Lost in the Forest

It was during the recent wedding weekend that I headed north of Rhinelander WI to ride the Smokin Spoke mountain bike trail system in the Tesomas Forest.  It was worth the drive up there as the trails were in great shape and some features that made this a lot of fun.  I don't know how many miles are in this system, but I rode for over 3 hours and I am sure I didn't hit any trails more than once.  

I am sure some of the trails I was on were not on this map located at the starting parking lot off Crystal Lake Road.  Study this map well because the trails were not well marked and it didn't help that the first area I went through was being logged.

The trails were in excellent condition and as you can see in the above picture they were recently raked.

Some rocks and some hills.

Nothing too technical, just single track fun for the most part.

I came across two of these.  They did have a bypass if one desires to take the easy way.  I came up to this one kind of fast, took the go around, looked it over, back tracked and went for it...twice.  It was a fun little feature.

There was some area on what I think was the west end of the trails that wasn't raked yet.  Rocks and other inconveniences hide very well in this amount of leaves.

The trails pass through some very nice northern Wisco scenery.

As I said at the beginning...bring a map or allow extra time to find your way back.  I snapped a picture of the map at the parking before I went on the ride.  It helped, but I am sure many miles of trails are not on that map, as I was lost in the forest for sure.  Well, maybe not lost...just didn't know exactly were I was.  Besides, as I look at the above picture I conclude, there are not many places nicer than this to be lost.