Hey KB, Welcome to the forum.
I always wear a helmet, but I don`t wear elbow and knee protection. I guess if I was trying "North Shore" type of stuff (which I don`t plan to) I would consider it. I guess I`m just wondering what you consider "intermediate. I live in an area where the glaciers stopped, and left a lot of boulders and rocks. To me, this is what I call "hike a bike" areas, and when I am riding there I do not wear protection…but then again, I`m not dropping off 12` ledges either. I hope you find some good people to ride with in your area. I started MTB riding in 1993 and quite a few of the people I started with are still my friends today. Once again welcome, this is a great sport! 😃