Playing with Ghost Towns, Campfires and Vail's Two Elks

After spending several days trying to stay afloat during record breaking rainfall along Colorado's front range, we packed up and headed west towards Vail hoping for clear skies and a good romp on the VAIL classic - Two Elks.  We chose to ride it from the rec parking at Vail Pass to Bowman's Shortcut to Two Elks. Totaling roughly 19 miles.

For full description of the this glorious ride explore the interactive map and links to MTBProject below

Team M&M take on Two Elks

Doing some Campfire Magic to Ward the Rain Away - Thomas

Riding Among Aspens - Kristin

Giving the Rain the Middle Finger - Thomas

This Rain isTurning CO into the PNW - Kristin

Town Watering Hole - Red Cliff, CO

Red Cliff,  is a former mining camp situated in the canyon of the upper Eagle River just off U.S. Highway 24 north of Tennessee Pass.  The population was 289 at the 2000 census. The town site is concealed below the highway (which passes over the Red Cliff Truss Bridge).  It was founded in 1879 during the Colorado Silver Boom by miners from Leadville who came over Tennessee Pass scouting for better prospects.

Passing in front of the mighty Gore Range - Kristin

Red Cliff Truss Bridge

Weaving Single track through Outer Mongolia Bowl of Vail Ski Resort - Thomas

Red Cliff Truss Bridge

The Wizard Working His Firebow - Thomas

Abandoned Mining Town - Gilman, CO

Gilman,  founded in 1886 during the Colorado Silver Boom, the town later became a center of lead and zinc mining in Colorado, centered around the now-flooded Eagle Mine. It was abandoned in 1984 by order of the Environmental Protection Agency because of toxic pollutants.  It is currently a ghost town on private property and is strictly off limits to the public.

On February 27, 2008 the Minturn Town Council unanimously approved annexation and development plans for 4,300 acres (17 km²) of Ginn Resorts’ 1,700-unit Battle Mountain residential ski and golf resort; Ginn's Battle Mountain development includes much of the old Gilman townsite.

The townsite is a victim of vandalism, and the town's main street is heavily tagged. There are only a few intact windows left in town, as twenty years of vandalism have left almost every glass object in the town destroyed.
However, many parts of the town are almost as they were when the mine shut down. The main shaft elevators still sit ready for ore cars, permanently locked at the top level. Several cars and trucks still sit in their garages, left behind by their owners.

 Gilman Ghost Playground Girls - Kristin and Anne

 :)

An Alaskan Hat-trick - PackRaft'n , Mountain Bike'n , Boretide Surf'n

Alas, my first summertime AK visit!  It was well worth the wait and kept us busy with endless breathtaking adventure. That's breathtaking both visually and physically...as we played with friends in the extraordinarily beautiful Alaskan backcountry  via 3 modes of FUN; the packraft, the mountain bike and the stand up paddle board.         

2300 Sunset - Looking across the mud flats of the Knik Arm

Packraft Transition - Kristin

• K inflating her packraft with the ultralite airbag (glorified garbage bag) after a 4 mile approach- hike with paddles, packrafts, helmets and dry suits on our backs 

• The ingenious idea was developed and fine tuned in both AK and CO, we are finding them to be, yet another awesome toy. The Alpacka Packraft , made in Colorado 

Interactive Map - Click on Icons and zoom in and out for more detail

View Glacier Creek PackRaft in a larger map

Kincaid Singletrack Park - Me On Fat-Tires!

• Thanks Chip and Gina for lending the fatty's

My Denali Llama

• During a walk and scout section of lower Glacier Creek (looking for the dangerous rumored sweepers)

Chameleon on Wheels - Anson

• Several of us got together for a ride to Lost Lake, north of Seward, AK.  What breathtaking singletrack in a perfect setting!

Glacier Creek 2nd Round - Kristin

• Kristin and I head back for a second day on Glacier Creek, before heading to the Turnagain Arm to surf the Bore tide with Anson.  Here K attaches her backpack and dry sac to the bow of the boat.

77 degrees in AK - Kristin after surfing the bore-tide

• Quite the experience: Surfing the Turnagain Arm Bore tide: Thanks to Anson, Landon and Monica for showing us the ropes:)  
• The bore tide is a huge wave or series of waves that advance down Turnagain Arm in a wall of water up to 10-feet high.  Its known as one of the biggest in the world.  One unique aspect of the Turnagain bore tide is that all other bore waves run up low-lying rivers in more southerly latitudes. The Turnagain wave is the only one that occurs in the far north and the only one bordered by mountains.  It’s also amazingly accessible: you can see it by road along its entire 40- to 50-mile length. And it’s a wildlife-spotting opportunity: harbor seals often ride the tide into Turnagain Arm. Beluga whales may come in a half hour or so later once the water gets deeper.

• Here is an article posted by the Alaska Dispatch (includes some cool photos)
• Also here is a video posted by the Alaska Dispatch from 2012

Breathtaking Vistas - Lost Lake Mountain Bike Ride

Spencer Glacier Packrafting Enduro Day -  Darcie, Stephanie, Anson, Hope

• Train to Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop, paddled up to the Spencer Glacier, then floated for 3.5 hours down the Placer river back to the Turnagain Arm (see map below for details)

Interactive Map - Click on Icons and zoom in and out for more detail

View Spencer Glacier - Placer River -Packraft in a larger map

Glacier Water Air Guitar - Anson  on his Standup Paddle Board (SUP)

• About to take a bone chilling dunk, in the far background is Spencer Glacier.  From this point took about 1 hour to paddle upto.  And yes he floated the Placer river on his SUP, and yes packrafts are more stable in the rapids:)

All Smiles + a Bark - Anson, Darcie, Kina, Kristin

• The crew takes a break during the fast downhill after enjoying the scenic climb upto Lost Lake.

Nearing the Toe of Spencer Glacier - Kristin in her Alpaca

Fireweed

• Now only if our backyard grew weeds like this.  This stuff is everywhere.  And once the blooming stops the countdown to 6 more weeks of summer begins

Glacier Creek Crusaders - Darcie, Stephanie, Kristin, Anson, Me

• About an hour into the run we pull off and exits the boats to check for sweepers and strainers near the Girdwood airport.  By this point the rapids start to mellow, leaving only sweepers and strainers and low water levels as the only hazards.

Loosing Lost Lake - Kristin

New Mexican Irony - My personalized paddle by Anson

Packrafts in Tow - Our approach hike into Glacier Creek

• Yet again ol AK never disappoints!  What what a great group of friends we have, so lucky, everyone is always up for an adventure!  And Anson thanks again for the use of your toys!  

Ride, Hot Tomato, Siesta, Ride, Beer, Repeat - Fruita, CO

We had to go get it before the western slope got to HOT!  Fruita that is, and we got it!  What a rad place, great biking, great food and great beers!  For three days our cycle was as follows:

1. Bike
2. Hot Tomato Cafe 
3. Siesta
4. Bike
5. Copper Club Brewery
6. Return to 1. and repeat

  

 FRUITA!!!! - Backwards Endo over the Sandstone Crevasse - Mack Ridge Trail

Sandstone Mesa-Top Riding - Horsethief Bench Loop below

Day 1 of our Fruita visit we put in a great tour of the Kokopelli trail system (west of Fruita) via a brilliant connection of some of the areas best singletrack.  In summary we started on Mary's Loop connected into Horsethief Bench Loop, back to Mary's then connecting into Steve's Loop, repeating a short section of Mary's Loop until joing into Wrangler's back down to the car.  An excellent description of the loop, including gps tracks and maps can be found by clicking on the MTB Project link.

Also check out Over The Edge Sports a great bike shop with a very friendly staff, whom are all knowledgeable and not afraid to share their ride beta for the area. 

Balancing along Mack Ridge with the Colorado River Twisting Below

A Painted Desert

BookCliffs as seen from the - Frontside Trail

For practically no climbing and amazingly flowy, fast and super playful downhill head to 18 Road Trail System, north of Fruita.  A few pearls for the area:  leave your food and larger quantities of water in your vehicle at the main parking lot, as the trails for the most part all end up back at the parking lot!  refuel and go for the next round.   

Getting surprised by a steep on the screaming fast descent - Zippity Do Da Trail

The Fast and Playful Horsethief Bench Loop

Steve's Loop viewed from Mack Ridge

 K cornering under the Horsethief Bench

Slot Canyon Riding - Steve's Loop

What a glorious section of Steve's Loop, first you ride along the slot canyon's edge before climbing up above for great views of the trail you just left behind.

Drew Banking near the Edge of Mack Ridge

Don't Exit This Corner to Fast :)

Desert in Bloom

Trails Creepily close to Slot Canyons

 Collard Lizard

Zippity's Nicely Exposed Ridge Rolling Trails

Yuccas n Bikes

Tireless views of Kokopelli from along Mack Ridge Trail - Lion's Loop and Steve's Loop seen below 

See You in the Fall Fruita :)