Snowshoe, WV - A Maze of Trails

We are bikers, photographers, video-makers or simply enthusiasts of extreme mountain biking, the sport we call downhill mountain biking. There are several mountains and trails around the world, but this particularly place called Snowshoe in West Virginia was the destination of my trip this past weekend. It was the last of three races of the Snowshoe DH season, I had to be there! With practice kicking off at 8:00 a.m. and a 5 hour drive ahead of me, the day started at 2:30 a.m. with a big cup of coffee and a car packed with two bikes, spare tires, tons of tools and some camera gears.


Being my first time up on Snowshoe I didn’t really know what to expect as a photographer, I didn’t know what the weather was going to be like, lighting conditions, terrain and some other stuff like that. In the morning the sky was cloudy and windy, but there was a wood section right in the beginning that was worth snapping some photos, specially after an old lady before this rock garden said “Oh Gosh, young kids are doing this! They are crazy.” haha that made me set up all my gear right there and wait for the first “crazy kid” to come down. Totally worth it!




Conditions were ideal for riding, dry and cool weather around low 70’s, the sun was trying to come out and as I walked through the trail I could see some blue skies in between the trees – it couldn’t get any better. I could tell fall was about to start with all the yellow and orange on the trees, and just like any other bike trip; it only gets better as the day goes by.



About half-way down the trail I saw this right-hand berm right after a rock drop and a hip that the riders were just hauling *ss! As I was setting up the flashes, the sun came out and the race started. With the dry conditions I could see some dirt flying off as they hit this berm getting ready to get back in the woods. Sweet spot to be!




As I was hiking back up I realized I lost my phone and as soon as I turned around I even forgot what I was about to do, the scenery was incredible! ( later on I found my phone on the slope somewhere, lucky day)


Sunday was the typical post-race day, laid back, bacon for breakfast, bikes on the porch and just one huge session going on the amazing trails of Snowshoe. Not just amazing but a maze of trails with endless combinations of lines and levels.




Young shredder Michael Kane got me stocked early with this shot of him on one of the first berms of the trail.


And a perfect end for a bike trip starts with planning the next one...