Lake Ponca Trails continue to expand

In the boulder portion of the Roadrunner section of the system

This ride features some technical rocky sections, along with some good, fast, flowing sections. This is not a beginner trail, but there are some bypasses for less-experienced riders in the more difficult areas.

The ride starts on Muskrat Maze where there is a great maze-like section in the beginning, winding around huge boulders. There are tight turns around the boulders and over rocky areas as you go. It’s only .4 miles, but it’s a workout because it is mostly a slightly uphill grade, so you don’t get to do any easy coasting.

After riding the doubletrack out of Muskrat Maze, head to Lizard Lane/ Bobcat Beat along the doubletrack connector. If you want to bypass the more difficult “Lizard Lane” you can walk or ride your bike straight up the hill to the easier “Bobcat” portion. Otherwise, follow the arrow pointing to “Lizard Lane.” This trail begins intensely over good rock garden singletrack, eventually making a switchback over a long slab rock that resembles the moon. You’d better be ready to pump your pedals! You’ll ride about the same distance over more rock garden singletrack. This is an advanced intermediate section for sure.

You’ll then end up doing a short rocky climb to the top of the hill to “Bobcat Beat.” The is about 1 mile long and winds through the cedars with a few surprises along the way, like a rock bridge and a massive berm built with man-made materials. You’ll probably want to make a few passes on this roller coaster feature. The trail ends back at the doubletrack and is just a few feet from the beginning of Scorpion Strut.

Scorpion Strut is a very fun, fast, technical trail. It begins with a short uphill over a big slab rock and then a quick left turn into a short technical down/up. The trail winds through a wooded area over lots of rocks (we’ve seen a couple of scorpions under some of the rocks). The trail switches back and forth a couple of times, out of the woods and then diving back into them. At the north end of this section, cross the road and hit Road Runner. Road Runner is where the boulder section is, and it’s advanced technical, but fun! At the end of Road Runner, cross the road again and finish the last part of Scorpion Strut, and be ready for a couple foot drop onto a short downhill run.

The exit is close to where the trail starts. Take the gravel road back toward Muskrat Maze and finish the last part of it, back to the parking lot. Now, do another lap! What is complete is a blast to ride and will keep you coming back for more!

Visit http://www.mtbproject.com/trail/7003206 for even more information and for a map and photos of the entire trail system.