I planned to ride today, but I wasn't feeling it in the morning and didn't want to deal with technical riding. I was waffling and wasting time until I decided to hit up the Overland Loop at Heil. They just had the ribbon cutting ceremony a few weeks ago. All I knew is that it was a little over 2 miles long and was advertised as intermediate / low intermediate. I figured I could lap it as much or little as I wanted. Low commitment. Just what I needed today.
Where was this trail when I was starting out?? It's very mellow, both technically and aerobically. It has enough twists and turns to be fun and flow, but it's 99% buff trail, wider than singletrack but not wide enough for two people to walk side by side. It's directional for bikes - looks like it will always be counterclockwise. From the existing trailhead, it undulates for a while, finally climbing out for the last half mile or so.
There's also a new trailhead that I completely overlooked on the drive in. From there, you start at the base of the climb, and get a nice descent down to your car.
As far as views, it's not much to look at, but it would have been great to practice general riding skills, mellow switchbacks, and a very few small rock bits that are more "oh, hey, that's not dirt" than they are obstacles.
All that being said - I don't know how long it will last in this state. Over the years, I've seen the other trails at Heil start buff, then become rocky as the dirt wears down. Trail maintenance helps, but ultimately, nature wins. This is in a different type of landscape than the trail on the other side of the trailhead, so maybe it'll stay this way. We'll see. It would be fun with a bunch of rocks, too, but less beginner friendly.
