Whistler Mountain bike park is opening today after the second snowiest season in the resort’s history kept the trails buried longer than usual. And in Utah, Sundance resort opens today as well May 25, though it will be the first in the state to do so. According to Salt Lake City’s City Weekly, Deer Valley opens June 17 and Snowbird will still have skiing in July but they predict the MTB trails will be ready by Father’s Day.

There’s still snow in Colorado as well which means resort trails and the high elevation backcountry rides (think Monarch Crest and Trail 401) will need at least a few more weeks to thaw and dry. Meanwhile, those of us in the southeast have been riding for months. A case of quality vs. quantity (of riding time)? That’s certainly up for debate…

Here’s a list of some key (projected) opening dates for 2011:

Open: Whistler (British Columbia), Diablo Freeride Park (New Jersey), Sugar Mountain (North Carolina)

May 25: Sundance (Utah)

May 27: Snow Shoe Mountain (West Virginia)

June 3: Sol Vista (Colorado)

June 4*: Keysone (Colorado)

June 10: Northstar at Lake Tahoe (California)

June 11: Trestle Bike Park (Colorado)

June 17: Deer Valley (Utah)

June 24: Mammoth (California)

* Unofficial estimate / wild guess

Help us add to this list by adding additional opening dates using the comment form below.

2010 was a big year for me. After a little soul searching I decided I would like to work in the bike industry. It seems like a natural progression given my lifelong passion for bikes and past work experience. I found a job in Vancouver, B.C., packed up my truck and drove across the continent. Over the past year I’ve made many new friends and had some amazing rides. Here’s a 27 minute video documenting some of my favorite rides of the year. I hope you enjoy it and that it inspires you to get out and spin those cranks!

Cheers,

Bob_the_Builder

Much of the Colorado Trail is open to mountain bikes.

Ever since I can remember I’ve always been fascinated with trails (go figure). I got into backpacking as a teenager and I quickly became obsessed with the 2,175 mile long Appalachian Trail. For a kid that’s too young to drive, the idea of a hiking trail stretching from Georgia to Maine is practically mind-blowing. Unfortunately bikes aren’t allowed on the AT (or the Pacific Crest Trail on the west coast) which makes it the slow lane for cross country expeditions.

Fortunately the idea of cross-state and cross-country (as in nation) mountain bike trails is gaining momentum. Just last month the annual Great Divide mountain bike race wrapped up and the winner rode his bike all 2,745 from Canada to the Mexican border in a scorching 17 days, 16 hours. Of course not all of us have the stamina (or the time off work) to ride across the US on our mountain bikes so more accessible cross-state routes are being established.

This year the 750-mile Arizona Trail Race covered the entire state of Arizona from Utah to Mexico for the first time. And here in Georgia, Dave Muse and his crew successfully completed the Trans North Georgia from South Carolina to Alabama in May and will be hosting an unofficial race along the route later this summer. For those who think this might be an easy ride, the mountain bike route is 350 miles long with 56,000 feet of climbing so bring an extra set of legs! There’s also the Colorado Trail that stretches from Denver to Durango and although some sections are closed to bikes, it’s possible to find alternate bike-friendly routes around closed areas.

Outside the US the concept of long distance mountain bike trails is taking off as well. Israel plans to spend $30 million to build 3,100 miles of bike trails in the Negev and around the Sea of Galilee. The first section of the Sea of Galilee trail opened this summer and will eventually circle the entire sea, giving tourists an interesting way to experience the history of the region.

This summer I’ll be taking my first overnight mountain biking trip via the San Juan hut system from Durango, CO to Moab, UT and I’m super stoked. In fact I’m already eying other long distance mountain bike rides like the Tahoe Rim Trail around Lake Tahoe and the BC Bike Race from Vancouver to Whistler.

Epic mountain bike routes seem to be good for regional tourism and for that reason we’ll probably continue to see more cross-state routes being designated. Even technology like the SPOT Satellite Messenger is playing a role in making long distance mountain bike trails safer and more accessible. Does your state have an official (or unofficial) cross-state mountain bike route yet? If not, get out there with a GPS and start exploring!

photo courtesy krisholm.com.

If you’re a forum regular here you’re probably familiar with uni_geezer, the crazy mountain unicycler who posts his video exploits online from time to time. Apparently he’s not the only one who’s caught the bug for wheel on dirt: check out Kris Holm, a mountain unicycler who has ridden his muni everywhere from the Great Wall of China to White Rim in Moab to the top of Mount Orizaba in Mexico. Not content with that, Holm has signed himself up for the multi-stage mountain BC Bike Race from Vancouver to Whistler at the end of the month.

It’s hard to imagine the stamina and endurance this ride will take and we’re rooting hard for him to beat at least one rider on two wheels. One thing is for sure, if there’s a muni category in the race, Holm should certainly take first place!

Sidebar: Are we the only ones who think mountain bike races have gotten out of hand with sub-category winners? In the old days there were 2-3 divisions (pro/expert/beginner) and first through third at each level got recognized. Now there are age group winners, single speed winners, clydesdale winners, etc. Where does it end? Categories for the color of your bike? 1×9 and 29er divisions? FS vs. hardtail?

Anyway, we’re pretty sure Kris isn’t doing the BC Bike Race for the kudos – clearly he’s the kind of guy who is into pushing limits to see what he’s capable of. Stay tuned for the results!

A sampler of MTB news from this week:

Bike rescue team rescues missing hikers: Yet another example of bikers helping hikers, this time in Manchester, NH. A group of 4 hikers became lost on Case Mountain this week during a thunderstorm and after alerting authorities of their situation via cell phone the bicycle rescue team found them within hours. Mountain bikes being used to help people? Who would’ve thought

Photo courtesy Pique newsmagazine | Whistler

Women are MTB’s fastest growing demographic: That’s good news, but what other demographics are we comparing? If we’re talking gender demographics it had to be men or women… At any rate, more and more women are discovering mountain biking every year and Whistler’s newsmagazine Pique has an in depth article about some of the women who put the men to shame at the MTB park. Good one to pass along to your wife or significant other…

Photo embed codes and contest updates: We’ve added an easy way for you to embed your singletracks MTB photos on forums or other websites using the “share” link found in the dashboard on photo pages. Just click, copy, and paste. For MTB photos, it’s time to kick the photobucket

The video contest is off to a strong start and it’s super close among the top contributors. There is still plenty of time left to get your video links in and don’t forget you also get points for rating or commenting on trail videos!

Yep, it’s official: Mountain bike season begins May 16. Whistler Blackcomb is opening the Whistler Mountain Bike Park next Saturday “on whatever trails are clear – or can be cleared – of snow.” Pique News Magazine tells us there’s some new stuff on tap for the 2009 season:

New additions planned this year include continued expansions into the Garbanzo Zone, including more intermediate level riding, a redesigned slopestyle in the Boneyard area, giant slalom and dual slalom courses at the base of the mountain, and new lesson and rental packages for all levels of riders.

Almost new this year are sections of Blue Velvet and Freight Train, as well as an improved No Joke trail – all three of which opened on the last weekend last season.

Through June 19 season passes are $435; after June 19 they’re $475 (cruel – less riding for more $$?). More details at WhistlerBike.com.