Kelso Conservation Area (Beginner Mountain Bike Loop)

**UNCLE ERIK FAVORITE**

• Parking: "Kelso Summit" Entrance, 5301 Steeles Ave W, Milton, ON L9T 7L3 (~40 cars)
• Reservations (and pricing)): As of May 2022, you cannot show up at the park unannounced. The park has an automated gate using license plate scanners. You have to reserve your park visit (Kelso Summit) timeslot using parkvisit.ca.
• Recommendations: DO NOT go riding there on Tuesday evenings. This is because there is a weekly mountain bike race event happening at that time, and your riding the trail will interfere with the racers.
  Also, do not ride the trail less than 24 hours after a huge rainstorm (this will break the trail). This behaviour pretty much applies to any mountain bike trail.
• Terrain: Mountain bike trails (singletrack and doubletrack; some loose gravel); a mix of downhill, flowy and rocky trails.
• Washrooms: There is an outdoor toilet at the parking lot, and another at the bottom of the "Old Farm Lane" trail.
• Safety considerations: There is one popular cliff lookout which is not fenced, so watch your step.
• Bike Repair Station: There is one (no pump) at the trailhead/roundabout located near the parking lot. You'll see it behind the sheltered trail map, next to the "turkey shoot" trail sign.
• Maps: There is a map kiosk at the trailhead (Summit entrance), another at the bottom of "Old Farm Lane", one more at the top of "Ascension (Summit)"", one more at the bottom of "Fire", and probably more at the bottom closer to the lake.

I took my nephews to Kelso Conservation Area when I taught them mountain biking for the first time using a "beginner loop" I made up from the new Green (Easy) and Blue (Medium) difficulty trails during the park's 2015-2020 improvements.

I made this 9KM loop fast and flowy, avoiding any big downhill sections (and the uphills to get back up), and with only a handful of sections that can be easily walked out. This beginner loop I did can even be ridden backwards if you get bored.

Here is the trail order for Uncle Erik's Beginner Loop (please refer to the map):

• Enter and park at the Summit entrance.
• Proceed to the trailhead. Turn into Bell School Line (Green).
• Stop at the Kelso Quarry lookout for a moment.
• Go in to Wide Open (Green).
• Go into Deer Run (Blue).
• Hairpin turn into Lac Trail (Blue).
• Turn left in order to get back into Wide Open.
• Turn right into Darryl's Alley (Green).
• Turn right for a short trip in Old Farm Lane (bathroom break if needed) and turn right into Farmer Peter's Field (Green).
• Turn right (and then immediately left) into Field and Forest (Blue).
• Go into "Ascension (Upper)" (Green).
• There is a singletrack that will lead you into Roller Coaster (Blue).
• When you get out of Roller Coaster, proceed up a few meters on what is essentially "Ascension (Summit)" (Green) until you reach the cliff lookout off the trail.
• Stay at the cliff lookout for a moment.
• Go back into Ascension (Summit), Roller Coaster, and Ascension (Upper).
• Alternative (if you are bored and/or have more experience): From Ascension (Summit), go through Rock Garden (Blue)
• Attempt the man-made feature and turn immediately into the first part of Bruce Trail Connector (Blue).
• Keep left at the fork (do not go into Ugly Up (that's a Black Diamond trail)) and stay straight into Bruce Trail Connector (do not turn into "BT connector" (that's another trail)).
• Turn left, which will lead you away from Rock Garden (be careful!), and keep going straight into Old Farm Lane (bathroom break if needed).
• Turn into Energy Damping Field (Blue).
• Turn left at the fork into Turkey Shoot (Blue) (Do not go into X-Treem Trail (that's a black diamond trail)).
• Another fork comes up almost immediately inside Turkey Shoot. Keep left.
• Exit into Old Farm lane. Go down and back into Energy Damping Field.
• Turn left at the fork into Turkey Shoot (Do not go into X-Treem Trail (that's a black diamond trail)).
• Another fork comes up immediately inside Turkey Shoot. This time turn right.
• Follow Turkey Shoot all the way to the Summit parking lot.

BONUS CONTENT: Intermediate "race" loop for Kelso

To take you out of your comfort zone once you get tired of the beginner loop (and once you have learned mountain bike techniques such as riding position, cornering, feathering the brakes, and switching your weight around on your bike correctly), here is an INTERMEDIATE course inspired by the Weekly Race Series on Tuesday Nights at Kelso. This course's start will differ from that event's ever-changing course iterations because we parked at the Summit entrance instead of the Main entrance.

NOTE: This loop is best done when there aren't many people around (ex: first thing in the morning), because one of the trails will be done in a somewhat reverse direction, and one descent will be done slower than supposed to until your skill levels increase.

WARNING: There is a massive uphill climb (but it's the most intermediate-friendly climb at Kelso because you will not likely meet anyone going in the opposite direction on this climb to hinder your progress, and you will also not suffer the slippery gravel of "Ascension (Lower)"). There are also two rocky stretches (one is a climb) to watch out for, where you will need to not apply too much pedalling pressure in order not to slip your back wheel. You can walk those out if you do not feel comfortable.

Here is the trail order (please refer to the map):

• Enter and park at the Summit entrance.
• Proceed to the trailhead. Turn into Bell School Line (Green).
• Stop at the Kelso Quarry lookout for a moment.
• Now the loop begins. Go in to Wide Open (Green).
• Go into Deer Run (Blue).
• Continue into Quarry Trail.
• Go up Wizard's Way.
• At the man-made feature, turn right into Lora's Run.
• WARNING: There is one part of Lora's Run when you exit a forest into a grassy area, and enter a forest again. At this entrance back into the forest, take the bypass on the RIGHT (as opposed to the rock feature on the left which will catch beginners by surprise).
• Turn into Rock Garden.
• Go down Declined.
• Go into Digger Downhill. Yes, it's a black diamond trail, but each feature in Digger Downhill has a bypass. It is the most intermediate-friendly of all of Kelso's black-diamond trails. Take all the bypasses, go slowly down the whole thing (feather the brakes but do not lock the wheels) and it becomes a fun blue-level descent.
• All the black diamond descents merge into the latter part of Snakes and Ladders, and yiou will find yourself at Starting Gate.
• Go up and around Starting Gate. This is where the race would normally start.
• Take The Base Road right into Snake Bite.
• Snake Bite is a massive uphill, but it IS possible to climb it sloooooooowly and steadily on your easiest gear. Depending on your bike, this will be more of a test of will (as opposed to a test of leg strength), especially 2/3 of the way up.
• Turn right into Lime Kiln. Very rocky stretch. Keep going past Fire (do not go into Fire) until you turn right into Heaven.
• Go up Heaven, and go straight into Coyote Run.
• At the end of Coyote Run, turn left then immediately right into Rocky Road.
• Rocky Road is a very rocky climb. Whatever line you pick, you will have to get on an easier gear and slightly get off your saddle but at the same time only apply just enough pressure to move forward and not have your back wheel slip.
• Once done with Rocky Road, go into Old Dump Trail.
• Once out of Old Dump Trail, turn right into Old Farm Lane (bathroom break if needed).
• Depending how busy the park it, you can attempt to go up Darryl's Alley (hoping you won't meet anyone speeding down it; use your bell from time to time) otherwise you'll have to go up Old Farm Lane. You'll be back at the cross between Old Farm Lane, Turkey Shoot, and Wide Open. This is the end of the loop.
• To return to your car in a fun way, turn into Turkey Shoot and follow it all the way to the Summit parking lot. Otherwise use Bell School Line.