Race season is over so it was time to bust out the small bikes fully again! After relaxing last weekend we decided that it was time to head back to Crested Butte as the summer was fast ending and we hadn't ridden there this year.
That means it is time to use the excuse of stopping for photos to recover breath again! I was curious as to how we would feel after spending all summer riding down mountains rather than riding up them.
We started with the classic Crested Butte ride - 401.
I was really looking forward to doing this ride as I thought that the downhill sections were going to be a lot of fun after all our DH racing and I was interested to see how it felt since last time we rode it over a year ago.
The climb up the road was easier than I remember which was very encouraging, unfortunately the climb through the trees was brutal as it had rained heavily a few days before we arrived. I thought that the single track in the trees might be muddy but was pretty confident that the downhill sections would be perfect.
Amber was on fire climbing the single track cleaning everything even though it was slick and nasty. I on the other hand was lazy and just pushed any of the steep sections.
It was pretty up there as all the mountains had a decent dusting of snow. Signs that summer was coming to an end were everywhere. The leaves had started to turn and the mountain tops were white.
Climbing, Climbing, Climbing.
It was fun to be out however and even with the mud we were enjoying ourselves. We definitely had that "end of a great season of riding" strength in our legs which made life very enjoyable.
There were a surprising number of other riders on the trail which was a little surprising considering how the conditions were. I expect everyone was a little like us - "oh crap! summer is ending and we still have so many rides to do!"
Once we started downhill the smiles really started! The trail was perfect and tacky and our improved skills and confidence from racing made the ride downhill just insanely enjoyable. It was actually like riding an entirely different ride compared to how I remember it from 2007.
Not a lot of photos as we were having to much fun to stop.
One interesting difference riding 401 at this time of the year is that up in the open sections the plants were all falling across the trail so that you had a hard time looking ahead at the trail. This made ripping along the trail at high speeds even more fun as you really had to pay attention and ride well.
Riding the section in the aspens was about the most fun you can do with a bike!
On Saturday afternoon we headed out and took the dogs up Strand. I had actually never ridden the "normal" Strand trail as we always bailed out of the climb up the jeep road and went around Strand to Farris Creek. That was a mistake every time! Even though climbing the jeep road is hard and boring the reward at the top is large! The decent down Strand is almost as much fun as 401. It is more tighter cornering and has a lot more steeper technical sections so it was a perfect complement to the ride we did earlier in the day. Unfortunately we forgot the camera but I am not sure we would have stopped for pictures that often as the riding was just that great!
We ended the day by sessioning the pump track in Crested Butte with the guys (and gal) from Big Al's Bike Shop. The jumps there look to be perfect to learn on with a really nice progression of difficulty available. We stuck to the pump track as I was too lazy to change our pedals to Flats.
On Sunday Amber wasn't feeling so hot having come down with a cold all of a sudden. That of course means I get a shuttle ride! On our way home we stopped at Doctor Park and I took Bishop (our energetic new dog) with me and after getting dropped at the top got to rip down to the Taylor River.
As far as fun weekends go, this one was really high on the list!
- 401
- Strand
- Doctor Park
Yep, Life is Good!
