Taylor Canyon Doctor Park Shuttle Ride 9/18/2010

Amber exiting Doctor Park near Taylor Canyon.



Second shuttle of the day...two chain mechanicals and brake mechanicals, but managed to finish riding down...



Moab waiting for Sean to come down on his second shuttle...he had a flat tire :(



Moab and Bishop being buddies and walking around the trail together.



Yay! Sean made it ---flat tire fixed and all :)



Sean exiting around a corner and through some trees.



Sean exiting towards Taylor River.



Day two of riding got nixed due to Amber's brake failure that wouldn't fix even after Sean's efforts of bleeding the brakes several times....

Sept 20th - Crested Butte

Last weekend we decided to leave our tent up in our camping spot up Slate River Rd since we had had a lot of fun and the tent was wet when we woke up in the morning.

So that meant for this weekend we were heading back to Crested Butte again!

We had so much fun on 401 the previous weekend we decided to start the weekend on that again. The leaves everywhere were fully turned now and the colors around the place were just outstanding.


We have a new way of getting started in the morning when we are not taking the dogs on a ride with us. As each of us is getting ready someone takes a bike and rides the bike out along a trail and back again so they get a bit of a run as well.


I was feeling strong this weekend but Amber was still under the weather a little from a tough week of work and a cold.


Scenic vistas in every direction. Even the grass as it browns after the summer added to the color.


Crested Butte is good times and pretty views.


Amber was pretty beat up by the time we reached the high point and rested a little before we started downhill.


My bike has gotten heavy over the past 2 years but, oh boy, it is fun to ride!


Colors on the open slopes of 401.


The ride down felt like it was even more fun than last weekend.


This time we bought Bishop along as well as she can keep up pretty well. By the time we were in the tree section she started to slow down and we had to wait a little but it was not that bad.



Unfortunately rain came in while we were having lunch and then stayed all night and into Sunday. So we did not get another ride in for the weekend and headed home happy again.

Sept 13th, 14th - Crested Butte

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!

June 22nd - Crested Butte - Wild Flower Rush

This weekend was a Race weekend with the Mountain States Cup moving to Crested Butte for the Wild Flower Rush.

Amber headed out early and was in Crested Butte from Monday the 16th. (we have a few pictures to come from that from the other camera)

I took Friday off and drover out Thursday night so that we could use Friday as a practice day. We both registered for Super-D and Downhill.

The Super-D was just like riding a normal Crested Butte bike trail but with less climbing. We did a few practise runs on it on Friday and Saturday and I was really enjoying the track and was somewhat optimistic as to my prospects for the Race. Amber had a big crash on our final practise run late saturday afternoon and since she wasn't wearing a full face helmet got quite a nasty cut on her chin. She crashed as she was trying to push her speeds on the single track sections in the aspens.

We also got in a couple of runs on the Downhill track. It was a lot less technical than most downhill race tracks with lots of fast sections and two sections of pedaling. The pedaly sections were pretty brutal on a big bike, but over all the track was great fun and we were both looking forward the actual race.

As is normal, we got no photos of any riding this weekend, but we had a great time doing it!

The Super-D started with a run to your bikes and I was feeling tired by the time I got on my bike. I managed to catch a few people on the initial downhill but then settled into the back part of the "pack" once the first climb hit. I never saw anyone else on the ride except for a couple of people that had flat tires along the way. I need to get a lot stronger if I want to move up the field of the 30+ men in Super-D and since I really don't ever see myself training I am pretty content that this race will always be just a fun part of a race weekend to tell stories about after the weekend. I ended up placing 17th out of 25 and I was 5 minutes of the winning time. A good line in the sand to compare to as we ride and race more.

For the Downhill I was surprised just how nervous I was the morning before and as I waited for my starting gate. I entered the 19+ beginner men which was an interesting category as you had young guys and old guys competing against each other. I had an Ok race run but really messed up the tight switch backs after getting a good start on the first steep section. I also didn't pedal the pedaly sections very well at all either as my lazy boots kicked in a bit. I ended up placing 13th out of 17 and was 42 seconds back from the winner of the class. Had I raced in 40+ Sport men instead I would have placed 8th out of 13 and still been 46 seconds back from the winner.

Amber also raced downhill and put together a great run! She placed 3rd in her category and got a podium on her first downhill race!



Downhill racing proved to be way more fun times than the Super D race that day.

June 6th - Crested Butte

After last weekend at Angel Fire we were motivated to compete in the Wild Flower Rush coming up in Crested Butte in a few weeks so we decided to head over to Crested Butte and start the mountain season. Things were not promising as we headed out with the reports saying that virtually no trails were ready because of the brutal and long winter we had this year.

We got there early on Friday so decided to see how conditions on Lower Loop were, it is a ride we had never ridden as it is just a short little loop that has a reputation for being popular.

Conditions were certainly not ideal with a lot of mud on the trails and plenty of snow still on the upper part of the loop. But the riding was fun and fast!


As always Crested Butte is just a nice place to ride mountain bikes. A late afternoon ride on single track is how everyone should be able to finish off a Friday work week.


There were a few other people on the trail but not many and as we came around a corner we surprised a porcupine. It was fun watching him climb up a tree to get out of the way, luckily I saw him before either of the dogs so I was able to grab Bishop and watch the prickly guy shuffle to safety.


It took a little gentle taps with a bike wheel on Bishops hind quarters but she quickly learned the ways of being a trail dog and when to get of trail and out of the way. She is incredibly fast and seemed happy to run forever!


The upper lower loop was still under quite a bit of snow. We had to walk across a couple of patches, but the riding in between was excellent.


Another snow patch.


Heading back to the car.

Crested Butte - August 25th, Rosebud to DeadmansTrail

Yep, we went for another weekend in Crested Butte. It is starting to feel like the summer is fast winding down. The downhill slopes close for the season in only a few weeks and it seems like we need to start cramming in as much high mountain stuff while it is still ridable.

Saturday we headed out to do Rosebud across to Deadmans. We had tried this early last year but there was a lot of snow in the trees and we had to carry bikes through it instead of riding so we were looking forward to the loop.


It starts out from the Spring Creek side and even the jeep road start is great riding. It has a number of rock gardens to cross and then ends with a creek crossing.


The first few miles has some tough climbing and this late in the season it is pretty torn up by motor bikes leaving a lot of loose rock in the steep sections.


But there is still a lot of nice climbing and some fun technical sections as well. Definitely gets the legs and lungs working.


Crested Butte single track.


It is fun getting out onto some of the more obscure parts of Crested Butte's trails.


Up above the tree line.


The sight of trail disappearing into the distance is always what you want to see.


Once you start downhill the fun really begins with great flowing and buffed trail.


As well as great riding in and amongst the dark timber.


The ride across to Deadmans cuts in and out of the the trees and goes across sweet open sections of riding.


Yeah it was some fun riding.