NEMBAfest at Bear Brook

Kevin and I got a late start this morning, and arrived at Bear Brook State Park at around 12:30. This weekend Bear Brook is hosting NEMBAfest (New England Mountain Biking Association). It looks like they had a great turnout today. The parking lots were full. The event continues tomorrow.

There are many vendors in the main event area. They also have events like the Mountain Bike Olympics. There are a few practice stunts set up there as well. I tried the two teeter-totters (fun!) and a little ramp with a drop off. I did not try the plank that got skinnier and skinnier until you are riding on just a narrow pipe. Led rides leave at 10 and 12. There are marked loops for riders who don't want to ride with a group and ride leader.

http://www.nhstateparks.com/bearbrook.html Bear Brook State park is the largest developed state park in New Hampshire, with over ten thousand acres. There are so many trails that even with all the mountain bikers there for NEMBAfest, we didn't meet up with many once we got out on the trails a ways. I have ridden, run, and hiked here several times, but still haven't seen all the trails. It is a beautiful park with a mix of wetland, fields, and forest. There are also a lot of hills.

Kevin knows the trails in the park well as he has put in many hours working on them and riding on them. So we didn't ride with a group or stay on a marked course. We started out following arrows, but Kevin took me off course to show me different trails here and there along the way. The riding is challenging in places, with lots of rocks and roots. We rode pretty hard and were both beat by the time we were done.

Trying to get back into a running habit, I have been following a training schedule. Today called for 4 easy miles. I didn't do it before we left for Bear Brook so I had Kevin drop me off at the Porter-Parsonsfield Covered Bridge on the drive home. I ran over the bridge and then home by climbing over Kezar Mountain. I ran on dirt roads and trails on exhausted legs at a relaxed pace. I think it actually helped my legs stretch out and feel better. I arrived home just as the sun was setting. It was a great ending to a fun day.

Tomorrow we are hoping to mountain bike at the Kingdom Trails, but Kevin seems to be coming down with a cold or something. We'll see.