Po-Knee Up

Po-Knee Up is a short, steep mountain biking climb in western Massachusetts, about 1.5 miles from the town of Lenox. The route is an out-and-back that gains about 150 feet in elevation over roughly half a mile, with the high point at 1,439 feet. The climb is front-loaded, with the steepest stretch at about 0.18 miles from the start, where the grade reaches 13 percent. The most comfortable months for riding are late spring through early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Pittsfield run from highs around 67°F in May to about 79°F in July, with September easing back to around 70°F. That station sits a few hundred feet lower than the climb's high point, so temperatures on the summit run a little cooler. Several other mountain biking routes sit close by. Lower Po-Knee and Portugese are each about 0.2 miles away, and Upper Po-Knee is about half a mile off. For time on the water, the Williams River offers canoeing about 6 miles away.