Murphy-Hanrehan Mountain Biking
Monday, May 28th, 2007Happy memorial weekend, everyone. It’s been sunny and cool outside (low 80s), perfect for the grand opening of a brand new trail.
Murphy-Hanrehan is a park reserve in Burnsville, MN where previously, an unmaintainable several-mile loop existed. The old trail basically consisted of ruts from the bulldozer that cleared its path every year. The hills were so steep that you’d often have to brake to keep your speed under 30 MPH, only to switch to first gear for the next hundred foot climb.
The new trail is completely different, built professionally and sustainably by contractors hired by the Three Rivers Park District. The new single track is as resiliant as Lebanon Hills or Theodore Wirth.
Here is the trail map as a reference.
The course starts off with about a mile of single track through an open field (green on the map). At the end of this you can loop back to the parking lot or take the intermediate loop onward.
The intermediate loop is actually closer to expert than intermediate. You immediately descend into tight S-turns with little embankment, making you lean and sometimes brake to avoid washing out. Following the descent (from marker 53), there is a LONG sustained climb from marker 54 to 57, similar to the big climb before the expert loop at lebanon. Warning: you need to keep a pace of at least7-8 mph on the climb due to the grade. If you don’t, your front tire will come up on you. Lean forward to compensate. The intermediate loop is more work than fun, but don’t worry. The reward is coming up in the expert loop.
At the end of the intermediate (where blue meets gray), there is an obstacle that you can simply walk over (see picture). This is supposed to be a qualifier, but it really qualifies you for something else than what you are about to ride on the expert section.
The expert section is epic. I haven’t done the Mah da Hey or other epic rides outside Minnesota, so my statement is qualified by the courses I’ve ridden around the Twin Cities. Be prepared for steep rolling climbs between tight trees while hugging the hillside, sharp descents around turns, and a few blind obstacles that could end your summer.
Speaking of obstacles, I was pleasantly surprised to see that there weren’t many, most of which had ride-arounds. Some of the trail segments have become obstacles though, but I’m sure that will change after opening weekend. From the looks of the trail today, there were a lot of rolling descents where people had slipped off the sides of the hills, which is understandable. Don’t be afraid to go slower. You definitely don’t want to go down the side of a hill there.
You might start feeling dead around mile 5.5. Don’t worry though; you’ve reached the top of the course. Check out the elevation map John Lundell made for an idea of the terrain you are facing. You can see that the entire first half of the trip is one long ascent with lots of ups and downs throughout. Be prepared to white knuckle and climb. Unfortunately, all of that elevation you worked for comes out pretty quick between mile 5.5 and 7.0. Make sure to stay behind your seat to not go over your handlebars.
My favorite part was somewhere around mile 7 where we did at least a half mile of cruising through open fields. It was great to actually be able to do >10mph uphill for once in the course after all of that arduous climbing.
It’s hard to describe what you feel like after 7 miles of expert with 683 feet of climbing/descent. It’s a different sort of tired. If you get back to the expert loop junction and are considering another lap, consider that you are committing to another 9 miles of riding. That’s over two intermediate/expert laps at lebanon, not even accounting for the insane terrain of Murphy.
Overall, it was a really fun ride. I’ll probably save this ride for weekends and when I have lots of steam to blow. I’ll definitely be chuggging a gatorade and a cliff bar before next time.
Since even the intermediate is very tough climbing, don’t go to Murphy when you just feel like cruising. That’s not what you’ll get. For now, I’ll keep doing my lunch rides at Lebanon Hills, Salem Hills, and Terrace Oaks.
Thanks to the Minnesota Off-road Cyclists for putting together such a great trail.
Other links to check out:
Official MORC trail review with photos.
Other Twin Cities Metro Trails
May 28th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
Wish we had some more trails like those, nice pictures as well.
June 6th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
We’ll have to go biking if you ever visit. You’ll be able to come here for a couple Euros if the dollar keeps sucking.
September 5th, 2007 at 9:31 am
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October 7th, 2007 at 7:12 am
I had to laugh as I read your review. I mostly ride Leb or Theo. I decided to try Murphy a couple of weeks ago and the rain moved in at the intermediate to expect so I was forced to exit the trail. After waiting for the trail dry out for a week, I left my office early because I was going to ride 2 laps at Murphy (this is what I told my wife). Well, I love this tail but 2 laps? I think not! Everything you describe is so true..I was begging for a break and wondering when the climbing would end and couldn’t believe I was so spent. Then all the sudden you get to fly down the trail…all the climbing slips from your mind just in time for the decision to take a second lap…what a cruel trick! Thankfully, I was wise enough aka:to tired, to take another lap. On the ride home I called my wife and described the trail exactly like you. Totally different than Leb or Theo and a force to be reckoned with and I can’t wait to ride it again!
January 15th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Nice looking trail. I love log rides, and you have a great looking one there. Looks like I’ll have to add Murphy-Hanrehan Park to my growing list of rides.
Scott
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