For most riders dropping into one of Deer Valley Resort’s mountain bike trails this summer, the work beneath their tires may go unnoticed. The sculpted berms, smooth rollers and carefully shaped jumps are designed that way. “Flow style” mountain biking — where riders move continuously downhill with minimal braking or pedaling — only works when thousands of hours of labor disappear into the background. After a year of closures, construction impacts and one of the largest transformation periods in resort history, the crews responsible for maintaining Deer Valley’s summer terrain say reopening trails this season has been equal parts rebuilding project, engineering challenge and race against time.  “I think of it as waking up the trails from their hibernation,” said Deacan Spierling, a bike patrol trail worker, as he used a shovel to pat down and smooth out the approach to a jump on the Tsunami trail.  As the trails emerge from their winter slumber, timing and weather play a critical role in the process to get things ready for opening day, crews say.  “If people aren’t up there riding them, nature tends to take over a little bit,” said Dan Ward, the resort’s mountain bike trail supervisor, while walking between work zones on the upper mountain. Deer Valley Resort Mountain Bike Trail Supervisor Dan Ward shovels snow off of a section of the Tidal Wave trail. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park RecordA large fallen aspen lies across a section of the Tidal Wave trail at Deer Valley Resort. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record That takeover comes quickly, he said. Grass creeps into trail corridors. Fallen trees accumulate. Winter runoff cuts channels into surfaces. Snow lingers long after lower elevation terrain has dried out. And after large-scale resort construction altered portions of the mountain, some trails required something more substantial than maintenance. “The ski run construction totally eliminated probably about a quarter mile of trail right here,” Ward said, referencing the meadow section of the Tidal Wave trail. “We’re left with the task of redesigning and putting features back in.” Throughout the upper mountain, crews have spent weeks reopening trail corridors, rebuilding jumps, reshaping turns and reconnecting trail systems before opening day which is scheduled for June 13. Despite the workload, staff estimated roughly 90% of terrain was approaching readiness for the season by mid-May. The work itself is considerably more technical than many riders may realize. On jump trails, trail builders begin by measuring grades and estimating rider speeds before construction even starts. A black diamond jump trail, for example, typically follows specific downhill grades that help crews estimate how quickly riders will approach features, explained Ward. A crew member works on a bermed section of trail near Tsunami at Deer Valley Resort. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record “There’s no school of mountain bike building a jump,” he said, noting that construction relies on testing, experience and repetition. Crews build features, visually inspect them and eventually ride them repeatedly before public opening. Adjustments to takeoff angles, landing zones and speed control often happen multiple times before trails are considered complete. “We’re not just throwing people at it willy nilly,” Ward said. That process becomes more important on trails where mistakes carry consequences. Some jump lines feature gaps ranging between roughly 25 and 35 feet and are ridden at high speeds. “If you hit the jump and it puts you forward or back, there can be consequence to it,” he said. Safety, workers say, shapes nearly every decision. Many members of the trail crew also work winter ski patrol, creating a beneficial overlap between emergency response experience and trail construction. Crews inspect trails daily, coordinate with bike patrol staff and intentionally build rest areas into trail networks where riders can stop before fatigue becomes dangerous. Deer Valley Resort mountain bike crews explain the challenges of readying trails for biking season. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record “If people are just jamming the whole trail, they get fatigued, and that’s when accidents start happening,” Assistant Patrol Manager Steve Campbell said. The result is a balancing act between progression and accessibility. Trail crews must create experiences that are exciting for experienced riders while remaining approachable enough for beginners and resort visitors. That balancing act has become increasingly important as summer visitation changes. Workers say demand for hiking continues growing alongside mountain biking, and resort leadership is increasingly focused on summer operations and expanding recreational opportunities. New terrain under construction near Deer Valley’s East Village expansion will largely focus on cross-country riding, workers said, while hiking infrastructure continues receiving additional attention. The growth comes as crews confront another challenge entirely: getting visitors to stay off trails before conditions are ready. During spring melt, muddy riding creates deep ruts that significantly increase repair work. Workers pointed to fresh tire tracks crossing still-soft sections of trail while explaining that early season riding often extends closures rather than shortening them as it can be difficult to smooth out those tracks. This year, crews said conditions have helped. Lower snowpack and earlier melt allowed workers to begin projects roughly three weeks ahead of anticipated schedules, particularly on the upper portions of the mountain, which, in the past, have not opened until a few weeks into the season. Machines are operating seven days a week in some areas while hand crews move between maintenance projects across the mountain. For riders arriving this summer, most of that work will remain invisible. And that’s the point. Because the best trail work, the crew suggested, is the kind riders never notice at all.  For those looking to improve their skills, learn the ins and outs of the mountain trail network or new to mountain biking, Deer Valley’s mountain bike school offers private lessons and a variety of bike clinics for all ages and skill levels.  For information on lessons, see deervalley.com/plan-your-trip/bike-lessons. Deer Valley Resort sets June 13 as opening day for mountain biking season. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record The post Deer Valley readies for mountain biking season appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less