July Riding in Crested Butte
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After I finished my ski season with my conundrum on Conundrum, I looked forward to a good summer of biking. I knew I needed knee surgery but I wasn’t sure when that was going to happen. I thought my mountain biking season might be short. Really short. Like just the few weeks of July short. So, I decided I needed to ride my little tail off…. because July riding in Crested Butte is amazing.
I rode every day that I could. Even if I could only sneak in a 45 minute ride, I rode anyway. It was about getting outside on the bike. It was about riding through the fields of wildflowers and being able to smell their pollen flying in the air. It was about gliding through serene aspen forest and gathering memorable alpine views while above treeline. It was about becoming best friends again with my dear Julianna Rubion (Rubi, I call her). It was about flying downhill on a bike like I would do if I was skiing. It was about loving the single track, and all the explorations that can come with it. And I couldn’t have picked a better July to ride my heart out – the weather was superb.
It would only be toward the end of July that I knew I required two surgeries to fix my knee – the first with a fast recovery, and the second with a slow recovery. I would not have a ski season. But, in essence, I traded it for more of a bike season. For even after having my first surgery on August 9th, I’ll be returning to single track during the beginning of September – just in time to get strong for fall riding, my favorite time of year to be on the bike.
So, here’s a collection of July riding photos that weren’t enough to post on their own…. From those days when I only had a short time to ride, but I rode anyway, and took time to enjoy it.
Upper Loop
Sometimes I think it’s easy to overlook the Upper Loop as it’s usually a trail you use to get to somewhere else. But, the riding on the this trail is a blast, and the scenery is wonderfully beautiful!
Me:
Crested Butte Mountain Resort
Living across the street from the ski area certainly has a lot of advantages, even in summer. From our door, we can be on single track in just a couple of minutes. One gorgeous evening, Frank and I decided to do a little loop at the ski area, taking Up, Up and Away to Painter Boy and then the road to the top of the Red Lady Lift. From there, we descended West Side to the new Happy Hour trail, and then took the upper part of the Upper Loop back to the ski area.
Snodgras
One of the most popular trails in Crested Butte, Snodgrass is a fun one in mid-summer. But, ride it early to avoid the crowds!
One of the best aspen forests, ever!
There you have it, a collection of July riding photos from Crested Butte. And there’s plenty more to come from August too!
Want to do these rides yourself?
Check out our Crested Butte Mountain Biking Guide as well as our Crested Butte Mountain Resort Biking Guide.
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