The Quadfest 2006 at The Mountain in Somerset Pennsylvania
July 21-22-23 2006

By: Steve Carson
Photos by: Mario Leoni, John Knippenberg and Steve Carson

Quadfest 2006 at The Mountain which is located right outside of Somerset PA was a great trail riding experience and was also very enjoyable. Not only was the riding a great opportunity, but the events on a daily basis were bound to keep the excitement level up as well.

The road into Quadfest was well marked off of PA Rt. 160. The access was pretty long and turned into a dirt and gravel road about half way to the parking area. On this road was the registration and check in area. After leaving the check in area and cresting a large hill the parking area was visible. Camping areas were also visible just off to the right and below the Vendor Row.

Mountain Ridge Trails have approximately 60 miles of trails consisting of various skill levels which are marked at each trail head. Our journey started us off on the green trail that encircled the area. The trails are mixed with some small fielded areas to some wooded areas and very minimal terrain dangers were present. Those dangers present were marked with highly visible signs and things that like to jump out in front of even the most advanced rider, such as tree roots and rocks, were spray painted with orange paint to alert riders where a potential danger could be. The Green Trails are the perfect place for any rider including experienced, new and young ATV riders. Along the way through the trails, if you love to watch 4x4 machines do some mud bogging, keep your eyes open for the mud pits that sit along the trails. The Blue Trails are more intermediate to ride than the green trails. Slight off cambers, small hill climbs and even some rocks to crawl over are all present. The trails are still marked off well enough that it is pretty impossible to go the wrong way or even become lost. And for the most veteran Quad rider, test your skills on the unforgiving black diamond trails, which are full of rock climbing, serious off cambers and some pretty tricky hill climbs.

Some of the special designated areas were the Kids Corner and the time trials track. The kids’ corner was a small Motocross type setup that the little ones seemed to love and enjoy every time they went a lap! The time trials track you can see the dirt bike riders hanging up huge airtime, and ATV’s of all sizes testing their best times against each other.

Vendor Row at Quadfest was located centrally from all the trails and events and could be spotted from miles away on the trails by the high pitched vendor tents. Mountain Ridge Trail’s main office and stage were also located at this area. You could find anything from Can-Am tents, to food booths and even free demo rides at Vendor row. Even a sneak peek at the new Can-Am Renegade 800, and an Outlander set up with Tracks! Another great thing about Vendor’s row, it is a great compass point to let you know your bearings throughout the 60 miles of trails. It can be easily seen for miles riding on just about every trail.

The camping area is located directly below vendor row and next to the large field for parking. Hundreds of RV’s, campers and Tents are among parked vehicles and ATV’s. There are plenty of tailgate style parties to be seen just driving up the rows. A great opportunity for large groups with members that are farther apart from each other to stay together for the whole weekend.

The Mud Bogs were built to be hard for even the biggest of Machines! The mud bogs were run on Sunday during Quadfest for anyone that wished to enter the event. A surprise visit by Mickey Dunlap and his Maxxis Mudzilla by 4 Stroke Tech 900 Brute Force was made Saturday, and he got to test the mud bog out to see how hard it really was! This machine was a true pleasure to watch go through the bog with little to no problems!

The Drag Strips were loaded with all kinds of unique machines and were bound to keep you on edge for what came up next. From 2 stroke motors, to big bore 4 strokes and even crotch rocket motors could be heard filling the air from the drag strip. The Drag races were held on Saturday at 2pm with a very large turn out of people participating and watching from behind a safety fence.

Overall, Quadfest was a great experience for me and my group of riders. It was relaxing to ride the Green trails and view the beautiful scenery of the Appalachian Mountains. The Blue trails picked up the pace and kept you on edge as you rounded an off camber trail and up a small hill climb. The Black trails will test the most experienced riders with hill climbs, rocks to crawl over and dangerous off-cambers. The excitement was non stop from the Mud Bog to the Drag strip. Even cruising through the trails you would find the monster 4x4 ATV’s attempting to conquer the biggest mud holes you could find. Sport ATV’s can be seen jumping at the motocross tracks alongside of Dirt bikes. I know that my plans are made to attend Quadfest at the Mountain next year, and have a great time just like this year!

Pictured below with presentation of ATVSource appreciation Plaque courtesy of Quadfest: from bottom left front- Rick Sichi and Steve Carson. From top left- Mario Leoni, Dave Armbrust and Kevin Carson.