Another Crested Butte weekend - June 9th

We originally had planned on rafting the Numbers at Buena Vista this weekend with some friends from work. But the rafting company we were going to go with had a last minute change and had one less boat doing the trip. We could have fit on anyway but both Amber and I had been waivering about rafting or mountain biking on the weekend and which would be more fun. So we took it as a sign and leapt at the chance to ditch out of the rafting trip and head back to Crested Butte instead. (it turns out the rafting was also very good and they did the numbers twice because the company had paid for the other boat to go down anyway).

So enough with the intro, we headed over the Crested Butte again and this time we were set on doing the Waterfall Creek Cuttoff trail this time. It had long looked a great ride that was lesser known that we just hadn't gotten around to doing. Ride reports said it was open and the conditions good.


You start out by riding some very nice single track along Cement Creek before you turn up the Waterfall Creek trail that is well signed.


There is a lot of steep climbing amoungst the Aspens and my lungs were really struggling for some reason today. (I expect it had something to do with climbing steep trails at close to 11,000')


More climbing in the Aspens. The trail was rougher than other trails in Crested Butte with much of the traffic being animals rather than mountain bikes. Combine the steeps with the rooty, rocky ground and you have a good combination for exploding heart and lungs disease!


We followed the trail until we hit snow up in the dark timber. The guidebook said we should have seen an obvious trail junction taking us to the left but we couldn't find it on the way up or on the way down. It just means we have to go back and do it again some time.

I found it very easy to stay motivated as we ground and slogged up the hill figuring that it was looking more and more likely that we would be returning the way we came and that prospect was exceedingly joyful. The trail look an absolute blast to come down. It was steeper that trails like 401 and Bear Creek and had lots of features. I could actually see coming back with armor and a full face helmet and doing it just to do it at full downhill speed. It was way fun to descend.


Lots of the steep sections that were often torn up by dirt bikes - but that made for very fun descending.


It was very pleasant being in amoungst the dark timber as well.


This is a very steep technical section that rises out of a creek crossing. It had been torn up by moto's and water run off and descending it was decidely non-trivial.


and very photogenic!


You have to be happy to look down a single track section like this and know that there is plenty more just like it further down and amoungst the aspens.


Lots of nice flowy sections.


In amoungst the aspens.


And then, all to soon, the descent is over and you find yourself back at Cement Creek.


The single track section along cement creek also has some very nice riding as well.


But since we hadn't been able to find the full waterfall creek cutoff trail we were feeling like more riding was in order. We had noticed last week walking along the cement creek single track that another trail came in sharply from the left. It was mentioned in passing in the guidebook as being the Fenceline trail. We had walked up about 200 yards last weekend and it looked very enticing.

I had originally hoped to be able to drop into the fenceline trail using a marked but dubious looking trail from the the waterfall creek cutoff trail but had not been not optimistic that would find the turn off from above. So it seemed the best thing to do was just to go ahead and ride Fenceline from Cement Creek and be prepared to turn around if needed.


It was actually some *really* nice riding and is obviously a popular trail with the locals as there was lots of evidence of other bikes having been on the trail.

The riding was narrow single track that was sometimes fast and flowy and at other times steep and technical. The variety was spectacularly excellent.


Just out of sight in this shot is a 3 foot rocky drop to single track that you would have to hit at speed to clear to a landing - we walked it, but it will remain of those obstacles that will make you toss and turn at night wondering when you might be brave enough to try.


Scenic, steep, switchbacks in the aspens - such nice riding.

The problem is that you come to a sign (looks like it was put up by the forest servce) saying "Private property ahead - no through access". We were not sure whether to turn around or to keep going. The riding was so nice and the trail was so obviously travelled we decided to keep going and turn around as soon as we hit a fence or a trespass sign. You do end up coming close to a house but we didn't see any signs so I assume the trail must cross a private parcel of land. It seems from information I got from mtbr.com that the signs are because of issues with noise and motorbikes. Personally, I take this as a ride at your own discretion thing - be quiet and be cool if you meet the land owners and be ready to turn around and return the way you came if needed.

Just after passing the house you are very quickly and obviously back on Forest Service land as there is a fence on one side and Forest Service signs on the other side. The great riding continues all the way until the end of the trail.

All in all the fenceline trail is a great piece of riding that deposits you back on Cement Creek road down little from the Deadmans trailhead and you loop by riding back up the road to where ever you parked your vehicle.