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.

When it was announced that Crested Butte would host Stage One of the inaugural US Pro Cycling Challenge, the excitement level in town went through the roof. After all, Crested Butte is a town that loves their bikes whether they are of the mountain, road, or townie variety. The stoke level was unbelievably high, and we certainly hope we can host this event again. Crested Butte hasn’t hosted an event of this magnitude since the X games were held here in the late 90′s.

We spent the day roughly 1km below the finish, at one of the steepest parts of the road leading to the finish in Mount Crested Butte. The key to the situation was having TV access- thanks to some friends who were streaming the event onto a TV outside under a tent. This meant that we were able to see the event as it made its way towards Gunnison as well as the sprint points down in town.

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Lupine makes way for asters,

Skunk cabbage is turning brown.

The leaves on the tops of trees

are turning yellow and falling down.

Monsoon rainstorms have come and gone,

the changing air is crisp and clear.
I’m happy to announce
Fall is coming near

Unless you are a hermit, if you live in Colorado, you’ve probably been hearing a lot about the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. What exactly is it? A cycling stage race that touts some of the world’s best cyclists. It’s our little bit of Tour de France, right on our home territory here in Colorado. In the course of seven consecutive days, 128 riders and 17 teams riders will cover about 600 miles of some of the most demanding road riding offered in our state. The race begins this Monday, August 22nd.

Here is a quick rundown:
Prologue- In Colorado Springs, riders will begin with a time trail to determine the start order for the next day
Stage 1- Salida to Crested Butte via Monarch Pass
Stage 2- Gunnison to Aspen via Cottonwood Pass
State 3- Vail time trial
Stage 4- Avon to Steamboat Springs via Wolcott and Oak Creek
Stage 5- Steamboat Springs to Breckenridge via Kremmling
Stage 6- Golden to Denver with two Golden loops in the mix before heading to 287 to reach Denver.

Crested Buttians are getting ever more ready and and excited for the first stage of the race, which also happens to be it’s only mountain-top finish. The race will begin at 11:45 am in Salida and will proceed up to Monarch Pass, taking riders to 11,315 feet above sea level. The riders will then descend toward Gunnison, and then ascend to Crested Butte. The racers will do a small loop in the town of Crested Butte before heading up the 3-mile road to their mountain top finish in Mount Crested Butte. Happily, this finish line is just a few minutes from our house Upon reaching Mount Crested Butte, riders will have traveled nearly 100 miles with a total climbing elevation of over 8,000 feet. Estimated finish times range between 3:15 and 4:15.

Here in Crested Butte, we cannot let an event like this go unnoticed. We have been instructed to bring out our best costumes, as well as our best behavior. I have found recent radio announcements to be amusing, “If you think anything will get in the way of a passing cyclist, leave it at home. This includes your dog, your kid, or your drunk boyfriend.”

Certainly, Buttians will be watching, among the chaos of news reporters and tourists. And there will be several other events going on throughout the day, including live music (both in town and on the mountain), a Townie Criterium, a Hand-Cycling Criterium, a beer garden, and even a kids race. For more detail about each of these events, visit the CBMR website. We have also been told that there will be Jumbotrons in the town of Crested Butte (at the beer garden) and on the mountain as well as in Gunnison.

The following day, the race will leave from Gunnison and will end in Aspen. To celebrate Stage 2, Crested Butte Mountain Guides is hosting “Chase the Race”, a guided tour that takes mountain bikers from Crested Butte over Pearl Pass to Aspen. The goal is to reach Aspen in time to see the racers finish there. For more info on this guided tour, see the CBMG website. If you don’t feel like Chasing the Race, then consider taking a Western State Shuttle to the top of Cottonwood Pass to watch the racers as they go by.

Here at 14erskiers.com we are particularly excited about witnessing some of the world’s best cyclists pass right in front of our own door. Expect a post-race blog next week

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