Big Drop Brian Head Mountain Bike Trail (Parowan, Utah)

Length: The descent of the big drop is about three miles. However the trail can be taken for almost twenty miles into the heart of Parowan Utah.

Difficulty: Moderate to expert. The initial descent is quite taxing and not recommended to anyone who is new to biking. However the valley trail is fairly easy riding.

Location: The big drop trail (one of the many names) starts at the northern edge of the Brian Head ski resort in the rocky mountains of Southern Utah. Brain Head is located about twenty miles south of Parowan Utah, a small farming town located off of I-15. The nearby city of Cedar City Utah offers many standard services as does the ski resort itself.

Time of year: The big drop is only accessible from late spring through fall until the first snow fall of the year.

Special considerations: Brian Head is located at a very high elevation. This means the drop can cause problems for people who are sensitive to oxygen levels.

The trail: The big drop begins at the southern edge of Brian Head and follows a level and smooth path for about 500 feet or so. At the end of this path is a sudden and very steep drop of about ten feet. It is recommended that during the drop you keep your body weight low and to the back of the bike until the trail levels out slightly. If the first drop is a bit more than you feel you can take, there are alternate paths to both the east and west of the path.

Once you have made the drop you will be spending the next three miles in an intense descent that will cover over three thousand vertical feet. During this drop will be several steep inclines that are ideal for gaining speed. However use caution as what appears to be a level trail can lead to another sudden drop. During the descent you will have several opportunities to engage in daring Ariel maneuvers such as high jumping and table topping. In fact there are a few areas that those of a very brave and robust nature can attempt jumps over a deep gorge. However do this only at your own risk as the Iron County search and rescue often can take a minute to get to you.

After the intense three thousand foot jump may people bail out onto the road and stow their bikes and gear and ride either back up to Brian Head for another run or a different trail. The honest truth though is that these early leavers are missing some of the most beautiful terrain crafted by the hand of nature. While the trail may no longer be as intense it offers a good ride with several hills and valleys through beautiful forest land. If you are going through during an early morning or late afternoon ride do not be surprised if you spy some of the local wildlife such as a deer or beaver as both are common to the area.

While this valley trail goes on for about twenty miles there are several ideal areas to leave the trail and get back on the road. However there are also many prime and open to the public camping areas. Those who either have the time or were looking to camp in the first place will find there is no shortage of wonderful camp sites. However, if you were only planning on a day trip that is fine as well. The valley trail ends at the edge of the town of Parowan near a small convenience store where you can buy a cool drink or meet with whoever you had plans with to drive you back to where ever you mean to go.

All in all the big drop is a great trail that leads through and astonishing array of trail types and scenery. If ever you have the chance to visit Southern Utah try to make it to Brian Head for this and many other fine trails.

Top of the Mountain, Bottom of the Valley

A trail experience in the mountains of Southern Utah

I recently had the opportunity to go biking in the mountains and desert hills of Southern Utah. The whole region is majestic and beautiful with a combination of red rock hills, high mountain peaks and open valleys. It is no wonder that Moab Utah is on the top of almost every bikers list as a place to visit. However the trail I will be covering is located not in Moab Utah, but a little farther west near Cedar City Utah.

Not far from Cedar City is the ski resort of Brian Head Utah. Brian Head is located among the peaks of the Southern Utah Rocky Mountains. While the major draw to this resort is winter skiing the last few years have seen an increase in summer recreation due to the raising popularity of mountain biking in the area. Perhaps the best known trail in the area is called many names including the Parowan chute, the big hill and many other monikers. However no matter what name you give the trail there is not a biker alive who would refer to the run as anything less than exhilarating.

I started out the day early in the morning while the early morning dew was still abundant on the grasses and leaves of the mountain vegetation. I had dressed warm for that morning though in clothing that could be removed at one of the many breaks available on the trail. I had a full intention of traveling the full twenty mile trail that day and thus had made sure to bring a pack and some trail food. Double checking all my gear I approached the start of my trail made some small talk with my friends and then mounted my bike and began making my way on toward the days adventure.

I had heard from some other people that the trail head was the mellowest part of the whole trip, I found myself agreeing as the trail was mostly level and flat. Then after about five minutes of biking the descent came into view. I say came into view but more accurately it was more like approaching the edge of the world. As I got closer I felt a peculiar sense of anticipation mixed with dread similar to that of going on a roller coaster. I slowed my bike down a bit as I got to the edge and stopped and looked down the steepest longest trail I had ever seen up to that point. Then taking a deep speed I launched myself over the edge and was gone.

At first the only thing I could seem to keep track of was doing my best to keep my bike on the trail. The combination of loose dirt and being almost completely vertical made doing anything else seem a little less important. However after the initial and sudden drop of about ten feet the trail widened and leveled out a bit allowing me to take a breath and actually take a look around. The only word I have to describe what I saw was magnificent. The trees were in full bloom and the early morning light was streaking through them creating an almost dream like haze as we traveled along the trail. It was one of those moments I knew why I was a biker, I think everyone else on that ride agreed.

We continued along a steady decline trail for about a half mile when we came upon another steep drop. This drop was not quite as intense as the first but was much longer (I later learned that you drop three thousand feet in the first couple miles) and by the end my arms and legs both had a good burn from working to keep myself upright, but I barely noticed for the scenery was beautiful. A blend of aspen and pine trees dominated the valley we were riding through as we made our way to the next big drop.

At the start of the drop we all stopped for a bit and looked at the view, stretching out in front of us was a vision of high peaks reaching up to the sky that seemed to glow at the top as the late morning sun slowly began to offer light to this part of the trail. I took a drink of water checked my tires and once again took another plunge off a hill.

This drop was one of the most interesting because we spent most of it riding along the side of a hill as we continued to descend. It gave kind of a weird feeling of being upright and slanted all at the same time. However staying on the trial was easy as thousands of bikes going this same way had created a pretty easy to stay in groove. We finished the drop by following a small stream bed down to the bottom of the valley where we all stopped and looked back. The only way to describe looking back at the drop we had just made is amazing. Towering up above us were mountain peaks one of which we had been at the top of not to long ago.

As I looked up at those peaks I was lost in a moment of sheer joy, to of been able to make that journey on this day was indescribable, and while the rest of the trail would be a lot less intense it was still a beautiful ride through some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen. I look forward to my next time taking the big drop, or taking another of the many trails that lead from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the valley.

Overall Difficulty: Intermediate - Expert
Technical Difficulty: Intermediate
Physical Difficulty: Intermediate
Configuration: curvy descent
Length: base trail is a three mile drop, but the full run could go a full 20 miles