I just spent the best weekend ever at the Mountain Bike & Microbrew Festival with Back Country Excursions. I love bikes, beer, and the outdoors, so this was perfect for me. Of course, anyone expecting a luxury resort would be sorely disappointed, but I would say mountain biking is not for those with delicate constitutions anyway. After this trip, I look like I was brutally beaten by very short people: nothing but scrapes and bruises from the hips down. I bike around the city a lot but I've never tried single track before this trip, and now I may be hooked. Cliff was really great at laying out the basics for us before getting started, and the rides were divided up by skill level and speed. The guides were different degrees of awesome (Kevin was my favorite). The food was awesome and plentiful, as was the beer. Everyone (guests and staff alike) had a great attitude, and I had a great time. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a fun little adventure. My only regret is that I didn't get to see a moose. — Kate
Went with a friend for a day ride. My friend is newer to mountain biking and I have been riding for a few years. Cliff, Tyler, and Lynn were excellent hosts. We rode parts of the thirty miles of very thoughtfully designed single track in the morning for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Lots of good ups, downs, just the right amount of cornering, minimal roots for New England riding, and just very good flow. The degree of how well designed the trails are is hard to articulate. I was continually impressed the more track we covered. We returned to the lodge for lunch. Cliff cooked us up homemade burritos with numerous vegetables from their on-site organic garden. A great lunch break with outstanding food. Cliff took us on a tour of the property, which is incredibly interesting as they are very well designed off the grid homes and an enormous amount of self-built features. The on-site yurt is a stone's throw from the lodge and garden. It's a large structure that could hold about 10. The lodge is an amazing rustic house turned lodge that seems to suit the needs of the property perfectly. We headed out for the afternoon and rode another hour and a half of great quality trails. Cliff and Tyler were great at teaching us mountain biking techniques, both at their fun park with features right by the lodge (jumps, side wall, narrow bridges) as well as teaching us while riding. Really glad we went. — Maria
This experience is not a leisurely ride in the country. Cliff is passionate about mountain biking and his organic, energy-efficient, sustainable lifestyle. Cliff wants novices, like me, to appreciate the sport and enjoy the total experience of the weekend. He is attuned to your ability, but expects you to want to get better at mountain biking so you can enjoy it. I did the two day package, which was enough for my physical condition and experience. Cliff was constantly coaching me to help me get better, but he was also considerate enough to ask if I was close to finished for the ride. For two of the three rides I left for the hot tub while the other riders headed for another half hour of challenges. I enjoyed Cliff, my fellow riders who had very different backgrounds from me, and the whole experience. The lodge is very idiosyncratic. Reminded me of a hostel. You should not expect privacy or luxury. You should expect a sense of accomplishment and enjoyable company while enjoying a beautiful area. — Chuck