RSS FeedAnother week off, another destination. This week I traveled to Crested Butte, the birthplace of mountain biking ( so claimed), and home to the mountain biking hall of fame.
I’ve never used the word “epic� to describe any ride as of yet. Seems as over used as “extreme� is used to describe any sport not played in any given high school. I think I’ve found a place worthy of the title. I’ve never visited such a place where riding forest service roads alone produce such grand and ever changing scenery. I normally scoff at any trail on a map that shows a service road as more than a quarter of the ride. I was feeling a bit nostalgic given the history of this place and decided to give it a shot. No driving to a trail head, just pedal from camp with a map and see where it takes me.
Day one – The Plan. From camp to Paradise Basin via Slate River Road, and service road 734. From there a short descent to trail 401, singletrack that runs nearly all the way back to town. Pass the resort and back up the road to camp.
I didn’t even bother to check the distance or the topo, just went for it. The long and short of it: I found out why the locals call the road the “Alpe du slateâ€?, 2000’ of gain over two miles. Topped out at 11250’. Massive mountain eye candy around every turn. Singletrack through evergreens, aspens, and mountain side fields. 32 miles round trip. Best described in pictures. In order of ther ride, backwards I guess…
The town, very cool. Only the tourists drive. There are bike racks in front of everything including the houses. 90% of the bikes you see in town are a vintage, a cruiser, or some sort of frankenbike. I didn’t see a lock on a bike anywhere in town.
The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame… well, it’s kind of a ten by ten square in the corner of the town heritage museum. Pics of inductees and various historical bike parts. It is what it is.
Guess it’s been 20 years now since I was a kid racing the midwestern BMX circuit, skiing in MI, and dreaming of living in CO. In the eighties, we had to dig and fashion piles of dirt or build ridiculously dangerous wooden jumps to get our fix. Building snow jumps at the resorts was prohibited, and ski patrol would unceremoniously knock down any mogul gaining too much attention.
Not a whole lot had changed when I made the move to the mountains in ‘97, but the natural terrain of a real mountain was beyond anything I had imagined. I had arrived, and it was good. In the last ten years, I have witnessed the most dramatic progression of mountain sports ever. The culture demanded freedom and the resorts have responded. Just a few years ago, we started seeing kickers, halfpipes, and bike features on the trails. And now, you’re free to hit anything, any size, from beginner to pro level features all open to the public.
I hadn’t ridden Keystone in a couple seasons until this past weekend. From what I remembered of it, it was mostly basic mountain bike terrain with a few log features built, and some insanely steep, rocky, and boulder filled descents that the average rider would have to hike down. Now, it is everything any rider could ask for. If you’ve ever watched an episode of Kranked and wished you could find that kind of terrain, it’s here. While my day was cut short by a stupid accident ending up in the emergency room, I had the opportunity to ride the stuff of movies. The “Money Trail� offers up 22 tabletop jumps, and big berms all built through the forest. “Even Flow� features a steep, long, winding and banked “North Shore� style elevated bridge through the trees ending in a straight up and down over a four foot boulder. An absolute blast! The “Drop Zone� has three bridges that simply end in a five to 22 foot free fall onto vert. Everything you could ask for, including a ride to the top. I highly recommend it.
The trails are all marked like ski runs. Green, blue, black, and double black diamonds. Depending on your skill level, It’s all ridable. However, you’ve a very good chance of breaking your neck and your bike if you try to act like a downhiller on a race built full suspension. I put on some 2.3’s and dropped the pressure to about 30 which seemed to work fine, but both my front and rear shocks bottomed out and the geometry simply isn’t worthy of dropping off three foot boulders, into another boulder on an already crazy steep trail with trees begging for a hug. It can be done, but it’s already dangerous enough.
I may have ended up in the hospital with flesh wounds pretty much everywhere with severe bruising and a sprained MCL, but it was worth it. I finally understand why everyone is dressed like a robot riding motorcycle frames. Now my only decision is to buy the road bike I’ve been wanting or build a vert bike for next season…
As sick of my job as I am, I have a great schedule. I only work three days a week. Three long days, but I only work 12 days a month. What’s better, is that every 12 weeks when I switch from M,T, W to Th, Fri, Sat, I get a week off in between.
This past week was one of those turnarounds. This was one of the best weeks off I’ve had in a long time. I had already signed up for a 4 day hockey camp in Vail. So why not head to Fruita after camp since I’m already half way there? Why not, because it was about 100 degrees outside – in the desert. Or maybe because I tried to keep up with a bunch of Canadian hockey coaches at the bar after our banquet Sat. night… then waking up late and playing a scrimmage Sun. morning. If I was any less of a masochist (did I mention I’m a goalie?), I’d have headed back to Denver after hockey camp.
I love hockey, and I love to ride. I love CO, and when I get a week off, I take advantage of it.
I arrived in Fruita late afternoon on Sunday, and headed out 18 road to the North Desert Campground at the foot of the Book Cliffs. It’s beautiful out here, the camping is free, and the trailheads are all within a quarter mile of camp.
While camping alone can be a bit boring, the high desert is awe inspiring. Incredible sunsets, shooting stars galore, satellites drifting across the night sky… Light a campfire, kick back with a brew, and thank god for the Ipod and sattelite radio.
The trails at the Book Cliffs are hardly epic, but they pack in some serious fun per mile. Super narrow hardpacked singletrack. Spines and ledges with hundreds of feet of exposure. Flip-over-backward climbs and sixty degree decents. Very roller coaster like.
Received a helmet cam for Christmas and this is what I came back with…
Just thought I’d add a short bit of entertainment to the site…
The day before the 24 of Moab, the trail is packed with riders getting in a practice lap. “Nose Dive” is a part of the course offering up some of the best entertainment of the weekend. Riders take a break, perch themselves on a rock, and await a rider willing to descend the rocks. About one in ten attempt it, and about one in four of those clean it. The reward if you make it… cheers and sarcastic autograph opportunities. If you don’t, a lot of wincing, consoling, and hopefully some blood to enhance your story.
I’m one of those whose ego won’t let me walk down the rocks, especially with all my peers watching. I usually make it on my first try, and try again if I fail.
In 2005 I was on a borrowed bike (always have an excuse ready) and I didn’t make it, nor did I feel like trying again…
http://sports.webshots.com/video/3068182440014008530
Enjoy