Description
– Distance: ~ 1.3 miles
– Min/max elev.: 3474’/4298′
– Elev. gain/loss: 99’/-913′
Click here for routes and maps with Martys.
Effectively, Marty’s is a moutain bike-only, downhill-only trail, and, in reality, Marty’s is a complex of trails, more than a specific trail. These include the upper part of Marty’s, Sketchy, Lower Marty’s, Vegan Chili and a couple of bail-out options to FS 2060 and another (Cutover) to Catwalk.
The trail starts, at it’s upper end, at the intersection of Catwalk and 2060, just below Four Corners. Soon, though, the trail splits, splits again. The experience is currently a cluster of interweaving trails of varying difficulty (black diamond and double-black diamond signs appear at various places). Riders who are new to this trail may want to take their time to identify lines within their ability. About half-way down are several, large gap jumps.
History
This was originally a rogue trail extended from some existing old roadbed on a sun-baked ridge full of large Ponderosas. Machine-built jumps in the 2000s prompted various actions by the Forest Service, including asking AWTA to come up with a comprehensive trails plan for the entire watershed to address the need for a manageable, sustainable system of trails that might slake the thirst for interesting trail experiences, while staving off rogue trail building. Marty’s trail was included in the subsequent trails plan, though the changes do not generally reflect the intent of the plan.
Written by Torsten Heycke 05/12/2020, updated 7/26/2025.