Bike down Big Mountain in 15 minutes flat

Runaway Train is part of resort's effort to become a mountain-biking destination

Whitefish Mountain Resort's new freestyle downhill mountain-biking trail officially opened Saturday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Summit House.

Runaway Train took less than a month to complete once construction began. Mountain biking enthusiasts, resort officials and the Forest Service have been working together for more than five years to build the trail.

It received the finishing touches two weekends ago when rains packed down the dirt track.

"All of our trails, including Runaway Train, are in remarkable condition for this time of year," said Josh Knight, who oversees mountain biking operations at the resort. "The rain really knocked the dust down and packed some loose spots."

The three-mile long trail has no switchbacks, and riders can reach the bottom of Chair 1 in about 15 minutes. The seven-mile long Summit Trail can take riders about an hour to descend.

Runaway Train includes more than 29 berms, six rock drops, one rock wall ride, three natural terrain wall rides, more than 24 jumps of varying sizes, one large technical section of single-track near the top, and a "flowy" section on Russ's Street near the end.

Starting at the summit, riders descend through the steep cliffy areas on the North Bowl Face onto Moe-Mentum and then follow Russ's Street back to the village and the bottom of Chair 1.

The trail was built by the resort's mountain-biking staff and volunteers, along with May Lawn and Home Care, a local business that provided machinery and dirt-working expertise.

"Don't let the name fool you," Knight said. "They're serious mountain-biking enthusiasts, and they built us an amazing trail."

Several local mountain bikers volunteered their time to assist with the hand work on the trail.

Resort officials say some riders have compared it to trails at Fernie, Whistler and other well-known mountain-biking destinations.

"This trail is the first step in our evolution as a mountain biking destination," Knight said. "It's a different kind of trail, for a different kind of rider. It was built from the ground up by people very familiar with the current state of the sport, and it's by far the best lift-accessed trail in the state."

Knight said he would classify Runaway Train somewhere between intermediate and advanced according to the International Mountain Biking Association's definitions for trails. Whitefish Mountain Resort'a updated trail maps will label Runaway Train as a black diamond. The Summit Trail is marked as a blue square.

Future mountain-biking plans for the resort could include more trails and even a park for riders to perfect their skills.

For more information about Runaway Train and mountain-biking at Whitefish Mountain Resort, call the resort's events department at 862-2911.