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Tommy's Two Step
Tommy's Two Step is an uphill-only singletrack trail in the Park City Mountain
Resort area connecting Midmountain to the top of the Steps trail. The trail
was built in 2013 and later designated as a one-way climbing route. View of the twists and dips
on Tommy's Two Step. It's fun both ways. Photos and trail review August 5, 2013
by Bruce. |
| The trail has a broad track and smooth banked turns. It's suitable for experienced
beginners. It's 1.5 miles in length, covering 450 vertical feet
to a high of 8700 feet elevation. On the upper end, it forks onto Steps
about 100 feet from Thaynes Road and the Yurt. Right behind the Yurt is
the one-way downhill Mojave Trail to Midmountain. From the Yurt, you can
also take Three Candles uphill to
Keystone.
Looking downhill on Steps at the point
where Tommy's Two Step forks off into the aspens.
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Uses for Tommy's Two Step include:
Easier non-technical climbing route to the high mountain. Start
with Jenni's, then take Midmountain south to Tommy's, then connect uphill
with Three Candles to Keystone and on to Shadow Lake.
New loop options above Midmountain. Take your favorite route to
Midmountain, then combine Tommy's with Mojave. I've also put
together a bigger loop that includes Keystone.
View downhill on lower Tommy's as we
approach the Midmountain Trail.
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Sample Ride: Quick Loop -- Up Jenni's to CMG, loop
Midmountain, Tommy's, and Mojave |
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This lariat loop is 11.5 miles long with 1600 vertical feet of
climbing. You'll climb via Jenni's, CMG and Tommy's, then descend by
Mojave to close back to Midmountain. You can also mix it up. There are a
lot of options on this side of Park City. But with more trails being
designated as one-way routes, you may find a favorite ride must be done
another way.
Overview of the loop. Jenni's then CMG uphill,
Midmountain to Tommy's Two Step, a little piece of Steps, then Mojave back to
Midmountain, and back to CMG. |
| From parking, go to the southwest corner where there's a
gravel path along the edge of the condos. You should be able to see the
lifts and the Alpine Slide. Pedal up the path until you hit pavement. (The
entry to Silver Spur will be on your left about half-way to the pavement.)
Jenni's is up the paved ramp on your right.
The intersection of CMG with Jenni's,
as seen from Jenni's uphill. Lower Jenni's from this intersection downward
is now uphill-only. |
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As you climb Jenni's, you'll reach a four-way. Jenni's continues straight across.
Turn hard right to get onto the two-way section of CMG. Follow the old mine grade uphill. When it intersects a
gravel road, turn left uphill for 20 feet, then fork hard left to catch
the east-bound Midmountain Trail.
The Midmountain Trail crosses a couple
of ski slopes as it climbs very gently uphill on the way to Mojave. |
| About 1/3 mile after Midmountain turns back to the west,
you'll come to a sharp turn. Mojave -- straight ahead -- will be your
downhill route. Instead, turn to the left and continue on Midmountain.
Continue around a mile southbound on Midmountain until you reach Tommy Two
Steps. Pedaling uphill through the aspens. |
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Climb Tommy Two Steps (you can detour on Steps if you like
the old classic climb). Tommy will join Steps near the top. You'll
also pass the top of the newer Silver Queen downhill route just before you
reach Thaynes Road. Turn right and pedal past
the Yurt. Find the top of Mojave on your right, just past the Yurt.
The Yurt (as seen from upper Steps).
Mojave exits on the right side of this photo. You'll head to the right in front of the
Yurt and go a bit down the road to Mojave. |
| Now descend Mojave back to Midmountain.
A typical turn. Most turns
are banked and roll well in either direction. |
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When you reach Midmountain, fork left. Now follow the trail
signs to navigate through the complicated interaction above the mine and
ski lift. (Below are Johns, Johns 99, and Jenni's.) Stay on Midmountain
until you hit the gravel road where you left CMG. Hard right downhill,
catch CMG and roll downhill. When you reach the Jenni's intersection,
though, stay on CMG for the rest of the descent.
Back on the Midmountain Trail
northbound. |
Sample Ride: Intermediate Loop --
Keystone around to Tommy's |
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This ride is for upper-intermediates at 13.3 miles and 2000
vertical feet of climbing. Although I again climb lower Jenni's to upper CMG uphill, you can mix
it up by climbing to Midmountain via the whole length of Jenni's, Sweeneys/Johns,
Empire Link, Spiro,
Armstrong... whatever. The loop will be in the
clockwise direction.
Overview of the ride. Lower Jenni's to CMG to
Midmountain, then go all the way south to Tommy's Two Step and climb to the
Two Step connector. Find Keystone across the road and take it around to
Three Candles. At the yurt, catch Mojave back down to Midmountain and drop
down CMG. |
| As above, find the start of Jenni's and climb uphill. When
Jenni's crosses over CMG, turn hard right onto CMG and climb all the way
uphill toMidmountain and turn left.
Looking south back down CMG about 1.5
miles uphill. We're on an old mine grade that provides a base for the
trail. |
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Now head east then south, passing the bottom of the one-way
Mojave trail (our return path). Continue until you reach the bottom of
Tommy's Two Step.
On Midmountain. We'll go all the way to Tommy's Two
Step before heading uphill. |
| Climb up Tommy's Two Step. When you see a trail on your left at a spot
where Tommy's turns hard right, take it. That's Two Step, and it will take
you to the bottom of Keystone at Thaynes Road. You'll miss about 1/2 mile
of Tommy's, but you could climb all the way to Thaynes Road and coast back
down to Keystone.
Looking from Two Steps at the turn on Tommy's Two
Step. Behind my back, Two Steps coasts downhill to connect across Thaynes
Road to Keystone. |
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Climb all the way up and around Keystone. Enjoy views to the north, south and
east as the trail meanders. You'll cross Webster road twice.
Keystone as it leaves Webster Road and
enters fir and aspen forest. |
| At the trail fork above the road, keep to the right. The
left fork is Fat Lip. When you reach a fork in a large meadow, fork to the
right on Three Candles.
Keystone Trail. |
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Descend Three Candles. As Three Candles hits the yurt area, take the lower gravel
road on the left, just past the yurt. Find the top of Mojave and begin the
descent. Three Candles alternates between groves of
aspen and ski slopes. |
| Mojave will end on Midmountain. Turn to the left and ride to
CMG. Turn right downhill on CMG. View
back uphill at the twisting path of Mojave.
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Coast down CMG to PCMR parking.
A railcar bursts through a clearing
near a turn in the CMG trail.
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Getting there: In Park City, follow the signs to Park City
Mountain Resort. As you see the first parking area, turn in and park
there. Look to the southwest (toward the main resort. Pedal toward the
spot where the parking lot meets the condos. As you reach a wire gate, the
gravel doubletrack that heads uphill toward the Alpine Slide is the
beginning of our ride. As you reach pavement again, you'll pass the entry
to Jenni's Trail (to your right). Look to the left. See the log squeeze
chute? That's the start of the Crescent Mine Grade (CMG) trail. Jenni's is
across from CMG, along the edge of the lift.
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