Faces of Mountain Creek Bike Park

Jun 21, 2016 at 16:02
by Brice Shirbach  
Humans of Mountain Creek




By most reasonable accounts, New Jersey is not the first state that comes to mind when considering the places you'd want to build one of the country's most popular bike parks. It's the most densely populated state in America, which means that even when you're 'out there,' you're never really very, well, out there. Its highest point doesn't quite reach 2,000 feet above sea level, and quite frankly it's The Shore that garners much of the state's notoriety during the warmer months. Still, despite the stacked odds, New Jersey is in fact, home to one of the country's most popular and highly regarded bike parks; a modestly sized, but creatively designed and feature laden hillside in the northwestern corner of the Garden State known as Mountain Creek Bike Park.

Mountain Creek is home to 50 downhill trails, and an additional 10 miles of cross country trails the line the property. Within resort boundaries, you'll find over 60 jumps and features, a 1040' vertical drop, a high-speed open air gondola, a 50' airbag jump, a trailside bar and grill, numerous lodging opportunities, and even a water park. But this isn't a story about the bike park, at least not directly. In addition to the top-notch facilities and trails available to riders of all skill sets, Mountain Creek possesses one of the nation's most palpable and surprising bike park cultures around. Despite being the go-to, lift served riding spot for some of the world's best including Aaron Chase, Richie Rude, Neko Mulally, and Jeff Lenosky, there's a genuinely fun and inviting sensibility shared by the vast majority of the riders who call this place home, or at least their home mountain. We wanted to share some anecdotes from some of Creek's most loyal and friendly faces; people you'll find riding and working here throughout the season, almost always with a smile on their face and who bring a unique perspective to the Creek community.






Humans of Mountain Creek Bike Park
John Nicholson
John Nicholson has been here from the start, and is without a doubt one of the nicest and fastest guys on the mountain.

I’ve been riding here since it started. It went from being called Mountain Creek, to Diablo, and back to Mountain Creek. I raced all through the 90’s and got out of it because my store took over my time. I closed my store, and started working for my competitors so I could race again. It’s in my blood. A mechanic that can race means I can converse with both sides. I have so much passion for riding and for Creek, which is where Team Jersey Homegrown comes from. The Wednesday before each year’s Pro GRT here, I come up and help out with the trails. I don’t have to, I just want to. This place is home for me, and you take care of your home. I tend to pick people with a positive attitude because that can get you further than skill. We can work on the skills. All of my riders are good at talking to people. We have an open pit policy as well. I don’t care if you’re my closest competitor, I want you to be racing at 100%. I’ve fixed my competitor’s bikes, and they’ve beaten me, and I’ve beaten them. But they were running at 100%. Everything here is upbeat. It takes too much energy to be negative.

Humans of Mountain Creek Bike Park
The Team Jersey Homegrown founder soars above the mid-mountain hip at the 2016 Pro GRT.







Humans of Mountain Creek Bike Park
Ming Goetz
Ming, 18, has developed a reputation as one of Creek's fastest and most stylish riders, among both the boys and the girls.

I know a decent amount of people here, so even when I’m not riding, I’m having fun. I can come and just do 4 laps and hang out, and be happy with my day. It’s a fun environment. I remember the last day of the season last year, and the last run down. I dragged my friend to the cabin and told her I was going to no-hand it. I’ve hit it before, but never tried a no-hander. I had nothing to lose since it was the end of the season. We stopped above it, and I just had to sit there for a while. I’m pretty good about pressuring myself into those kinds of things. I told my friend to get below with a camera, and said, “You better get this, because I’m only doing it once.” You gotta go slow enough so you can pop a little. So I hit it and was freaking out afterward, I was just so excited. I stopped afterward and was just shouting. There’s a video of it somewhere. That day was awesome. Everyone was there.

Humans of Mountain Creek Bike Park
Goetz smashes her way to a victory at the Pro GRT for Cat 1 women.







Humans of Mountain Creek Bike Park
Jeff Anderson
Jeff Anderson, 30, is a member of the "Trail Crue", as well as the head mountain bike instructor at Creek.

To this day, I’ve gone through all of these instructor certification courses, and taught hundreds of people, and I still find things to learn and work on every day. That, plus the good people, keep me going on a daily basis. We really do have such an awesome environment. You always hear from east coasters, “Dude, this is cool, but you have to go to Colorado, or you have to go to Cali”, or just out west in general, but I’m pretty happy with the variety of trails and people you find here. Yes, we definitely have awesome dirt jumps and gnar lines, and a giant cabin drop, but there’s way more here than that. We’re so close to the biggest melting pot on the planet, and so many folks come here with rental gear, or who don’t speak English, but everyone is out here having fun and ripping together. There’s always a good vibe here, even if you only have a half hour after work to do it. I never really came into this wanting a career in bike park management. I didn’t come here to be an instructor, this was just the place I wanted to be. I moved here once I realized I couldn’t afford to live somewhere else and work here. Once I was in town, I rarely left. Everything that makes me happy, or calm, or excited pretty much exists within the boundaries of this place. Even when I clock out, I’m here, with these people. I just ride the trails instead of build them. It’s the same feeling either way.

Humans of Mountain Creek Bike Park
'Jeb' as he's affectionately called, wears many hats at Creek. Course marshall, instructor, trail builder, and of course, pinner.







Humans of Mountain Creek Bike Park
Michael and Nelson Maldonado
Michael, 12, and Nelson, 47, live in Stanhope, NJ. Michael recently won his age group at the Port Angeles Pro GRT, before breaking his wrist at Plattekill.

In the beginning, we just had fun on the trails, and celebrated every 5 minutes he would complete. 15-minute rides turned into 30-minute rides, and then 40-minute rides, and then it maxed out at about an hour for a while. Then something just clicked. He began to ask me for what was essentially coaching advice, and my own skill set was somewhat limited. So, I began to pay attention to what the World Cup guys were doing, so that I could better understand for myself what was going on with his riding, and my own really. It didn’t take long for him to start doing better than me. He started becoming a stronger rider than me. I remember smiling and yelling at him to wait for his father. That’s when I knew that he was beginning to push beyond what I am able to do. I don’t care if he becomes a pro or not. I want to help him become a good citizen, a good friend, a good son, eventually a good father. I want him to respect nature. He needs to understand that if he wants something, he needs to work hard for it. - Nelson

To me, I love racing, but I love riding with my dad even more. We both love to ride with each other, we laugh a lot, and we talk a lot in the car on the way to a ride or to the races. We go through our moments sometimes. There might be a drop I know I can do, but I have a mental block. Like the “Chainsaw Gap” at Platty. But my dad is there to help me through a lot of those. He’ll lead me into that stuff, and it’s a lot more fun because of him. - Michael


Humans of Mountain Creek Bike Park
With Michael out of commission, dad Nelson flies the Maldonado flag for him and his son.







Humans of Mountain Creek Bike Park
Adam Hauck
One of the world's most talented dirt jumpers and street riders, Adam Hauck, 28, is always game for getting loose on the big bike.

I had a downhill bike before I ever had a hardtail. I dropped my BMX bike when I bought my first hardtail, but I still rode a bunch of downhill. My career took off for dirt jumping, and being a ratty BMX kid at heart who rides a mountain bike, I just had to pursue a career as a professional dirt jumper. It was too much for me to try and get downhill parts. My DH bike went to shit, and I just left it in my mom’s basement. I eventually got hooked up with Hayes, so I could get some proper suspension parts, and dusted off my old Iron Horse and dialed it in with a new suspension setup from Hayes. I always rode downhill, but it was on someone else’s bike, and I never felt great. So once I got my own bike built up again, it was so sweet. I don’t take it too seriously, but I obviously love to go fast and hit jumps. I like to push it, but I look at it as a way to sort of free my mind a bit. It’s funny, because you go so fast here all day, and when I get back to my dirt jumps, whatever I thought was fast on my hardtail is nothing to what you can do on a big bike. It's cool to let the bike dance too. Everything I do is so technical and trick oriented, but here you can just let it go.

Humans of Mountain Creek Bike Park
The Lower Dominion jump line is a home away from home for Hauck.


Mountain Creek Bike Park mountain biking trails


MENTIONS: @MCBP / @briceshirbach



Author Info:
briceshirbach avatar

Member since Dec 5, 2013
126 articles

41 Comments
  • 19 0
 I love mountain creek, such an abundant mix of natural super rocky & technical trails and trails with more man made features for your fix of drops and jumps. The gondola gets you up to the top quick and you're never in the que for long!
  • 3 38
flag pigit77 (Jun 24, 2016 at 19:19) (Below Threshold)
 Been there once last week. Got a compression fracture in my lower back. So I suppose it's fair that I don't like mtn creek? Lol. It has some nice gnarly rock gardens and technical sections but I hated the jumps. Down the center there are jumps right in front of the huge wall rides and berms so if you have shitty brakes, your bound to crash. The jump trails have massive jumps that are nearly vertical. When we went on that trail, I'm pretty sure we were the only ones who ever went on it the whole day. Everyone seems to go on the green and blue. I would much rather prefer windham. The trails there are perfect, everything is easy to understand, just all round well though out trails compared to mtn creek.
  • 6 0
 My only complaint is that they have no respect for the climbers there.

youtu.be/5mpo3eOy6Bg
  • 4 0
 @Protour: I've probably watched this video 1000 times, and it never gets old. "I'm floatin' all over the place"
  • 2 0
 @Protour: #BringBackMiniMac
  • 3 0
 @Protour: Mini Mac is dead forever, however his legend will live on forever.
  • 14 1
 You should profile the folks who work in the shop too. A gentleman in the shop loaned me a part FROM HIS PERSONAL BIKE when the rider I was wrenching for at the GRT last month needed it. So stoked on mountain creek!!!
  • 8 1
 This is great to hear. It would have been easy for him to volunteer nothing. Instead he risked loaning to a stranger. In doing so, someone went home with a life-long memory of being helped by a stranger. Both probably started the next workweek feeling positive. Pay it forward...
  • 1 0
 yeah the guys in the shop at creek are awesome. always going the extra mile to help out. my buddy blew up his cassette and they pieced one together from the parts bin and just gave it to him for free so he could keep riding
  • 8 0
 I love Mt. Creek (Diablo when i was there) so much... Like the one that got away. I moved to N.Y. to be with my family while recovering from an injury I sustained at the end of the season in Crested Butte CO. I met so many cool people walking the trails in a sling with my camera. I decided to stay the next season and ended up working there and racing ESC. I sustained another major injury there that ended my racing career, so I moved on with my family and career. I still ride, and keep in touch with my friends from back east. I wouldn't have changed a thing. Some of the best days of my youth! That whole region had an amazing racing scene when I was there (Better then CA or CO) and working and racing the World's and U.S. Open were the highlight of my DH Career.
  • 8 0
 i live 10 minutes from creek and i have to say that all of the people profiled here are legit. due to the awesomeness of the bike park, the XC trails never seem to get the respect they deserve. my favorite days are the ones where i bring up my trail bike and do a lap or two, ride some xc trails, then do another lap, some more xc, then head to the bar and grab a sausage and a beer.... the variety of terrain here is really fantastic. For people thinking of making more than a day trip, the surrounding area has a large amount of great parks to ride within 30 minutes drive of mountain creek.
  • 10 2
 @pigit77
Mountain Creek is rocky, fast, mean, and tons of fun. Sent me to the hospital a few times and I come back for more. If you can't handle it, stay in Windham.
  • 1 9
flag pigit77 (Jun 25, 2016 at 18:26) (Below Threshold)
 Fair enough. when UCI will have a race at mtn creek, let me know
  • 7 1
 Mountain Creek is quite the polished jewel. There are many great parks in the northeast, but Creek is definitely at the top of their game.
  • 9 1
 A little sad that they didnt profile JONNY HANSON, aka Mr. Mt. Creek.
  • 2 1
 Who is he? Been riding there 11 years never heard of him...
  • 4 0
 Big thanks to George Ryan and the rest of the trail crue for designing and building such great trails. Much appreciation for the proper jumps with good lips and actual landings, none of that infinity landing crap... As for lack of trails, if you think this is an issue. Your not looking in the right places, plenty of hidden gems out there.
  • 4 0
 This park was around decades before most others on the East coast. I feel so fortunate to have this park so close to home.

I've been going there for 15+ years and it's where I learned what a big bike is for. All the broken bike parts, dented frames, and injures from such an unforgiving park......Great memories. There was a dark period several years ago but man have they stepped it up in the last few. Thank you to all the dedicated folks. I appreciate you.
  • 4 0
 Creek has always been nice. I remember racing there in 99/2000, such a great place and great people. Many great memories. Creek should get credit for helping to put east coast racing on the map.
  • 3 0
 I absolutely love this place. The jumpline is built right for those who actually know how to jump. The gnarly terrain is beast mode for sure. I went there for the first time on a hardtail on the U.S Open Weekend and was instantly hooked.
  • 2 0
 Great article! My favorite place to go on weekends when I'm not racing. Met Jeff at the pro grt this year, he was the coolest dude. Gave me some great riding tips and showed me how to hit my line. It truly is amazing how much there is to ride and how good the riding is, especially considering how small this mountain is. Absolutely love creek. Thanks to all the wonderful men and women that make every day at creek an absolute blast!
  • 2 0
 Soo much has taken place from Diablo then back to Mtn Creek. The whole time trails are perfect and the drive is 1 hour door to.trail for me. Always a great option but the most adventurous riders will find Plattekill irresistable. Either way more options and new trails draw talented riders.
  • 5 0
 Beast coast!! Gotta love dirty Jersey.....
  • 2 0
 @briceshirbach Killer article as usual! Love the East Coast pride... all you left out was the teeth most of the trails at Creek have! Hahahaha, so easy to get bit there! So many babyheads!
  • 3 0
 Stoked to wake up in the tent at Platty this morning to see this piece and be able to go congratulate friends and fellow riders in person at their tents. Nice job Brice.
  • 3 0
 Awesome article, creek is definitely much more then just a bike park! Love this place
  • 2 0
 I've never seen so many black bears in one area!!! The place is absolutely littered with them! I've seen more at mountain creek than anywhere in the northeast.
  • 1 0
 I was shocked to find out there was a dope dh place an hour and a half from NYC when I moved up here 4 years ago. Great place and people.
  • 2 0
 Great article Brice, so many face to Creek that you could do a whole series. Love n miss that place.
  • 2 0
 Absolutely...tons of talented riders and awesome folks there. Deserving of a series of these stories
  • 1 1
 Did there used to be more trails in the "diablo Freeride park" era of Mountain creek? Great to see the mountain is in great shape, for some reason i thought there were more trails than that back in the day.
  • 3 0
 What I've been told is that Diablo was more natural and gnarly. When Mountain Creek took back over, they tried to make the park more of an everyman's park.
  • 5 0
 No there is more there now then there was in the Diablo days. Most of what they have built since is more flowy man 'bike park' stuff but all of the natural stuff is still there.
  • 3 0
 there are a ton of trails at creek, including natural gnar stuff. you just need to know where to look
  • 1 0
 I did a Diablo / Plattekill tour in the summer of 2010. It advanced my riding TREMENDOUSLY from where it was before. Great place.
  • 1 0
 literally just got back from creek and readnthis. funnnnnn park and good peoples
  • 4 1
 OMG I KNOW THEM
  • 2 0
 I got my season pass yaawll!
  • 2 1
 Bring back Utah!
  • 5 1
 It's still there... Wink
  • 2 1
 @pbraunstein: No Paul, it's not.







Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv56 0.027077
Mobile Version of Website