mountain bike trails massachusetts

Blue Hills are alive with the sound of... mountain bikers

When Eric Heinrich bought his house 17 years ago, he wanted it centrally located. And he wanted the centrality of that location to be Blue Hills.

Heinrich now lives in Milton, near the trails of the highest elevation in the Greater Boston area. And he uses those uphills to his advantage on his mountain bike.

"I like being able to get outdoors and riding a bike, and not worrying about cars," Heinrich said. "I like to get a good workout. I love riding a bike, but I love being in the woods better. It’s quiet, connected to nature."

Heinrich is one of a growing community of mountain bikers who have searched out the rolling mounds of southeastern Massachusetts. And it’s the roll that rocks these riders.

"One thing that everyone who rides is they come to be out in the woods," Heinrich said. "It’s a faster pace than just going hiking."

Speed does drive many of these mountain men and women. In fact, when he’s not cruising up – then down – Blue Hills on his bike, Heinrich is driving even faster around a track in his racecar. The former Randolph resident owns several track records around the country.

But, unlike an oval car track, a hill presents some unique challenges in its layout.

"When you go up the hill and down the other side, there’s a sense of accomplishment when you go over it," said Steve Cobble, president of the Southeastern Massachusetts chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA). "When you get down to the bottom in one piece – that’s the key."

It’s a key that occasionally doesn’t unlock the right door. Although mountain bikers may not have to worry about moving traffic, they need to be wary of immovable object – like rocks and trees.

"Most people who have mountain biked more than a few times have crashed," said mountain biker John Sheehan of Dover. "It’s a learning curve."

And it’s the curves that mountain bikers want to avoid – especially while flying down a hilly or rocky trail. Of course, bikers aren’t the only life form in the suburban hills as hikers and horses also share the trails.

To avoid collisions, parks maintain rules for bikers. At Borderland Park that straddles Sharon and Easton, bikers must stay only on marked trails, and avoid certain ones.

"The park is 40-years-old, and only in the past 20 years has mountain biking taken off," according to Borderland Park Supervisor Ellenor Simmons. "At the beginning when people did not think about safety gear, we had plenty of injuries. Nowadays, most are fully (equipped)."

At Borderland, Cobble’s NEMBA chapter completed the NEMBA Trail and Bob's Trail about 10 years ago.

At Blue Hills, the trail system is about to get a major upgrade, thanks to the same group.

NEMBA and the Friends of the Blue Hills have started to build the first trail in years to be added to the Blue Hills Reservation, which began carving out trails through the Civilian Conservation Corps under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. And it will be some trail, a mile-long path up to the top of Buck’s Hill to one of the most scenic vistas in the region.

The current Buck Hill Summit Path that will close, a fall line trail, is about half the size of the planned one. But it gets washed out and has deteriorated through weather and general use, Cobble said. The new trail, years in the planning stages, is designed not to wash out.

"We’re doing it the right way," Cobble said.

When it’s finished, it will be the longest and most sustainable trail from top to bottom – or base to summit, if you will. And that just will add to the attraction of Big Blue.

"Blue Hills is all up and down," Cobble said. "Borderland is more flat on the flat side. But in a technical aspect, it’s a blast and well taken care of."

So, climbing up or speeding down? What do bikers prefer?

"I like it all," Sheehan said. "It’s a great adrenaline rush to climb up a slope, and an adrenaline rush to go down."

Mountain bikers know that feeling, and like the idea of making it happen themselves.

"It’s not so much like an amusement park ride where you’re strictly a passenger," Heinrich said. "When you’re on a bicycle, you’re the one in control…. It’s an exhilarating feeling, especially when you develop the skills."