On the warm, sunny morning of Saturday, June 1st, approximately 25 people gathered at a trailhead parking lot, equipped with helmets and mountain bikes. The occasion was a public trail ride hosted by SMARTA and held at the American Chestnut Land Trust in Calvert County. Of the land trust’s 26 miles of dirt hiking trails, approximately 4 are open to bikers, providing a challenging but fun course for local mountain bike enthusiasts. On the morning of the 1st, bikers of all ages navigated up and down switchbacks, crossed 5 streams on wooden bridges, and pedaled along paths flanked with still-blooming mountain laurel. A steep downhill stretch with log “water bars” laid into the trail to divert water was a highlight for some of youngest, most adventurous riders, and several of the participants opted to complete multiple loops of the course. Bikers and hikers can check out the land trust’s trails free of charge, 365 days a year. To learn more, visit https://www.acltweb.org/.