This is the story of a unique new trail and the story of the multi-talented trail architect/builder Charlie Kohlmeier. If you’ve been out at Rocky Point riding or digging, chances are you’ve run into Charlie. If you know a lot of people who dig, most of them have been slinging dirt and enjoying Charlie’s post dig chili this fall and winter. The trail is remarkable. It’s fun, has good flow, it’s poppy, optionally airborne, creative, natural yet berm-appropriate, and sets a high bar for what good trail signage should look like. You’re going to love this trail. It’s for everyone. – Bob Lessard
A Tale of Two Trails – by Charlie Kohlmeier
Twisted Sisters creates a trail that both air junkies and ground huggers can enjoy at the same time. By combining the different optional lines in different combinations, you end up with a single trail that can be ridden in dozens of ways – a truly unique experience for Rocky Point. The Twisted Forest zone, where Twisted Sisters is adjacent to its namesake sibling Twisted Knickers has been a busy ride zone for quite some time, and Winter 2021/2022 NWTA broke ground to complete the family. A team scouted and flagged the trail alignment in fall 2021, and soon after an elite group of sawyers cleared the corridor. From then on it was project after project. Three Saturday sessions of volunteers, two shop days with Fat Tire Farm, and a stack of individual hours and ad-hoc dig crews later, the trail is finally ready for riding.
The backbone of the trail, the MAINLINE, is a durable flow trail that will ride well all year. You’ll encounter sweeping berms, steeps, optional side hits, rock gardens, and a unique wall ride. All features can be avoided if you stay on the intermediate MAINLINE, but the advanced lines involve mandatory features. The trail begins with a quick pedal to the ridgeline, then immediately drops into two gigantic berms, the WORMTURN, that spit you out onto a steep traverse that continues dropping into a small compression that will shoot you up over the next rise. You’ll get a quick break traversing the ridge, before dropping into a set of berms, setting you up for some steep options and the spicy rock garden, some berms, lots of ferns, and a meadow with sweeping turns that set you up for the final rock garden. Be warned, it can be extra spicy when wet. The final turns pick up speed as you cut across the young forest. Once you make it out, head south and hop on Upper Mulligan to head up for another lap.
While riding down the MAINLINE, you’ll notice four optional lines marked by double black diamond signs. This is where things get extra spicy. Each of the advanced lines feature MANDATORY GAPS. These are not for the faint of heart. Make sure you stop and study the features before committing to them. All of the advanced lines are designed for winter trail speed. This means that in the summer when trails are at their fastest, you will need to moderate speed to compensate. Do your best to clear the advanced lines when scoping/sessioning. Be safe, be smart, be courteous.
The first advanced line, the FERN FLYER, starts with a short climb to the top of the ridge, then immediately drops into a steep right hand corner that sets you up for a step down / step up combination. After the FERN FLYER, you will link back up with the MAINLINE through the ridge line berms. Immediately following the sweeping left hander you will see another optional double-black line. SKIP STREAM involves multiple consecutive drop/double/gap features where coming up short is not an option. Scope and study this area seriously before riding it. Farther down through the meadow, the optional advanced DUTCH DOWN pumps over some roots toward a skinny step down with a wide but short landing – scrub some speed quickly before the left/right combo berms that link back up with the MAINLINE where the optional final advanced rock garden. Remember:
- Study the advanced features before you ride them
- Advanced lines have the right-of-way at all merges, but look for cross-traffic
- Keep clear of takeoffs & landings
- Pink flags mark the features
- Ride within your limits and expect the unexpected – rain and wind affect trails!
- Obey all posted trail signs
Big shoutout to all the volunteers that made this trail possible! Volunteers are the lifeblood of rocky point, and we wouldn’t have the trails we do without them. If you put in any sweat on twisted sisters, be sure to sign the builders board on the backside of the trail sign.