I got to ride the new trails at Murphy yesterday, and I was pleasantly surprised. There are 3 loops of increasing difficulty, resulting in about a 10 mile system. The thing I really like about this system is that it is very natural. There are a few bridges, a couple of stepped bridges between sections, and a "log of death", but 99.8% of this system looks like has existed long before the mountain bike was invented. I like Lebanon Hills, but after a while it feels a little gimmicky with all the log piles and other man-made obstacles. Murphy is technical without being gimmicky, with lots of sharp corners, some sustained climbing and fun downhills. It has a good combination of technical sections that keep you on your toes followed by open stretches to recover and flow.
I had time for a warm-up lap on the beginner loop followed by a beginner, intermediate and expert loop. I was maybe expecting something more "extreme" in the Expert loop, ala Lebanon, but after riding it I am glad MORC did what they did. If I want to ride a teeter-totter I can go to Leb. At Murphy, the terrain is the challenge, and for my money that's the way it should be. Sharp corners, bigger rocks, short steep climbs and some drops keep you focused on finding a good line and maintaining momentum. The entire system flows well from start to finish, and would be a blast on a single speed (next time).
Living in the north metro makes this a haul for me, but I'll definitely ride this again. I hope they can manage something close to this at Elm Creek or somewhere else in my neck of the woods. Nice job MORC and all involved.
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