Mike Bisagnani (Phillymike) zips around a turn in the aspens on the serpentine t...
Mike Bisagnani (Phillymike) zips around a turn in the aspens on the serpentine trail. Photo by Kristen H. Trail review October 23, 2008 by Bruce.
Spin Cycle

Spin Cycle is a great little DH ride that's been a local favorite for years. This fast, swooping downhill singletrack is 1.6 miles long, dropping 800 vertical feet. Expect a whoop-de-do bucking-horse plunge down an aspen-filled gulley. Great fun.

Unless you shuttle by car (and I'm not sure if that's legal because the trail lies within a private development), your ride will be several miles longer. Traditionally, most riders have done this ride on an XC or all-mountain bike, rather than a big gravity rig. When combined with the new Rinse Cycle trail a single lap down Spin Cycle and back uphill to the top is 4.3 miles. See the Mayflower trail system page for further details on other area trails and riding options.
View toward Jordanelle, many years and hundreds of new expensive homes ago.
View toward Jordanelle, many years and hundreds of new expensive homes ago.
Straz (Peter Strazdins) and his dog Sydney approach Spin Cycle on the Lookout Trail. That's the Jordanelle Reservoir. Photo by Mike B.
Straz (Peter Strazdins) and his dog Sydney approach Spin Cycle on the Lookout Trail. That's the Jordanelle Reservoir. Photo by Mike B.
In the past, Spin Cycle wasn't easy to find. Riding the loop involved multiple pieces of pavement and dirt, both to get there and to find your way back uphill. And it was constantly changing as construction closed off former routes.

With new access routes from Mayflower (Rinse Cycle) and Deer Valley (Humdinger aka Midmountain Connector), you can now expect to have a lot of company on Spin Cycle. The "hidden gem" is now everybody's jewelry.

The Spin Cycle trail lies within a forested ravine with a top elevation of 7600 feet. The shade keeps the area damp through spring. The expected riding season starts in late June or early July and continues through early October.
Hitting the turn before plunging down and across the wash.
Hitting the turn before plunging down and across the wash.
Trailhead and access
Looking west to the trail.
Looking west to the trail.
Deer Crest (We'll Go From There) Trailhead
The Deer Crest Trailhead is located at the uphill corner of a three-section parking lot just off Deer Hollow Road. (This route is heavily impacted by construction in 2024. The directions here take you around a closed section of Deer Hollow Road.) Exit US-40 at Mayflower. Turn east toward the reservoir, then left on Jordanelle Parkway. Turn left under US-40 onto Mayflower Mine Road. Veer left to go south. Turn right to head uphill on Deer Hollow Road, then left again to pass between two large buildings. Now work your way uphill to the far corner of the parking area, where you'll see the kiosk. Head uphill to start your ride on the We'll Go From There trail. At Rinse Cycle, turn left to begin climbing.
The trail entry is between the two vehicles. We're looking west.
The trail entry is between the two vehicles. We're looking west.
Mayflower (You Get It) Trailhead
Drive to Deer Hollow Road as above, but continue uphill past the large buildings for another 100 yards. Turn to the left into a large parking area. Head toward the little wood-and-glass kiosk. Find a trail that heads away from parking. Keep to the right and uphill as the "We'll Go From There" joins and climb up to Rinse Cycle where you'll turn to the left to climb to the top of Spin Cycle.
Easy riding on the Midmountain Connector trail en route to the Mayflower trails.
Easy riding on the Midmountain Connector trail en route to the Mayflower trails.
Via Midmountain Connector
In Park City, follow the signs toward Deer Valley Resort. To get to the upper (Silver Lake) lodge, turn left on Royal Drive just after the road divides -- before you actually see the Snow Park (lower) lodge. Drive 4 miles uphill, following the signs to the Silver Lake lodge. (I recommend parking at the lower lodge and taking the city shuttle bus uphill instead of driving to the upper lodge.) Once you're at the lift area, face the mountain and look around for trail signs. The northbound Midmountain Trail is to your right, coasting downhill to the underpass then left onto singletrack. The Midmountain Extension is to your left, beginning as a doubletrack. It will be 0.9 miles to the Midmountain Connector trail, which descends 2.1 miles to a new DH trail before climbing to the Rinse Cycle trail at mile 3.3 from Midmountain. The top of Spin Cycle is 0.5 miles uphill.
Spin Cycle
Looking down Spin Cycle as it descends from Rinse Cycle.
Looking down Spin Cycle as it descends from Rinse Cycle.
Spin Cycle begins near the top of Rinse Cycle, a bit downhill from the cindered subdivision "emergency road" off Home Run Court. The drop-in is just uphill from a narrow metal gate with a Rinse Cycle sign.

The best way to find Spin Cycle is to climb Rinse Cycle, rather than meandering through private roads. If you're not following a local, it's likely that you'd ride right past it.

Shuttling to the top with a car seems like a fun option, but don't. I don't know if you can legally use a shuttle car to the top unless you're a guest of a Deer Crest HOA member. But regardless, this is a private area and it's not cool to be unloading bikes in front of people's homes in a gated community. Ride your bike on the trails to earn your vertical.
The trail hits the bottom of the gulley, climbs the other side, then falls back down. Over and over.
The trail hits the bottom of the gulley, climbs the other side, then falls back down. Over and over.
Kristen heads into the most fun part of Spin Cycle -- that 2/10ths mile of whoop-de-doos across the ravine. Photo by Mike B.
Kristen heads into the most fun part of Spin Cycle -- that 2/10ths mile of whoop-de-doos across the ravine. Photo by Mike B.
After dropping down into the ravine, Spin Cycle swoops back and forth across the bottom of the ravine.
The whole trip down is heavily forested, but the "trail elves" do a pretty good job of cutting back bushes that can grab your arms. And the aspens are spaced well enough that you can usually avoid close calls with the handlebars. Sight lines are pretty good -- but if you find the need to stop, quickly get yourself and your bike WAY off the trail.
A new helper bridge and trail-cut near the bottom of Spin Cycle.
A new helper bridge and trail-cut near the bottom of Spin Cycle.
More twisty trail in the trees as Straz flies down Spin Cycle. Photo by Phillymike.
More twisty trail in the trees as Straz flies down Spin Cycle. Photo by Phillymike.
There's not much else to say to describe the DH. On my last ride through, the trail was traditional back-and-forth swooping plunge down the ravine. No engineered tables or jumps, just lightning-fast riding.
When you fly past a small metal gate and the trail flattens out, you've completed Spin Cycle. You're now on Rinse Cycle, where you can head uphill for another lap.
We're at Rinse Cycle!
We're at Rinse Cycle!
Rinse Cycle -- grabbing another lap
Rinse Cycle passes back and forth across future ski slopes.
Rinse Cycle passes back and forth across future ski slopes.
To get back uphill, keep straight on Rinse Cycle as you pass the trailhead connector You Get It at mile 0.2 from the bottom of Spin Cycle.

At mile 0.4, keep to the right at the trail fork with Call Sign Casa to stay on Rinse Cycle.

Turn hard right again to stay on Rinse Cycle at the fork with Kaboom. Then at mile 2.3, again turn hard right as the Midmountain Connector joins on your left. At mile 2.7 you'll arrive at a tiny metal gate near the top of Rinse Cycle. Now look for the Spin Cycle drop-in (not marked with a trail sign in August 2024) on your right.

Looking east at the top of Rinse Cycle.
Looking east at the top of Rinse Cycle.

Getting there, Midmountain Extension at Deer Valley
In Park City, follow the signs toward Deer Valley Resort. To get to the upper (Silver Lake) lodge, turn left on Royal Drive just after the road divides -- before you actually see the Snow Park lodge. Drive 4 miles uphill, following the signs. Note that in 2017 the previous parking lot no longer exists, being replaced by a new building. So on weekends your chance of finding a parking spot aren't good. You can park at the lower Snow Park lodge and take the city shuttle bus uphill. Once you're at the lift area, face the mountain. Your ride will start by turning to your left and riding east on the Midmountain Extension trail.

Deer Crest (We'll Go From There) Trailhead
The Deer Crest Trailhead is located at the uphill corner of a three-section parking lot just off Deer Hollow Road. (This route is heavily impacted by construction in 2024. The directions here take you around a closed section of Deer Hollow Road.) Exit US-40 at Mayflower. Turn east toward the reservoir, then left on Jordanelle Parkway. Turn left under US-40 onto Mayflower Mine Road. Veer left to go south. Turn right to head uphill on Deer Hollow Road, then left again to pass between two large buildings. Now work your way to the right uphill to the far corner of the parking area, where you'll see the kiosk. Head uphill to start your ride on the We'll Go From There trail.

Mayflower (You Get It) Trailhead
Drive to Deer Hollow Road as above, but continue uphill past the large buildings for another 100 yards. Turn to the left into a large parking area. Head toward the little wood-and-glass kiosk. Find a trail that heads away from parking. Keep to the right and uphill as the "We'll Go From There" joins.