This last week has been absolutely off the charts in terms of vibrant fall colors. We took advantage of the great weather and brilliant displays and headed over Ohio Pass to an area called the Castles. Not a big biking destination, we found ourselves among horseback riders – some more friendly than others – and cows. Lots and lots of cows.

Frank and I met our friend Adam at the Swampy Pass trailhead and began our ride from there. Glowing gold greeted us immediately. Me.

Frank.

Frank riding with the Castles in the background.

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After nearly a week of rain leading up to September 18th, we were all racking our brains trying to figure out a ride that might be dry. Taylor Park tends to be a touch drier than Crested Butte, plus the soil is more rocky and Texas Ridge is mostly spongy pine needles, so that became the goal. The last time we rode it, we went up Texas Creek, but this time we decided to access the Timberline trail off of Cottonwood Pass instead.

While accessing Timberline from Cottonwood adds almost 5 miles and 20 minutes of riding, it’s totally worth it since the Timberline trail is a rockin’ downhill from Cottonwood down to Texas Creek. Unless I expect Cottonwood to be extra busy, this is probably the way I will usually go to get to Texas Ridge. One of the Texas Lakes near the junction of the Timberline Trail and Texas Creek road:

Sydney:

From Texas Creek, the Timberline trail climbs steeply- very steeply before the downhill starts again. Still, most of the trail is barely rideable and a good challenge if you’re up for it. A couple shots of the climb:

Once the descent on Timberline, and then Texas Ridge starts, the fun levels spike on what at least one member of our party openly wondered “might just be Gunnison County’s best ride”. High praise indeed, and completely warranted. I was shooting video with my GoPro, but unfortunately the lens got splashed early on and it wasn’t worth using any of the footage. So, just a couple shots of the descent:

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I wanted everyone to know that I have done some work on the web’s best Crested Butte Mountain Bike Guide by adding an alphabetized page. The original guide was grouped by proximity as well as similar ride lengths (i.e. Strand and Farris would be grouped together), but it was admittedly unwieldy if you were just looking for info on a specific ride. So, I added some code to the original page and added another so you can now quickly get to the ride you’re seeking. It is also on the 14erskier pages on the right sidebar.

Here’s the link: Crested Butte Mountain Bike Guide A-Z

I’ve done my best to doublecheck for broken links, but please let me know if I’ve missed anything or if you have any other suggestions. Happy riding!

Once upon a time in the early 1990′s, a Crested Butte guidebook proclaimed Doubletop to be the very best ride in the area, above now well-known classics like 401, Doctor’s Park, as well as now-closed due to Wilderness expansion rides like Oh-Be-Joyful. So it was during my first summer here in Crested Butte in 1997 that I quickly made my way to Doubletop. My main memory of that ride was a frightening lightning storm amidst the rolling terrain near timberline on this trail. I rode it a few other times over the next few years, but what I quickly realized was that whatever the trail once was, it was that trail no longer. The combination of steep grades, soft soil, shady tree sections that take a long time to dry out, and increased usage by dirtbikes doomed this trail in short order.

These days, Doubletop is a poster child for the dirtbike destruction that has befallen so many local trails, rather than a local classic. The vast majority of local riders have never bothered with it, let alone any visiting riders. During the summer of 2010, the forest service took extraordinary measures, dropping pallets of cinder blocks along the trail in an attempt to armor it and save it from further erosion. Trail reroutes and a closure to dirtbikes would have been a much more successful option, though Doubletop’s extreme popularity with the moto crowd would likely make that a difficult choice to make by the Forest Service. In any case, I was hopeful the trail work would make a return trip to Doubletop worthwhile, and I convinced Tom Runcie to join me.

Sadly, all the trailwork was only in the first mile after the Block and Tackle intersection, with the rest of the trail worse than ever. Thankfully, the scenery and a few good sections of trail remain. Tom:

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As Frank wrote in his blog entry, yesterday’s USA Pro Cycling Challenge was one of the most exciting events to happen to Crested Butte. We were psyched that the Buttians put forth a good showing. The stoke level was off the meter, and a good vibe flowed through the crowd as we watched. I was proud of Crested Butte and honored to be present for this fantastic day and stellar race.

The race continued today with riders traveling over two 12,000-ft passes- a first in professional cycling. But even though the race has moved on, we still have a few remaining pics and clips to share from yesterday’s race finish here in Crested Butte.

This USA Pro Cycling Challenge has been the buzz for a couple of years now. Originally referred to as the Quiznos Challenge, it was finally realized about a year ago that this race was really actually happening. With news that high-caliber racers like Cadel Evans, Frank & Andy Schleck, Levi Leipheimer, and George Hincapie were coming – choosing this race over Spain’s much more prestigious Vuelta which is happening at the same time – locals knew we had to put on a good show. Lots of work went into this event, a small part of it being putting up bikes like these all around the Gunnison Valley.

We also decorated the roads.

All the famed racers were mentioned, including Hincapie, Tejay, and Tommy Danielson.

Banners were everywhere.

On Monday afternoon, I drove the road from Gunnison to Crested Butte, enjoying the scenery, wondering if the cyclists the next day would even notice the paradise we live in and enjoy every day.

They showed nearly the same scene the next day on TV, but I doubt the cyclists were paying attention to anything but the wheel in front of them.

Watching the peloton make their way through the streets of Crested butte was superb, even if we only saw it on TV.

(If you are having trouble viewing this video, right click and save it to your computer.)

But then watching them finish was even better.

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I woke up Monday morning to the sounds of beeping and humming of trucks across the street and in our own parking lot. Then, as quickly as they came, they left. But they left the memories of a good vibe, good time, and great race. Our own taste of the Tour de France on our hometown soil. I hope it happens again, every year.