Take a hike!

Just seven minutes away from Bloomington, a bikers' haven lies hidden down a long dirt road.\nWapehani Mountain Bike Park is 34 acres of biking madness, off of Weimer Rd. between Second St. and Tapp Rd. Brian Freeman, a member of the Bloomington Bike Club, said Wapehani Park contains approximately 7-8 miles of single-track trails with frequent short but steep uphills and tight switchbacks. All of the trails are hilly and obstacles (logs, roots, stumps, etc.) are present on many of the trails.\n"There is nothing gentle about it," Freeman said. "It has a little bit of everything except for flats. You never get a break. Wapehani is about as technical as you are going to find in Indiana. I love the great switchbacks." \nAfter the land was used by Boy Scouts, Wapehani was developed in 1990 on a mixture of private and public land. \n"It was created to support the high demand for mountain biking locations we kept on receiving," said Steve Cotter, the Natural Resources Coordinator. \nHe said that the city wanted to provide a park in which people could mountain bike legally. \n"I love Wapehani because it is a nice wooded setting to bike in right next to town," Cotter said. "It is a great way to exercise because you are thinking about the trail and not about how much your legs hurt." \nCotter added that many people take advantage of the forested bike park.\n"There is a broad mix of people who use the park -- many kids go out and explore the natural world, people ride for fitness and other people train for races." \nMany races take place in Wapehani Park such as the DINO Mountain Bike Race Series. A new DINO race will take place in Wapehani on July 8th. Freeman, a participant in the DINO race, utilizes Wapehani frequently. He rides Wapehani about two to three times a week, one to two hours a ride. He said that proximity is the biggest advantage of Wapheni because he doesn't want to waste the time driving a long way to do some biking. In Wapehani, bikers can actually bike from town, unlike other parks which are farther away. \nJoe Gaines, a resident of Bloomington, said that Wapehani is a great place to bring your family. \n"The main thing is that it is convenient and challenging at the same time," Gaines said.\nGaines, who has taken his family mountain biking in Durango, Colorado, knows that Wapehani is safe because almost anyone could ride the intermediate trails.\nHe said that even though there are some tough sections and rough obstacles, he feels confident biking with his family. His son,10-year-old Taylor, participates in races throughout the state. \n"This is probably the best mountain biking you will find in Indiana," Taylor said. \nBloomington North High School sophomore Jasmine Bicknell said the beauty of Indiana shines through in Wapehani Park because of the number of different trees and nature present.\n"The park always stays the same temperature because of the amount of trees," Bicknell said. \nBicknell comes to the park almost every day to hike for exercise or to think and relax, and said she knows the trails like the back of her hand. \n"I like it because it is usually tranquil and quiet and there is always something to do," she said. "There are always new colors and new trails -- you can never go wrong."\nShe said she was really surprised that more people do not take advantage of Wapehani's nature because she just loves sitting by the lake and relaxing under the trees. \n"Wapehani is just a really good place to be one on one with nature," she said.\nBut mountain biking is not for the weak. In fact, it is dangerous and risky. Riders must wear helmets and sign a wavier before riding. Cotter advises riders not to ride when it is raining or muddy because it destroys the trails and can be more dangerous for bikers. Also, he strongly encourages bikers to ride with another person because accidents do occur. \nCotter said that there have definitely been minor accidents in Wapehani but fortunately he hasn't recently encountered any major accidents. An interested biker can obtain a waiver to ride Wapehani from the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Office or from any local bike shop. \nFor more information about mountain biking or hiking in Wapehani Park check out the Web site at www.bloomington.in.us/~bicycle/wapehani/wapehani.html.