By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The quick turns and berms that wind downhill through Atwood Park’s new mountain bike trail gave Melinda Roach the feeling she’d been transported somewhere else.
“Something less flat than Illinois,” she said. “That deep ravine is very dramatic … It looks so huge when you’re in there. I just feel like I’m in a different state.”
Roach, who lives in Rockford, was among dozens who took the celebratory first laps Saturday on new downhill mountain bike trails at the park. The new addition to Atwood Trails covers roughly 2 miles and is suitable for beginners to experts. It includes portions restricted for downhill mountain bike use only.
“It’s a good feel to get into what a downhill, single-track mountain bike trail would be,” said Jordan Kloster, a Rockford native now living in Milwaukee. “You can go down it at your own speed. You can go down it super slow. You can bomb down it as fast as you want. It’s just a really good all-around trail.”
Among those taking the first laps on the new system was professional rider Austin “Bubba” Warren, a downhill and dual slalom racer from California.
The downhill stretch is filled with banks, berms and rolling features that make it feel like a roller coaster, said 9-year-old Blake Edwards, who was riding the trails with his dad, Chaz.
“I love that downhill part,” Blake said.
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“The first half is a nice mellow climb and the second half flows really well,” Chaz Edwards said.
Expanding the trail system at 7074 Rydberg Road costs roughly $167,000 and was funded by Clyde and Marjorie Anderson in memory of Marjorie. One of the trails was named in her honor.
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Photos: New mountain bike trail at Atwood Park in Rockford
The 2-mile path was the second phase of a buildout of biking, hiking, trail running, cross-country skiing and wildlife exploration trails. The first phase included 4.5 miles of natural surface trails and a 24-space asphalt parking lot. The $464,000 first phase was paid for by the Atwood Foundation, an Illinois Department of Natural Resources grant and more than 40 individual donors.
Construction on the latest trails began in May and the Rockford Park District worked with Global Action Sports Solutions on the design and build.
There are now about 20 miles of interconnecting trails on both the north and south sides of the Kishwaukee River at Atwood Park.
“It was just amazing to see the imagination that the trail-builders had to envision the path that it took,” Roach said. “I think it’s quite impressive.”
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas.