Posts Tagged ‘Mountain Biking’

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.

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.

(more…)

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!

Mountain Biking – Buffalo Creek

Monday, September 2nd, 2013

Buffalo Creek Mountain Biking is FUN

Dennis Guiding Me Around Buffalo Creek

Clare Mountain Biking Buffalo Creek

The day after getting back from the whirlwind trip up Blanca and Ellingwood, I joined Dennis for a half day of mountain biking around Buffalo Creek. My legs were totally trashed, but I still had a good time.

Or, at least until the last 30 minutes, when I totally wiped out going down a steep section of trail. There was a girl riding right behind me, so I tried to pull the bike over and hit a soft patch of sand. My bike came to a sudden stop and I kept moving…Not good! A relatively minor accident, but I was totally steaming…I shouted a bunch of bad words and then walked my bike down the rest of the steep hill.

It took me a while to calm down, but I still feel like griping. Why do people ride their bikes inches from my back tire? It’s not like we have airbags and anti-lock breaks! Geez Louise!