Pincushion mountain bike trails undergo rehabilitation project
The mountain biking trails at Pincushion Mountain trailhead are undergoing a long-awaited rehabilitation.
The efforts are a collaboration by Cook County and the Superior Cycling Association to fund the work of Dirt Candy Designs, operated by Mica and Adam Harju of Grand Marais. The company is known across the region for both designing and building beloved mountain bike trails.
A significant focus of the Pincushion Trails rehabilitation project is reducing erosion and improving the resiliency of infrastructure in a critical watershed of Lake Superior. As the system is nestled in the ridgelines overlooking Grand Marais, the trails traverse drainages and tributaries that require numerous bridges and culverts. Rehabilitating the trails involves construction of ditches, drainages, and culverts, both supporting a resilient ecosystem and reducing the amount of maintenance needed over time. This helps ensure the trail stays open for bikers to enjoy while working to eliminate deferred maintenance on the 8.5 miles of the 16+ mile trail system.
The added benefit to the mountain biking community comes in access to a modern trail designed for riders of varying skill levels. According to Mica Harju, the Pincushion Trails had gained a reputation for being a “challenging trail with the roots and the rocks.” Harju went on to explain their work on the trail as making it “approachable for riders of a lot of different skill levels.”
Adam Harju explains how the design and build of the trail is critical to managing water’s impact. The duo uses a variety of techniques to allow water to move through the trail system in a natural way while minimizing its impact and the need for ongoing maintenance. Natural drainage ditches armored by rock structures send riders over fun obstacles that also allow the water to follow its natural course down a hillside. Wooden boardwalks serve the same purpose on parts of the trail where the volume of water or terrain may be too much for a hardened rock drain.
The work on Pincushion Trails is currently ongoing at the time of this story’s release. See the trail work and how it rides in the video below.
M Baxley August 7, 2024
