We had a great time at Barnwell Saturday. After riding some single-track, then some faster trails, we spent the afternoon having a hill-climb fest! For those of who that haven't been there, you can spend as much time as you want climbing hills that go from mild to very extreme, with a good variety of terrain and obstacles.
The trails are marked (2 diamonds, 3, 4, etc.), so you can usually get a sense before you're too far committed of how difficult the climb/descent will be ("Uh-oh. I can't turn around!") . With the impact of weather and traffic, the signs aren't always accurate though. That just adds to the excitement! :-)
After scoping out a steep climb, with its obstacles of rocks, logs and step-ups, it's a real adrenal blast to make it up and come charging off the top of the trail!