dawn patrollers): Sinks from the same spot you started (biker's pavilion). Sinks is also pretty fun "backwards" (North to South) but I haven't been down (or up) the start of that direction in a while, I usually would do that from mountain mist but it's pedally. Bankhead -> Dallas Branch -> Oak Park Coldsprings (can be connected to Mountain Mist -> Sinks or Bankhead @ the intersection with closed road) Mtn Mist -> Goat or War Path Ridge -> Goat Tollgate -> Dummyline to be a good time until the bottom of the switchbacks One last gnarly downhill is the Stone Cuts (south to north). Bluffline is an extra gnar day (I haven't been down Hightrail since it was rerouted with the switchbacks which should add a bit of vert to that route) This is probably closer to the upcoming Enduro (description only) than the 3rd Coast Route: www.trailforks.com/route/go-nuts--buster-the-beast--2020/

[@allencolby]

Came for the trails, stayed for the armadillos.

[@_Aitch_]

...left for the spiders

[@vwmk5gtiblk]

H brother. Both hands on the bars🤣 loved the vid 🤙🏻

[@_Aitch_]

Thanks dude. Just one of those days 😂

[@overthebars5954]

keep it up man, exactly what can happen when you adventure a little. cant say it never happened to me.

[@_Aitch_]

I will and it won't be the last time either

[@BlazingTonic2009]

This is what it was like for me riding Raccoon Mountain for the first time. I feel your pain.

[@bradyessary5668]

I've ridden there once, maybe 4-5 years ago and seem to recall thinking to myself as I was headed home that I had no interest in ever going back because it was so rocky and largely unenjoyable to ride or try riding. However, I am thinking of going back but probably not until the spring when hopefully leaf cover is off of the rocks so I can at least try not to crash.

[@_Aitch_]

It’s honestly a really good spot. There are a ton of trails… just some you should avoid. Sinks, Bankhead Trail, and Oak Park are all solid and not so rocky. Just try to duck the spiders 😂

[@EBcycling]

Oh man, I feel your pain, but you made a very wise decision, to head up the hiking trail. I stupidly went down Mckay today and then rode Arrowhead all the way around, to the South Parking lot. Possibly the worst hour I've ever experienced on a bike, or on foot (as at least 1.5 miles of the trail were unrideable), complete nightmare...

[@_Aitch_]

Oh man sorry to hear that. So many of those trails are really fun so it's sad that some of them are unbearable. Can't have a good time every time, right?

[@everettemartin3716]

Cute dillos, treachery, and some spills. What more can you ask for in a MTB H video?

[@_Aitch_]

Long time no squee, Everette. The sticks are dusty.

[@dammbleth2]

MTBikers vs Evil Spiders: The Battle Continues...

[@_Aitch_]

Will it ever end?

[@dammbleth2]

@7:02 Nice to see your making some friends out there. Should have asked them to ride with you.

[@_Aitch_]

hahaha just saw this! I'd rather have them ride along than the spiders!