Woodstock, MD ➰Quarry Loop Trail: A Perfect Circle? 🚴

f you are new to the channel, we make mountain bike videos for the new or older rider who is just getting into biking or have been away from biking for a while and just getting back into riding.

Today we’re doing 2 things. One, checking out a trail that we ride at least a few times a year that I feel could use a shout out and two, I wanted to gauge where my fitness is since I haven’t been out on the trails much this summer. The beginning of the summer started with a lot of stuff going on with graduations, vacations, and work stuff and then the Mid Atlantic heat and humidity did what it always does and I just didn’t want to put up with that. So the heat finally broke for a weekend and here we are.

The trail I’m on today is in an area called Woodstock. No not that Woodstock. Woodstock MD. Where million dollar McMansions meets the leather clad hells angels bikers who probably live in them.

There is a series of connecting trails around here but today I’m on one called the Quarry loop. It’s about a 5-6 mile jaunt out and back that has a really nice mixture of downhill flow and a challenging climb. At least for this out of shape mother scratcher. The climb in question I couldn’t ride up completely when I first started and was only mildly troublesome when I’m better shape. So how I do today we’ll give me a good idea where I fall on the spectrum. I have a good feeling I’ll be somewhere in between.

I don’t know about you but ever since I hit my fifties, fitness is an elusive creature. What takes me months and months to build up will be gone if I stop for more than 2-3 weeks. Every time a month or so goes by without riding, it’s like starting all over again. Overall, I’ve come to be quite content being “a man of a certain age” especially in regards to family, friends, accomplishments etc. But sometimes I wish I could trade this body in for a newer model. Some of these parts are approaching or already passed their expiration date. But at least I can still get out, there are folks I know my age or younger who couldn’t even attempt this. So perspective I guess. Let me know in the comments if staying in shape is still an easy thing for you or what you do to try and cheat mother nature.

The trail starts with steady uphill climb up toward the quarry. It’s not steep but probably one fifth of the whole trail by my estimation. Once we get up here we’ll have some nice fun features to take us back down toward the river.