Memorial Weekend - Sunday 27th May 2007

Sunday we decided that nothing but the best in order. We selected the 401 trail. The 401 is easily Crested Butte's most well known and probably most popular trail and with good reason. Personally I rate it around number 3 with Reno/Deadmans and Doctor Park being ahead just for pure all round fun and enjoyment. 401 is normally done as a loop by riding up the road to Schofield Pass and then by descending the 401 back down. It is famous for it's flowing single track amoungst nearly head high wild flowers.

However at this time of year it is a very different proposition as you can't ride the road to the single track and the flowers are not out yet.


Packed and ready to leave our camp spot up Slate River Rd.


We started at the Avery Picnic area and you are climbing very quickly via a private (but accessible) road until you turn onto the 401 trail.


401 as an out and back is the trail that makes it very reasonable to bring a camera as an excuse to take amazing photos while you recover your breath.


The trail conditions were excellent just like the previous day out near Deadmans.


There was still some sections of snow amoungst the trees, but we only had to walk 4 sections in the entire ride before we turned around very high on the trail.


The lack of wildflowers is more than compensated by the amazing views.


Of course - climbing up one of the classic flowing downhills takes some effort.


But it was pretty easy to sit back in the saddle and grind the climb while being distracted by the scenery.


and the panoramic views.


the lower part of 401 also has some nice little descent sections until you really start the climb up to above the treeline.


The last time we did 401 was late in the spring last year. That time around we were coming downhill amoungst vegetation close to chest height.


This time around not even the Aspens had sprouted yet and that made for some heart breaking glances if you looked to far ahead up the trail.


But you knew there was a huge reward waiting if you just kept going and spinning the pedals.


Climbing, climbing, Climbing.


Did I mention that the views made it easier?


Ok, so they didn't really make it easier but they sure did look amazing.


Almost at the top of the steep climbing that most people remember as the switchbacks in the aspens.


This seems like a good place for a lunch break!


The single track along the steep slopes feels even more exposed as you crawl up it at a snails pace happy you have a camera to bust out and use as an excuse to recover some breath.


You have to keep telling yourself - what you climb up you can race down on the way back.


Just keep telling yourself that....


Burning thighs at over 11,000'


As we got further along the trail the snow started to appear on the open slopes.


And eventually across the trail.


But there is still plenty of clear trail to ride.


We eventually turned around as our laziness got the better of us combined with more frequent snow.


Good times, now we could turn downhill and start the descent.


I think there is something about the altitude at Crested Butte that makes camera's stop working once you start riding downhill.


I had to really force my camera to do it's job and take some photos.


It was made easier to convince the camera to do it's job when it was shown another nice view.


But it was really hard to make it work amoungst the aspens.


The descent on 401 is one of those trails that just makes you love riding your bike...


and makes you love being alive!


And you end with a smile on your face.


I actually changed my mind and moved 401 as an out and back up the list. I think it pushed out Doctor Park and made it to number 2 or perhaps even number 1 position in my list. I need to go ride those two later in the spring to confirm my assessment.

Doing 401 early in the season as an out and back is an absolutely must do ride for anyone who loves mountain biking. We did not meet or see another soul on the entire ride. It was solitary, beautiful riding at it's very best.

Memorial Weekend - Saturday 26th May 2007

We headed over to Crested Butte for the Memorial Day long weekend. I can see this becoming an annual trip for us since it is just so nice over there early in the season. Most of the "popular" trails are not open yet and the summer heat and crowds have not arrived. This makes for beautiful and solitary riding without bugs.

Saturday we decided to do an out and back up to the Deadmans switchbacks. This is a part of the very popular Reno-Bear Creek-Flag Creek-Deadmans trail that still remains my personal favorite trail at Crested Butte.

Before the full trail is clear you can still ride in from the Taylor river side and out and back past the Rosebud trail and into the Deadmans portion of the trail. It gives you a nice climb and an amazingly fun descent.


You start out a rocky double track, but it only goes for about 1/2 a mile before turning onto the singletrack.


Early in the season the water on the trails add to the enjoyment with the work of the beavers adding some additional obstacles on the edges of the ponds.


Even this early in the season the single track is dry and fun to ride on.


With scenic things both close..


and far..


The entire trail was in excellent and dry conditions with just the occasional muddy spots in drainage crossings.


It was kinda strange heading up a trail as popular as this with no other bike tracks ahead. In fact the only other person we met all day was a local on a dirt bike clearing dead fall. It was nice to chat to him as we caught our breath again.


One of the best reasons to always ride with a camera is so that you have a good excuse to stop and take a photo (and recover your lungs somewhat).


It always amazes me how much work the Beavers seem to have to do to keep their area in order. If only I was as energetic when it came to my apartment.


We had hoped to be able to turn onto the trail that would take us across to Rosebud trail, but it was obivious that the snow was still much to deep to bother. Last year we came up the Rosebud trail and came across from the other side to Deadmans - but we had to carry our bikes through snow often up to our thighs so this year we played it safe and came up deadmans to check things first.


Amber recovering at the top of the climb to Deadmans. We also saw the handywork of the fellow we chatted to earlier down on the trail, he had cleared this fallen tree from the trail.


As you can see, the Deadmans switchbacks are not ready yet and still probably have another few weeks before they will be.


One of the benefits of a long climb up is a long downhill back to the start.


All sorts of nice single track along the hillside is the fruits of our labor.


There are a couple of sketchy sidehill moves to make it interesting.


But mostly it is just non-stop flowing downhill.


That just encourages you to keep moving and pedalling.


Which makes it really hard to stop and bust out the camera.


Did I mention how good the trail conditions were?


Water crossings down near the end of the trail keep you cool, even though the temperatures were prime riding conditions.


A fun little technical section over the work of a busy beaver.


And just one or two more water sections to clean things up.


Before ending the ride back at our vehicle.

There are all sorts of other riding options from where we started. Many of the trails up in this part of Crested Butte can be ridden for miles out and then back. The loop options need the snow in the dark timber to have melted away, but at this time of the year you have the trails to yourself and have no mosquitos or biting flies to annoy you.