When I stepped out of the car to start my mountain bike ride on the Ashton to Tetonia Rail Trail last week, there were snowflakes in the air.

It’s all good, I told myself, the forecast promised mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the 50s. I put on extra layers of clothes and started riding.

It took about half an hour of riding north from Tetonia before the sun started to break through and the temperature climbed to a tolerable level. After an hour I was shedding a layer of clothing and enjoying the scenery.

Sadly, by the time you read this column, most of the golden aspen leaves will have fallen. But even without the fall colors, this rail trail is a treat.

Because the trail is mostly flat (old railroad grades generally stay under 3%), this is a great trail to take beginning mountain bike riders on. Experienced riders can go for distance and scenery. There is one short section (perhaps a bit over a mile) of sharp hills before the midway point where one landowner decided not to play ball with the State Parks Department and the trail was rerouted off the railroad bed. I found the section adds a bit of spice to the ride. It reminds me of what one cyclist told me, “There usually isn’t a hill so bad that you can’t walk up it.”

I rode north to the Conant Creek trestle bridge, then turned around and rode back to Tetonia for about 48 miles of pedaling. The trail is about 30 miles one way from the start just east of Ashton to Tetonia. It passes through mostly rolling farmland and some patches of forest.

If you want to ride the entire trail in one direction, you’ll need a shuttle vehicle. If you’re up to it, you can ride back and forth for 60 miles.

Besides the awesome vistas of the surrounding mountains and fields, crossing over deep canyons on narrow trestle bridges is a hoot. The Conant Creek and Bitch Creek trestle bridges are more than 100 feet above the canyon floor. The views are thrilling.

If you don’t have the time or energy to ride the entire trail, you can access the trail along Highway 32 (with parking) at the community called France. For reference, there is also a grain elevator here.

There are also other side roads off of Highway 32 that intersect with the Ashton to Teton rail trail that allow more options for different distances.

A good online resource for this trail can be found at https://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/parks/ashton-to-tetonia-trail/.

This site includes maps and updates on future construction work.

The trail is closed to Class 3 e-bikes, motorized ATVs, OHVs and vehicles. Snowmobiles are allowed during the winter.

On my recent visit, the weather was a nonfactor except for the temperature. If the wind is blowing hard (usually from the south), riding north might be more pleasant. In my case, I rode north, then turned around at the Conant Creek bridge and rode back — giving me a taste of both directions.

Heading south is more scenic with the Teton Range in the distance. The last few miles just north of Tetonia seem to be the bumpiest.

This trail should continue to attract bikers until the snow flies and sticks to the ground. The trail is most appropriate for hikers, horseback riders, mountain bikes or gravel bikes. Road bikes would not do well.

When the snow piles up, the trail is used by snowmobilers, cross-country skiers and fat bikers.

On my visit, I only passed a few hikers. One hiker walking his dog nearly jumped out of his skin when I came up behind him and said, “Hello.”

My main goal on this trail was to get some mountain bike miles before tackling a long ride coming up in Canyonlands National Park in Utah next week.

This section of trail is part of the planned Greater Yellowstone Trail from West Yellowstone, Montana, across the Teton Range via Teton Pass to Jackson, Wyoming, and north to Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. This trail would eventually be about 180 miles long and become a major attraction across North America.

A person could bike the route today, but there are still a few sections that have yet to be completed and would require some road riding to link up the uncompleted parts.