Gunnison Spur of
the Colorado Trail #2
I have to take a deep
breath and joyfully exhale
every time I look at this picture. The trail is a continuation
of the previous
picture of the Doctor Park Trail. I rode this by starting
on the Taylor River, 6 miles up, a 4 mile lollypop loop at
the top, and 6 miles back down. Total elevation gain was
around 2500+
feet with the high point being around 10,500’.
The first uphill pitch is quite technical, loose, sandy, rocky,
and baked by the sun. After a mile of difficult uphill riding
and pushing you start to wonder if you really want to bother
with doing this. It’s hard and the sun has no remorse.
All of a sudden you reach a plateau and everything is much better.
Soon you’re in the pleasant shade of the aspens which are
some of the biggest in the Colorado. This aspen stand seems to
go on for about 4 miles, and then the trail turns up at a steeper
angle and enters more of a spruce/alpine environment. Once you’re
done climbing, you can do a nice little loop at the top that
provides some amazing views (pictures 8 and 14).
It’s now 6 miles back down the same singletrack you rode
up. The trail down is so darn fun you’ll have to stop a
few times to relax the perma-grin. After it’s all done
and the dust has settled you can take a dip in the Taylor River
to cool those aching muscles and clean yourself up. This is truly
the funnest ride I think I’ve ever done, and I’ve
been riding for almost 14 years now. I can’t wait to go
back and hit it again next summer!
The
Mountain Biking Hall of Fame gives a good account and also
an easier uphill climbing route for this ride. If you do this
ride, be sure to have a current map as it gets a little confusing
at the top.
|
