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Carvins Cove Information Thread

23K views 229 replies 45 participants last post by  BikerJen 
#1 ·
I see a lot of posts asking for riding suggestions at Carvins Cove. I am a huge fan of the place, so I figured I would waist a bunch of time when I should be working over a few weeks time and put together what I know about the trails in one thread, mostly so I can reference it when others ask about the Cove. I give a description of the trails with a few of my personal preferences, and then give a couple of my favorite route suggestions. The beginner/intermediate/advanced ratings are just my estimation. Also, some trails I describe in one direction, some in both, and that’s based on how I tend to ride them.

Many of he trails got “officially” re-named about a year ago. Some people won’t know what you are talking about if you use the old (or in some cases new) names, so I included some old names as “AKA” notes. Feel free to add other names, some of these trails had many. I am a little peeved about some of the new names, but I’ll leave that for another post.

It would be great if anyone wants to add their two cents, correct any mistakes, or give their own trail descriptions or favorite routes. Also, if anyone has any mileages for trails or routes, as well as elevation changes, it would be great if you post them.

I think I covered all the trails. There are a few very impressive “unofficial” trails, but I think it best to leave those off here unless those who built them feel like spilling the beans to the wider public.

Here is a link to a map. If anyone has a better one, please post it.

http://www.roanokeva.gov/85256A8D0062C8D5/vwFilesByName/WVWAwater/$File/CarvinsCoveMap.pdf

I split this into a few posts. Trail descriptions, favorite routes, and parking/pass info.
 
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#2 ·
Trail Descriptions

I tend to look at the Cove in three sections. What my friends and I refer to as the "upper trails", the "lower trails" and a few in an area we don't call anything, I'll call them the "other" trails.

LOWER TRAILS
These are in the north part of the system, No big climbs, mostly rolling or flat with a couple of exceptions.

"Lower" Comet - (west of the intersection with Tuck-A-Way):
Technical: beginner/intermediate.
Strenuousness: beginner
This is rolling with very small elevation changes. Overall it is a beginner trail, but there are a few sections a beginner will walk. I would bring a beginner on this.

Enchanted Forest,
Little Bell (AKA Skillet/Frying Pan),
Schoolhouse (AKA Kit And Kibootle)

Technical: Beginner (with advanced options)
Strenuousness: Beginner
Flat or gently rolling and non-tech, but with some great log pile features as side-options. A few beautiful views of the Cove. Some sections are Pine forest, which have a very different feel than the rest of the cove. Some sections are newly re-routed, with great flow, others are older, with a more primitive feel and trickier flow. Good in either direction. One note about Enchanted forest, the middle of it has been re-routed from what is shown on the map. In the middle of the trail it dumps out onto Happy Valley (a dirt road) and follows it a few hundred feet, and passes the north east end of Songbird. These are great in both directions.

Arrowhead (AKA Funhouse)
Technical: Intermediate
Strenuousness: Intermediate
This trail is good in both directions, but very different. Coming from the end near Songbird, there is a long, gradual climb. After that, it is somewhat steeply rolling, (more down than up) and is technical in places. I personally like it in this direction, but others like it the other way, so you have more technical climbs, leading to a long, very gradual, wide-open downhill at the end.

Songbird
Technical: Beginner
Strenuousness: beginner.
This trail is one of the new additions, and it is a blast. Smooth, swoopy, and twisty. It is a great beginner trail to get someone hooked on riding, and is just as much fun for an expert rider. It has some climbing, but it is broken up so that beginners can handle it. This is a rigid single-speeders dream. If you are thinking of going ss, this is one trail that will convince you to do it. Great in both directions.

Happy Valley
Technical: Beginner
Strenuousness: Beginner.
Gently rolling dirt/gravel road that makes up the backbone of the lower trails.

UPPER TRAILS
If you look southwest of the parking lot on the map, there is a ~1,000' high ridge running northeast to southwest that Brushy Mountain Trail follows. All of the longest downhills (or climbs) are off of this (Buck, Trough, Hi-Dee-Ho, Gauntlet) I also include Horse Pen and Hotel here, because they will likely be part of most loops involving the upper trails, and Four Gorges, just because I don't know where else to.

Brushy Mountain Trail (AKA Thousand Foot Climb)
Technical: Beginner
Strenuousness: Intermediate
This is a long fire road climb. It climbs more than 1,000 over about 3 miles (anyone have an exact elevation?). It passes Jacob's Drop and Hemlock tunnel and continues climbing until shortly before it reaches Gauntlet. It descends a tiny bit before it passes Gauntlet and Hi-Dee-Ho, and is then gently rolling all the way to Buck. It loses a little bit of elevation on the way to Buck, just enough to make it a fun, fast ride. The climb is pretty gradual. I would call it a beginner trail in terms of strenuousness if it were shorter, and a strong beginner could probably do it if they throw it in a low enough gear and take their time. The view on the way up is very nice in a few places, and the forest along the top is quite beautiful as it recovers from the fire.

Hi-Dee-Ho
Technical: intermediate
Strenuousness: advanced (climbing)
This trail climbs from the parking lot all the way to the ridgeline where it hits Brushy Mt Tr. It is a tough climb, but not too technical. Coming down, the top half traverses the mountain slope with a series of switchbacks. Like many older trails, the stretches between switchbacks are pretty straight lines with uniform grades. I don't find it terribly interesting, but about half way down it straightens out and follows a side ridge down, and is a high-speed bomb-fest, with lots of small lips to leave you in the air. This second half is, IMO, the single most fun piece of DH at the cove, but it is not very long.

Buck (AKA Buck's Rut)

Technical: intermediate/advanced
Strenuousness: Intermediate (climbing)
This may be my favorite trail, overall. It has less elevation than Hi-Dee-Ho, but it is not as steep, so it is a bit longer, and just the right slope so that you are not on your brakes much on the way down. It is very old-school, meaning it was not made for bikes. This trail takes skill to ride at high speed, as some of the turns have an awkward flow that take a few rides to get dialed in, and some sections are very rooty, though not so rooty as to spoil the fun. Some sections are pretty washed out, but still ridable, with very little loose rock, except at the very top. Also, the trail has a different feel to it in different sections. Coming down there is a little climbing at the end, but not much. In all my years at the cove, I've only climbed Buck's Rut once and it was not too hard, except at the very top.

Hotel (AKA The Ho, Ho Trail, etc)

Technical: intermediate
Strenuousness: Beginner
If you like riding your bike over trails clearly not made for them, you will like this trail. To me it is the perfect follow-up after coming down Buck's Rut. It is not particularly hard, but it keeps you on your toes the whole time, sometimes just to keep track of the trail. It is rolling (mostly downhill) from Buck to the parking lot

Gauntlet

Technical: intermediate
Strenuousness: see below
Gauntlet is getting re-routed at the top, but here is what I can say: It is the longest downhill at Carvins Cove both in vertical (I've heard 1,200 - 1,400 feet) and distance. For the most part it is not very steep. It is very rooty, and gives your forearms a good workout/beating unless you huffed your 7" freeride bike to the top (no shuttling here). Those on hardtails will be treated to a full body beating. The trail is not particularly technical, just rough, long, and fairly narrow in many places with the shrubs crowding the trail. The re-route at the top should eliminate the most steep, loose, and rutted out part of the trail, and replace it with more swooping, twisty, and therefore longer trail in the style of Songbird and Connector. The top of the new Gauntlet will be right across from Hi-Dee-Ho. I'm not sure what to say about the climb. I've only climbed it twice (too good of a DH) It was really brutal before (advanced), but mostly because of the top section, which I imagine will be much easier (intermediate, or advanced due to the length) after the new trail work.

Trough

Technical: intermediate
Strenuousness: Advanced
I usually climb this. It is not too long, but the second half is pretty hard. You hit one long, straight, steep section that has me wondering how people survive without granny. After that, the trail splits, and then re-joins. To the left, the trail weaves back and forth up the hill at a humane pitch. Straight up is very steep, washed out, rutted, steep, rooty, loose, steep, etc. It goes straight up the fall line. I think this is why this trail is called "The Trough". Going up this, I would call the trail expert in terms of strenuousness and advanced in technical difficulty, though it only a few hundred feet, so if you try and fail you are not walking the bike far.

Horse Pen (AKA Timberview Trail)

Technical: Beginner
Strenuousness: Beginner
Very slight grade, straight, easy. Nice way to warm up for Trough Trail.

Four Gorges (AKA Connector)
Technical: Beginner/intermediate
Strenuousness: Intermediate
This trail is not on the linked map for some reason. To access it, you begin to climb Hi-Dee-Ho, and after a short climb (a few minutes) Four Gorges breaks off to the left. It roughly parallels the paved road and ends up near the bottom of Brushy Mt Trail. This trail is another new addition, and in the IMBA style of Songbird, but the climbs and descents are longer and significantly steeper. It is good both ways, but since it gains a little elevation going away from the parking lot towards Brushy Mt Trail, going towards the parking lot is more fun, IMO. Like Songbird, it is a ss dream. In fact, riding a rigid ss in this direction is one of the closest things I have experienced to mountain biking Nirvana. This trail is longer than you may be expecting when you look at the map. It is very tight and twisty, but has a great flow to it, and not a technically challenging trail if you take it slowly, but is quite an adrenaline rush when you start hauling.

THE "OTHER" TRAILS
This is the area between the upper and lower trails. It is accessed by either climbing up Tuck-A-Way (or Upper Comet is you want a real challenge) or by going up Brushy Mt Trail about 2/3 of the way and coming down Jacobs Drop or Hemlock tunnel. Besides these two downhill sections, this area is rolling, but challenging and steep in places.

"Upper" Comet - (AKA Tricky) (East of the intersection with Tuck-A-Way, connects to Kerncliff)
Technical: Intermediate.
Strenuousness: intermediate
Coming from Kerncliff (the direction I would recommend), the initial descent is intermediate/advanced due to the loose/rutted trail with a loose, steep hairpin at the end that will leave you in the trees if you hit it too fast. After that it is rolling, and intermediate tech with one short but utterly brutal climb we call the Hill of Despair. This climb I would rate advanced, but since it is fairly short, I call the trail as a whole intermediate. Climbing the trail towards Kerncliff would be pretty brutal in a few places in terms of pitch and looseness.

"Upper" Jacob's Drop (AKA The Drop, Pikes Peak) (between Brushy Mt Trail and Kerncliff)
Technical: Intermediate
Strenuousness: (climbing) Expert/Barf!
This is a very steep, rutted, loose fire road. Coming down is a little sketchy for a beginner. I don't think it is all that much fun, just steep and loose, and at the bottom (the steepest part) you have to keep your speed under check because it ends in a collection of ruts that could seriously mess you up if you don't hit them just right. You can see them a few hundred feet before you hit them, and it will take you most of that distance to slow down, even if you are not going that fast.
Going up is doable in the sense that anything is doable with enough effort, just be prepared for pain, and stopping a few times if you are not a top-level climber (at the top of my game I have to stop once or twice on a 30 lb FS, usually more like 3-4 times).

"Lower" Jacobs Drop (between Kerncliff and Tuc-A-Way)

Technical: Beginner
Strenuousness: Intermediate
Rolling fire road.

Tuck-A-Way (AKA Girl Scout).
Technical: Beginner (mostly).
Strenuousness: Beginner (mostly)
Good in both directions. It is a gradual climb from the intersection of Comet to Jacob's Drop. There is one slightly technical section at the very top that a Beginner should be aware of on the way down.

Hemlock Tunnel (AKA Clownhead)
Technical: Intermediate
Strenuousness: beginner/intermediate (descending)
At the very top, the trail is winding and a little steep. When it has been recently cleaned up, it is a lot of fun, but it gets washed out and loose easily, so after about a year it is very loose again. Then you get to the hairy part: A very steep, long, straight, consistent grade that traverses the hillside and is often packed with loose rocks and debris. If you don't already know how to descent steep grades, you will learn here. Maybe some people enjoy this section, but I think it is just a boring chore and a waist of a lot of the elevation you earned on the way up. You can't really bomb it (at least I can't), because there is not a good run out at the end. However, once you get past that, the trail is tight, twisty, a little rough, and challenging in an old-school kind of way. The flow is unpredictable, and it keeps you on your toes. I really like this part of it. It is still more down than up except at the end when you climb a little bit to meet Kerncliff.

"West" Kerncliff (between Hemlock Tunnel and Jacob's Drop)

Technical: Beginner
Strenuousness: beginner/intermediate
Rolling fire road.

"East" Kerncliff (AKA Three Sisters) (between Hemlock Tunnel and Araminta)
Technical: Beginner
Strenuousness: advanced
Fire road. A respectably hard climb going towards Araminta, and ridiculously hard climb coming away from Araminta.

Araminta (AKA Stickman)

Have not ridden this in years. As I recall there are no particularly hard climbs in either direction.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Parking Info

PARKING INFO

Definitely park at the lot on Carvin's Cove Road (west side of the area). If you park at the boat dock (east side) you have a long, boring forest road to ride until you get to any singletrack.

You need a parking pass which is $2 for a day, or $20 for a year. You can get one at Just The Right Gear (on 311 on the way to the Cove from Salem) but they are closed on Sunday. I think you can go to the boat dock side to get a pass on Sunday, but I would not bother, I'd risk the ticket. I've often forgotten my year-long pass and been OK.

The year long pass is for one year starting from the date you purchase it.

EDIT:
Someone brought up a good point below. What you actually buy is a land use pass (a small, thin receipt), and you get a parking pass (hang-tag) with it. By the books, anyone riding there should have a land use pass, whether or not they have a car there. In practice, I have not heard of anyone getting checked for a land use pass. I've been in the parking lot full of people and cars while a policeman was ticketing cars with no hangtag, but he did not ask anyone their about their land use pass. Not telling anyone to break the law, just relaying what I have seen.
 
#5 ·
NICE WORK! Seriously. I was looking for more info on Carvins, we go out there, but other than with a map it's still kind of a mystery (to me).

Also, I want to try the other parking area, that fire road IS long and boring, and usually there are people hiking, horses, etc.

It's only 20 for a year? :cornut: Hmmmmm...I'd rather NOT have to stop somewhere to get a pass every time...
 
#6 ·
I've never parked over there, coming from the Bennett Springs side, is there access to get over to the lower trails without going up Hi-Dee-Ho?

There is a missing square part in the map to the right of the parking area, what's with that, is there a trail through there to the lower trails? I don't especially enjoy having a huge uphill mountain kick my ass first thing...
 
#8 ·
Nice Job

wiretapstudios said:
I've never parked over there, coming from the Bennett Springs side, is there access to get over to the lower trails without going up Hi-Dee-Ho?

There is a missing square part in the map to the right of the parking area, what's with that, is there a trail through there to the lower trails? I don't especially enjoy having a huge uphill mountain kick my ass first thing...
See Kapustas section on 4 Gorges Trail. The paved road or 4 Gorges will take you to the lower trails.

I think the day passes are $3 and the annual passes are $30 if you are not a Roanoke City or Roanoke County resident - not sure on Montgomery County. Either way, get the Annual Pass. Well worth the bucks.

Nice Job Kapusta.
 
#10 ·
CraigCreekRider said:
See Kapustas section on 4 Gorges Trail. The paved road or 4 Gorges will take you to the lower trails.

I think the day passes are $3 and the annual passes are $30 if you are not a Roanoke City or Roanoke County resident - not sure on Montgomery County. Either way, get the Annual Pass. Well worth the bucks.

Nice Job Kapusta.
I'm from Montgomery County and it was $20 when I renewed mine last month. My understanding was that it is the same regardless of residency, so its an increase for residence (didn't it used to be $15?) and a decrease for non-residents.
 
#13 ·
kapusta said:
I'm from Montgomery County and it was $20 when I renewed mine last month. My understanding was that it is the same regardless of residency, so its an increase for residence (didn't it used to be $15?) and a decrease for non-residents.
I'll have to ask someone at JTRG next time I'm over there. I live in Botetourt county and I was thinking I paid $30 for my last pass.
 
#14 ·
I called JTRG yesterday, and they said it is 20 for a land use permit. He made sure to remind me about 3 times that it isn't a 'parking pass' and that they issue cards to carry PLUS a parking permit to go with it. He was very specific about this when I called it a 'parking pass'.

However, when I went to the other end where the main office and docks are, they charged us 6$ for two people, and only gave us a parking pass (For just a day pass).

JTRG also said for two people you would need two permits, yearly permits 2 x 20 = 40 dollars if you are getting them for two people. I live in Roanoke City.
 
#16 ·
wiretapstudios said:
I called JTRG yesterday, and they said it is 20 for a land use permit. He made sure to remind me about 3 times that it isn't a 'parking pass' and that they issue cards to carry PLUS a parking permit to go with it. He was very specific about this when I called it a 'parking pass'.

However, when I went to the other end where the main office and docks are, they charged us 6$ for two people, and only gave us a parking pass (For just a day pass).

JTRG also said for two people you would need two permits, yearly permits 2 x 20 = 40 dollars if you are getting them for two people. I live in Roanoke City.
While that is technically true, in practice you really only need a parking pass for the car. Or to be more specific, only the person with the car needs the hang-tag that goes with the land use pass. I have been there when they were giving out tickets to cars without passes, but did not check a single person for there card. I have never heard of someone being asked for their pass. Besides, the card is a pathetically thin receipt that did not even survive a year in my pack.

Of course JTRG cannot tell you this (especially over the phone), otherwise I imagine they could get in deep doo-doo with the city and not be able to sell the passes at all.

This is a good point, I'll add it to the parking info. Thanks.
 
#18 ·
wow, what an awesome post jeff. mustve taken you awhile to put all of that information down!

very well thought out trail reviews, spot on reviews i might add also.

one thing i can add is that Araminta is open and i rode it a few weeks back. one trail work day a crew i was in cleared out the bottom half of it and eventually it was 're-vitalized'

one end of it is a very steep fireroad climb that leads into a very fast fireroad downhill before the trail ducks off into the woods and slices and dices its way through trees that is pretty fun. it then connects to the bottom of hemlock tunnel.

the end with the fireroad climb is past comet

edit" i have kerncliff and hemlock confused maybe..
 
#19 ·
Matt 891 said:
wow, what an awesome post jeff. mustve taken you awhile to put all of that information down!
.
Thanks. Yeah, I was putting in ten minutes here and there when I was bored at work, and after about a month it was done. To bad I did not do the same with the presentation I'm giving tomorrow.
 
#20 ·
#25 · (Edited)
Updates

Couple of updates:

Gauntlet: The Gauntlet re-route was finished this past fall. It is pretty swoopy and flowing, though a couple of the grades are very steep, so I'm not sure that it would be much easier to climb than the old top section. The old top section is actually in pretty good shape, but still pretty challenging, and folks have been building some small jump options along it as well.

Trough: That "straight up" option (rutted, steep, brutal, etc) has undergone some pretty interesting work, and is now a series of fast berms and jumps. Pretty awesome stuff. Nothing else like it out there. Very well designed, as you can take it as big or easy as you wish.
 
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