Western Montana is mountain biker’s heaven, and I think that Helena has some of the best singletrack trails in the state. There are miles and miles of trails that start right from town, so if you live in the downtown area, there’s no need to haul your bike to a trailhead. Or, if you’re lucky enough to visit, you can rent a bike from the Great Divide Cyclery right downtown and start your ride immediately. (Their website has a link to a map of the Helena trails: pretty cool.)
Last summer I only took a couple of rides, because I’d somehow developed a superstitious fear that I was going to fall and seriously hurt myself. And having the confidence that you’re going to stay on the bike is kind of key to mountain biking! It was pretty depressing, because I couldn’t seem to shake the nervousness, and I thought I’d lost one of my favorite sports. And despite the fact that I’ve written about my various fears on this blog, I’m really not a fearful person.
So I’m pretty pleased to see that whatever it was that was spooking me last year has gone away. How weird is that? But it’s fun again – still darn hard – but fun.
So, if you’re visiting Helena – bring your bike! Here are pictures from my ride yesterday: the Tubbs Trail to the Ambrose Trail to the Diretissima Trail. Not too difficult, but you can make it harder by just heading up higher.
Tubbs Trail, with Mt. Helena in background
cute tree swallow couple
still too chicken to ride down the steep parts – but that’s OK
don’t want to come up on this too fast, that’s for sure
really…how sweet is this trail?
can you see the Sleeping Giant?
awww…
Off the Beaten Path: Hikes, Backpacks, and Travels 
Looks like awesome trails! My husband would be darn jealous.
It sounds like he gets to ride plenty of great trails, so he shouldn’t be too jealous!
Yes, he’s done some great ones. But we’ve never been to Montana, and that state looks gorgeous!
I do see the sleeping giant! I love that. So glad to hear you are back to doing something you love!
Glad you like the giant – I think he’s pretty cute.
Those are pretty cool trails! You are giving me a new perspective on Helena!
Excellent. I so enjoy your photographs.
Those trails look good for running as well! I know what you mean about the fear of falling off your bike. In addition to our shared fear of grizzlies, I have that fear as well. Glad you’re back on the bike. Looks like a ton of fun.
Oh yes – runners’ heaven as well.
Nature has a sense of humour… I can’t believe that a mountain could look so much like a human. It’s uncanny.