Communal Forest with a Newbie


	a nomad in search of...



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May 4, 2006 Thursday

Communal Forest with a Newbie

In mountain biking, much like anything else, a good start makes all the difference. I once introduced a friend to the sport who loved it like crazy until he wiped out, sprained his wrist...and that was the last time he took to the sport. I'm very concerned about that aspect when I take a newbie with me. I have to ensure things are as perfect as it gets - perfect bike fit, trail-worthy bike, proper accessories and most importantly, the right trail challenge for the newbie's skill set. This ensures she'll want for more (instead of finding excuses not to ride).

Newbie Trail
While hanging out with Master Lito at Burnham Park, he talked about a beginner trail system not too far from Tam-awan - Communal Forest. The trail head is inconspicuous from the road and betrayed only by a green gate that veils its wide expanse. It's perfect for newbies - wide firetrails, layered canopy for shade, scenic route and mountain ridge riding with ample margins before the slope. I thought it was perfect for Mimsy who just had her rigid bike tuned by the master himself.

Biking from Tam-awan to the trail head was about 3.5 km...a good warm up. From there on, it was smooth pedaling that provided a few technical challenges as we viewed La Trinidad on the left and Baguio to our right.

Red Trail
It was worth a try to venture into a few minor trails that forked off from the main trail. One such section is what I'd call the red trail for its clayish-red hue. It was good technical riding until I saw the sign "Cyclists not allowed"...time to get back to the main one. I have to add though that that one looked very promising.

Coffee Berries
An experimental planting is being done where coffee trees are planted beneath the pines. I saw red-ripe coffee cherries that reminded me of Alamid coffee. The wild musang or civet eats the ripe cherries but can't digest the coffee beans, so it passes it whole thru its droppings. These droppings are meticulously collected, cleaned, dried, roasted and sold retail for P7000/kilo in the Baguio public market. I once encountered alamid droppings upon climbing Mt. Cristobal, but the quantity wasn't enough to brew a cup....I let it just go.

Ending Thoughts
I could not have designed a better beginner trail for a newbie - Communal Forest rocks. Mimsy's stoked and can't wait to get herself a hardtail and take trail riding one notch higher. Yeah, a good start makes all the difference.

--- TheLoneRider