Prior to this weekend, I hadn't ever really gone mountain biking. I'm more into sports that offer a "soft landing" like powder skiing or kayaking. But friends persuaded me that it would be in my best interest to get a mountain bike and get onto the local trails before too long. So, late last week, I went ahead and purchased a women-specific mountain bike and headed into the hills.

Turns out, Jackson offers up some of the best mountain biking, both on town trails and up at Teton Pass, in the Northwest. Friday afternoon, I headed to Put Put, just beyond town. The easy-going trail was the perfect place to start. It climbed gradually, descended at the same grade and offered just enough small hills and whoopdie-doos to get my heart rate up without causing a significant crash.

Saturday morning proved to be a little less successful in the "no crash" department with a few tumbles into the bushes and off the trail, but getting the inevitable out of the way early was a good thing. Not long after that, we headed to the Cache Creek-Game Creek loop, which winds from the Cache Creek trailhead over the ridge and down before dropping bikers at Highway 89, where you can catch the bike path back to town. It was a long trek, including 15 miles on trail and 5 more miles on the bike path, but well worth the ride. The wildflowers were out in full force, the temperature was perfect and the trail was relatively uncrowded. Don't forget your sprays, both bug and bear, as the trail travels through bear country and the mosquitos are out in full force this time of year.

To get to the Cache Creek trailhead, drive east on Broadway. Just past the hospital, take a right on Redmond. Take a left on Cache Creek Road and follow that to the trailhead, where you'll be able to meet up with other bikers of all skill levels and enjoy ready access to a variety of trails.

For more information on area mountain biking, experts at these locations can help with maps, local knowledge and gear:

Hoback Sports, 40 S. Millward in Jackson, 733-5335

Fitzgerald's Bicycles, 245 W. Hansen Ave in Jackson, 734-6886

Wilson Back Country Sports, 1230 Ida Lane in Wilson, 733-5228