Fall Ride Report

Against the odds I got out ahead of the first real storm of the season and took in a solo Marys-Lions-Mack Ridge-Marys loop. There were folks out and about to be sure, but nothing like the throngs of desperate mountain folk I encountered out here last weekend. I am glad they came and got their fill of desert singletrack for the season- but not nearly so glad as I am that they are gone. Honestly, these trails just ride better when they are quiet and a little lonely. More importantly, as nice as the trails were today, they need some moisture and a break.

From Lion's, looking over the tiers of single track above the Colorado River at Loma

Every Fall our trails get hammered with bootleg booters, cheater lines and ruts that only time and the forces of frost and water can repair. I am always amazed to see how resilient well constructed and maintained trails can be (only slightly more amazed than I am at how careless and destructive hordes of riders can be when it comes to the very thing they came here for...groan).



Dave and I missed almost all of the summer riding up in Steamboat this year- but we made it up in time to catch the full blown mountain colorfest a couple of weeks ago.

The top of Lupine at the base of mini-moab. The beetle kill logging has allowed the Aspen groves up there to go hog-wild!

I had the excellent opportunity to noodle about on not one, but two of Katie Lindquist's Eriksen 650b hardtail racing steeds- these beauties were built in the shadow of Emerald Mountain and designed to conquer its out-of-the-gate-with-no-mercy climbing that 1000+ feet up yields a brilliant, swoopy, narrow singletrack descent. Not a day has passed that I haven't thought of adding one of these beauties to my lonely quiver... soon, very soon.


Just as the weather on the Grand Mesa was threatening us with the coming of Fall to the Grand Valley, I got Trish and Ed up to conquer the Flowing Park Loop. This sweet lollipop loop to Indian Point saw a lot more use this year and every rider who made the trip earned an atta' boy for helping groom away the bovine groom.


This trail has no climbing and no step offs or step ups- but it does have miles of volcanic washboard to keep you on your toes (and hopefully in your pedals). Thanks to Copmoba, REI and the Forest Service, this loop will soon have an extra 7+ miles of single track to connect up to the pavement of S.H. 65. Riding on the Mesa just keeps getting better!


Looking out over Indian Point and the Grand Valley to the North and the West