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Growing up, I was plotting trails spots wherever I could find enough room for a run up and a few piles of dirt. Spots like 507, Kings Run, The Pit, Badlands and Rec are just a few of the places I have spent some time with a shovel over the years. In that time, trails were plowed for “housing developments” that never happened, crews got lazy and spent more time at the local park or people just went there own ways while leaving riding behind that has left the spots to come and go. I think that’s some of the same reasons trails all over the world fall apart. In the back of my head, I always thought having a local house with trails or even a mini ramp in the backyard would be the absolute best. No need to worry about random people coming through and wrecking them or having a lack of water or supplies to keep them dialed. Something you could show up and count on them being ready to ride. Fast forward a few years and it finally happens… Keep reading…
Conrad doubted this shot I wanted to take… Ended up being pretty cool with Bob and his little boy taking it in from another angle.
In comes Robby, a local rider who was the first guy I ever saw do a superman seat grab. A number of years ago he joined some of the older guys who “grew up” and got a job or went to college and disappeared. Then one day I hear from a few of the guys I ride with that he wanted to get back into riding and built up a bike. Hell yeah! Then I started hearing rumors that he had a house and wanted to build some trails in his backyard. All right, something has to be up. This is way too good to be true.
Like rumors do, things kind of faded off, Robby would show up for the occasional session and I would hear things like “Oh, he’s got dirt being dumped in his backyard and he has a bob cat we can use” but nothing ever came of it.
Finally, about a month ago during a session at one of the other trails spots that have kind of gone to shit the last few years, my buddy Conrad says “we should go out to Bob’s and build” and I kind of was like, what? nah, let’s just get these dialed in so we can actually ride for a bit. Then after a bit, curiosity got to me and I finally I said screw it, let’s go.
Not the best Turndown I’ve ever done, but we’ll take it since Conrad isn’t what we would call a pro behind the camera..
Rolling into Bob’s yard, I was surprised… here’s a ton of random piles of dirt and a brand new 2011 Bob Cat filled with fuel. The rumors were true… What the hell? This has been sitting here all summer and we’re just getting here?
Within minutes of tossing around some ideas, the Bob Cat got fired up and we started making some sense of these piles of dirt. It took two couple hour sessions to get the dirt all situated but things started shaping up pretty fast.
The video above is from one of the first sessions we had on the trails. Still a little soft and in need of some work, but sure enough, the backyard trails spot I had been wanting since I was about 14 were starting to run.
So far it has been a pretty small crew that has been involved, but it sounds like by next spring there will be some regular BBQ’s and jams that should get a few more people involved. There’s also plans of a few more loads of dirt and a couple more jumps. With that idea hovering in the back of my head all winter, I hope this impeding winter goes fast.
This tire setup did work… In fact, Conrad rolled over it a couple times before finally I pulled the iPhone out to film a quick clip of it and this is what happened… I’m going to say it was a successful clip.
The trails might not be massive or anything super crazy, but it’s more about living out a dream and getting to spend some time together with your friends. Pretty much everyone grows up, has responsibilities, gets jobs, gets married and has kids… which is definitely what is happening with this crew, but it hasn’t stopped the sessions. They just are more appreciated than what we probably would have done when we were 14. I’m sure this won’t be the last time you will hear about Bob’s Backyard Trails…
Bob’s little boy might not get the playground in his backyard yet, but we can only hope one day he will be able to join in on the sessions…
Conrad has some of the best no foot can’s and he can do them wherever the hell he wants. It’s crazy.
This second one is a ton of fun.
Classic can-can action.
Same trick, same jump, different angles.
