Unemployment Line (Bellingham, WA)
Trail Difficulty: Blue
Trail Accessibility: A2 Trail Access: Parking is along S Samish Way in a small gravel lot or along the road (the lot is often full). There are no facilites, however, the trailhead is not far from gas stations, coffee shops and grocery stores. There is a gate at the bottom that will require someone to lift wide bikes over a rock to the side. The climb is via Gate and Switch (a rolling double track trail) and then a wide gravel forest service road. The climb is a moderate, consistent grade. The Trail: Big, flowy, bermy paradise!! Many medium to large jumps with optional ride-arounds for any that can't be rolled. This trail is as easy or as hard as you want it to be. If you're missing Whistler in the off-season then you will love this trail! Connect to Atomic Dog (see review for details) if you want to push your tech skills and make a full DH loop. Is it aMTB friendly? The trail and climb are, yes. Suitable for blue to double black level riders. This is a great trail for a fun cruise or to push yourself to the next level! The reason that this has only received an A2 rating is due to a pesky gate at the bottom that requires a lift over a big rock, likely necessitating the assistance of 2 companion riders. This mountain is very popular with local riders and a friendly, helping hand never seems to be far behind, though. In addition to the gate, the long ride in and lack of accessible parking spots/facilities mean that there may be need for 2 or more companion riders and plenty of planning ahead.