So after a month of housesitting in Colorado Springs it was time to get back on the road! After my tour in the desert I had planned a tour loosely following the Continental Divide from Colorado To Glacier National Park in Montana. Here is my van parked on the crest of the Continental Divide on highway 50 next to Monarch Ski Resort. It seems like every time I cross this pass I stop at the parking lot at the top and make lunch.
My first destination was Crested Butte. I have been riding mountain bikes in Colorado my whole life and have never ridden in the iconic Crested Butte trails. When I first got to town I rode Strand Trail which was a great introduction to what the riding is like in the CB area.
It was hard to find the good free campsites in Crested Butte. I felt lucky to find this neat little spot tucked into the aspens with a good view.
After riding the short Strand trail the day prior I was ready to tackle one of the more difficult high elevation routes in the area. This time it was the Teocalli Loop that was 11.3 miles and 2,100 feet of climbing. I must of have had an off day because I bonked on the climb of this ride and ended up not enjoying the wicked fast technical descent. That’s how it goes when you are riding consistently. You are just not going to feel strong every time. Especially when your ride goes above 11,000 feet.
There were some amazing views on the ridge of the Teocalli trail that made this ride very worth it.
I made a litte friend on the trail until he started chewing on my frame bag to get himself a snack. This is a yellow belly marmot.
Mmmmmm my favorite meal….. Breakfast!!!!
So after taking a rest day it was time to ride the trail that Crested Butte is famous for. The 401 trail!. Here I am completing the road climb to the top of Schofield Pass. I thought the massive amount of stickers covering this National Forest sign indicating the top of the pass was interesting.
The singletrack climb to the top of the 401 trail went by quick and was much easier than the Teocalli trail climb. I was feeling strong and fast for this unbelievably beautiful ride!!!!
“I was promised wild flowers up to my handlebars but instead they were over my helmet.”
I was very impressed with the 401 trail. It lived up to the hype and could very well be one of the best mountain bike rides of all time. Zipping through the wildflowers at high speed with breathtaking alpine views of the surrounding peaks. I felt exhilarated after finishing this ride.
After finishing the 401 trail there was a little creek by the trail head. I decided to toss a line in and caught this little sucker! It was
Gothic Colorado
After finishing up my rides in Crested Butte it was time to move on. My next destination is Vail Colorado to meet up with some friends, but on the way I stopped for a nights stay in Gunnison for a quick nights stay at Hartman Rocks.
journeyvision 