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—Courtesy photo The newly constructed Highpoint Trail makes it possible to ride from the top of the Great Escape Quad, connect to the Uleda Ridge and follow single track all the way to the city of Sandpoint and the Selkirk Recreation District trails.
— SANDPOINT — Mountain bike enthusiasts now have the opportunity to ride more than 4,250 vertical feet of mountain bike trails in and around Schweitzer Mountain Resort.
The trail — newly completed thanks to ongoing efforts from The Pend Oreille Pedalers, Selkirk Recreation District, the city of Sandpoint and the resort — winds its way from the summit and connects with long established trails in the Schweitzer basin, creating 13 miles of single track leading all the way to the valley floor.
“The newly constructed Highpoint Trail makes it possible to ride from the top of the Great Escape Quad, connect to the Uleda Ridge and follow single track all the way to the city of Sandpoint and the Selkirk Recreation District trails,” said Kirk Johnson, Schweitzer’s rental shop manager. “The trail will be maintained by the Selkirk Recreation District and Pend Oreille Pedalers and adheres to International Mountain Bicycling Association standards of less than a 10 percent grade, making it great riding in both directions — uphill or downhill.”
The Selkirk Recreation District offers a weekend shuttle service for those who are looking to maximize the vertical experience on the trail. Using the shuttle and the lift to access the summit trails makes it possible for the average rider to enjoy the trail more than once in a day without having to climb.
“But, by next summer we hope to complete additional trail work that will allow riders to have uphill access to the summit of Schweitzer for the first time ever,” Johnson said.
The planned construction is part of a larger, multi-year Watershed Crest Trail project which will create a 30-mile loop starting at either the Schweitzer Red Barn or Mickinnick Trailhead.