South Park Crest

Sometimes this is the best way to show what a tour is all about....

South Park Crest - 2010 from Hermosa Tours on Vimeo.

The Highline Loop - now this is a mountain bike ride

It's actually a nod to "the rest" of the riding in Durango that I've never done the Highline Loop. Generally, the rides which make up our Durango High Country tour are so good, the season so short, we have to "make hay while the sun is shining" and rep those beautiful routes as often as possible.

Well, we finally took a day off from the standard routes and made our attempt at the Highline Loop. Myself, Lisa, KP and Dr. Siggins packed a lot of food, water and raingear and set off. The Highline Loop can start from any of a few points I suppose, but we started from Kennebec Pass after dropping off a Hermosa Tours shuttle. Our route: short section of the Colorado Trail, turn and climb on Sharkstooth Trail, descend Sharkstooth to Upper Bear Creek/Highline, start a massive grind up Grindstone Trail, rejoin the Colorado Trail and traverse over the daunting Indian Trail Ridge and finally back to Kennebec Pass. Phew!

Without further delay, the photos....





Lisa and KP climbing the scree and talus to what I call Fall Gulch Pass....



Dr. Siggins and KP on the pass checking our whereabouts....


Sharkstooth Peak in the distance....



Lisa and Ryan spend some time trailside jiggering some cleat shims....


Lisa and Siggins blazing down Upper Bear Creek...






A rest on Grindstone Trail...


Dr. Siggins continues the slog up Grindstone Trail...


Finally we rejoin the Colorado Trail. I downed a ridiculous amount of these Honey Stinger chews....





Home stretch high atop Indian Trail Ridge....


One of my favorite perspectives on Indian Trail Ridge....


Taylor Lake far below and we're pretty much done....


I can safely say this was the burliest 17-19 mile I have EVER completed. Remote, gorgeous, challenging....everything I ask from a true mountain bike ride...

Yeti Tribe Gathering - Scouting Mission

The guys from Yeti Cycles were in town yesterday, scouting some trail routes for their Yeti Tribe Gathering, taking place in Durango August 13-15. I think it's safe to say the "Tribe" is in for some excellent riding! I don't want to ruin the surprise for the Gathering, but here are a few pix from ur scouting ride....




The Columbines are poppin'-a-plenty at around 9,000-10,000 feet right now!!!

Thanks, Yeti Cycles. Cya in August!

Durango High Country, I declare thee OPEN!!!

With each new mountain bike season here around Durango, the final high country ride to become free of snow is the Molas Pass to Cascade Creek section of Colorado Trail and Engineer Mountain Trail. Yesterday we got out there and found all this warm, sunny weather has opened this route for the season....the Durango High Country is open!!!




A few flowers juuuust starting to poke their heads out. This section of the Colorado Trail is famous for some brilliant wildflower displays...we're maybe 2 weeks our from a big bloom.


Lisa cruising some sweet singletrack at about 11,500'.








Ryan and Val pretty much kicked butt yesterday. Slowly their flatlander lungs have started to acclimate to our lack of oxygen. :)


Done climbing Val!!!

Mountain bike tours are in full swing!

The warm weather has arrived in Durango and we've been busy running some really fun mountain bike day tours recently. A few days ago we had a group of international tourists on a one month, cross country trek stopping at various points along the way. We were lucky enough to be one of those stops!

Numerous countries were represented: UK, Australia, South Korea and Norway to name a few!


While most of this particular mountain bike adventure was on dirt road, but some of the group rallied and sampled some beginner Durango singletrack....


On Friday, we hosted some students from Navajo Preparatory who were taking their ACTs the next day and wanted a "decompression" activity. Mountain biking in Durango is a perfect choice in our opinion!


After some serious shredding, we had a nice lunch waiting for everyone at Animas Overlook. Man these kids could eat! Two loaves of bread disappeared in like 3 minutes!!! :)

Good luck on your test, gang!

Jones>Pinkerton>Dutch Goodness

Got in our first Jones Creek to Pinkerton-Flagstaf to Dutch Creek to Hermosa Creek ride yesterday. I sometimes forget how great this ride is....and even better when it was this dry and before the free-grazing cattle have poo-poo'd the trail. Gorgeous!!!

The Hermosa Creek Milestone

Each year I think about and notice a handful of milestones marking seasonal change. Some that come to mind: the scrub oak blooming between mid to late May (happening now!!), just the opposite in early November, those little white flowers blooming in the Gulch or when the snow sticks to Engineer Mountain marking winter is here to stay.

But one that always strikes me is the first time I ride Hermosa Creek Trail in spring. Hermosa Creek represents the gateway to the backcountry to me. Dry Fork/Junction Creek, The Gulch, Phil's World, Overend Mountain Park and Animas Mountain are all great....but Hermosa Creek is the first trail to open where I feel I'm "getting away". The pine smell is stronger, the views are bigger and the roaring creek sounds primal.

So here's to mountain bike "season" officially opening to me...