Archive for the ‘Mountain Biking’ Category

Peru – Day 5 – Mountain Biking to The Salt Mines

Monday, December 15th, 2014

Mountain Biking in Peru
Dennis Mountain Biking in Peru

Tiobamba Town Monument - Moray
Tiobamba Town Monument. The Green circles represent the Inca crop experimentation site at Moray!

Peruvian Mountain Biking
Sacred Valley View

Ready To Drop Into Single Track
Descending to the Salt Mines

The Salt Mines
The Salt Mines

I was sick the entire day, following the rafting adventure. I was sad to miss out on the mountain bike ride to the salt mines; as I had heard it was a classic. Dennis ended up going without me and he had a fun time. The mountain bike ride lasted for ~4 hours and was a combination of dual and single track. Dennis said he had to get off the bike once or twice, but other than that it was a very moderate level.

Trail Running – Camp Hale to Tennessee Pass and Mitchell Creek Loop

Friday, October 3rd, 2014

Running Down Colorado Trail
Gotta Love Running in the Rockies!

I was supposed to climb Mt. Elbert, but with forecasts of extremely high winds, I decided to bail. I’d rather do a lovely trail run, in treeline, than be blown around, all by myself, on the top of the highest mountain in Colorado.

5.4 Miles Into Camp Hale to Tennessee Pass Trail
Dennis with his Bike

Dennis was planning to do a 20+ mile bike ride, from Camp Hale up to Tennessee Pass and then around the Mitchell Creek Loop. The lollipop bike ride looked like a lot of fun; part of it is on the CO Trail so trail conditions were destined to be good.

So, I decided to join Dennis. He would ride and I would run. Fun! Maps below are courtesy: Arkansas Valley Mountain Biking by Mark Wolff. Buy the book, it’s great!
Camp Hale to Tennessee Pass Topo
Camp Hale to Tennessee Pass Topo Map

Mitchell Creek Trail - Loop Hike
Mitchell Creek Loop Map

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Mountain Biking – Cherry Creek State Park

Friday, June 6th, 2014

Dennis Riding Cherry Creek State Park Trails

Cruising Cherry Creek State Park
On our Friday off, Dennis and I went for a nice, mellow bike ride around Cherry Creek State Park. We knew there were going to be afternoon thunderstorms, so we wanted a ride which was close to shelter. The trails of CCSP are wide and not technical, so we were able to ride fast, if needed.

Going Down the Practice Ramp
First, he took me to the practice course, where I took several laps around the beginner’s loop. There are a few obstacles which are at just the right level of difficulty for me. I practiced riding with my new clip in pedals and gained some confidence each time I did another loop. (more…)

Mountain Biking – Rustler’s Loop, Fruita, CO

Thursday, April 10th, 2014

Rustler's Loop Mountain Bike Trail
Panorama of the trail.

Rustler's Loop Trail Head Signage
Rustler’s Loop Trailhead Sign

We Love Rustler's Loop
Halfway Around Rustler’s Loop

Dennis and I went mountain biking just outside of Fruita, CO. I rented a full suspension mountain bike with 29″ wheels, so I was excited to give it a try on single track! The nice guys at the rental company, Board and Buckle, guided us to the Rustler’s Loop trail.

There are several advantages to this ride:

1. It is close to Grand Junction, so returning the bike would be easy and we’d maximize the ride time.
2. The trailhead was easy to access with a non 4wd vehicle.
3. The loop has gorgeous views of the river, rewarding the rider along the way.
4. The loop was about 4 miles, just the perfect amount of commitment. We did it 2 times!
5. It is great for intermediate riders.

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Mountain Biking – Shrine Pass

Saturday, September 7th, 2013

Just Before the Trail Head at Shrine Pass

Map of Vail Pass Trails

View From Shrine Pass

Dennis and I spent a couple hours riding our mountain bikes around the gravel roads of Shrine Pass. We actually never made it to the single track, since we just had a couple of hours. It was a pleasant place to ride due to the sweeping views. And, since we got there in the middle of the day (right before thunderstorms started up!) the roads were not totally crowded with 4wd’ers.

Sometime, I’d like to ride the single track into the back bowls of Vail, but that will have to wait until next summer!