Two years ago, I was surprised to get a message from Jeff Lenosky. Apparently, he was scheming up a new video series and needed someone to show him around the trails of Brown County State Park in Indiana. The concept would focus on trails that were the hidden gems around the country – the ones that were notorious for one reason or another. Over the years, he had heard again and again about Schooner Trace, and for good reason. Most mortals can’t ride the entire trail, rather you ride most of it and take your bike for a walk every so often.
Naturally, I was more than happy to show Jeff the trails – even though it turned out to be the sketchiest conditions I’ve ever seen on Schooner. Not due to mud, but how slippery the rocks had become thanks to the incredibly wet and humid summer. The surface in sections was literally ice (as shown in the outtakes above). Eventually, Jeff cleared all the sections of the trail and we called it a day after hours of filming. But as these things tend to go, a change in equipment sponsors meant Jeff had to conquer Schooner Trace once again, so he headed back out to Indiana and made it look even easier…
It’s unbelievable how easy he makes this look, but then again, he is the Trail Boss! If you want to check out the trail for yourself, head out to Brown County State Park (a former IMBA Epic), and head up to Walnut Trail which Schooner spurs off of. You can make it a relatively short ride by parking at Hesitation Point, or you can ride from the North Gate parking lot or Rally Camp to make it a true epic when combined with the now 44 miles of single track.
This clip was from the first trip out to Schooner, and it was the first time Jeff cleared this incredibly difficult section after a few tries. Ok, quite a few tries – he is human after all.
