September 18, 2012

Tour de Colorado - Segment #5

Segment #5Kenosha Pass to the Lost Creek Wilderness (LCW) Boundary



The CoT
Date: September 18th, 2012
Ride Type: out and back
Chosen Direction / Route: From Kenosha Pass southwest back to the LCW boundary (Durango to Denver Direction)
Mileage: 16.5 miles (8.25 to LCW Boundary)
Elevation Gain: 2305'
Average Pace: 13 min/mile
Total time includes breaks: 3 hours
Trail description: The majority of Segment 5 is in Legal Wilderness (No Bikes), however the section that isnt provides an excellent out and back, especially during the fall season, as the area is highlighted with aspen groves. 


 Interactive GPS track recording for COT segment #5:

View Segment 5: Kenosha Pass to LCW in a larger map


Our GPS tracks overlaid onto Google Earth 

Elevation with corresponding speed profile

Like always click on pics to see better resolution

Photo caption ContributionsIf your feeling clever therefore would like to re-caption any of the photos,  leave a comment on the post.  I will then re-caption the photo followed by your name.



Riding the CO version of Oak Alley

Signs

Natures Highlighters

The COT isn't for everyone

Anyone for Elk or Buffalo Sausage? - Bailey, CO

September 3, 2012

A Summit County 5 Star Loop - Keystone Gulch to Aqueduct Trail

Following a day of recovery from our combo housewarming / birthday party K, Drew and I saddled up and set course for Keystone.  Our goal a widely suggested loop ride: Keystone Gulch to Aqueduct Trail.  Receiving 5 / 5 stars from Dan Hickstein's new guidebook:  The Mountain Biker's Guide to Colorado and ecstatic reviews from Tom and Anne who rode it the previous day.  We were primed for some rad riding!


Date: Sept 3, 2012
Riders: Drew, Kristin and Me
Mileage: 18.3 miles
Elevation Gain: 2958'
Average Pace: 15 min/mile
Total time includes breaks: 4 hours
Trail description: A quick climb via Keystone Gulch road passing several of the Keystone ski lifts, then escapes the road passing an iron gate.  After another climb on singletrack you join up with the COT (final portion of Segment #6 - Kenosha Pass to Gold Hill).  As usual the COT didn't disappoint,  I found the next several miles to be the best of the loop (all downhill).  From here you bid farewell to the COT and follow yet another piece of splendid singletrack north along Soda Creek eventually joining into Aqueduct trail and returning you to Keystone Gulch trailhead.      


A couple of important unmarked trail junctions along the way

Elevation with corresponding speed profile

Like always click on pics to see better resolution

Photo caption ContributionsIf your feeling clever therefore would like to re-caption any of the photos,  leave a comment on the post.  I will then re-caption the photo followed by your name.

Trees Eating Bikes


Corner K


Beetles Eating Bark


Drew (aka CT 10k)


Only Bikes


CT 10k Gets Wet

August 20, 2012

A Little Rumney Climbing & a Stach Stopover


K and I took advantage of one of our cyclical off weeks and pulled together a trip back east to see my sister (aka Sissy) and her fabulous Connecticut residing familia.  We also threw in a few days at what most consider the east coasts premiere sport climbing destination.  You may not guess it since few of us west-siders leave our abundance of flawless stone to climb the moss covered, canuck crawling crags of the east coast.  Kidding…Rumney, New Hampshire is actually home to some amazing stone and very unique climbing.  We had a blast, I wish we had more time to spend in the area.  Beautiful place for sure, my sis may be visited more frequently so we have an excuse to go back to Rumney.

So after a few days climbing in NH we made our way down to CT.  First thing first, I needed the Stach’s (sis and Matt) approval of K, my future wife to be.  They approved!  Jaide and Brodie, my adorable niece and nephew also seemed to be huge fans of miss K.  Chalk up the approvals, the wedding looks like a go!

The visit consisted of countless steamers, the kiddos pebble wrestling (rock climbing) for their first time at Chatfield Hollow, crab catching beach fun at Hammonasset beach, adult only story telling sessions around the fire pit and…..enough said check the pics.  If your wondering were the pics of sissy and Matt are…..well I’m wondering the same, they were camera shyJ  Just wait there will be plenty of black mail-ish pics from the wedding, I’m sure! 

Like always click on pics to see better resolution 

Photo caption ContributionsIf your feeling clever therefore would like to re-caption any of the photos,  leave a comment on the post.  I will then re-caption the photo followed by your name.


Self Inflicted Bunny Ears - meet Jaide and Brodie

:) 
Boy of Many a Funny Face

Styling in the Forest
Looking for the Buried Engagement Ring!

We Forgot..... the Beer Face

Tides a Coming In

Crabby

Who wants Crabs?

Pebble Wrestling - Brodie and Jaide

Asking for round two before back on the ground

Must of Found the Beer Face

August 4, 2012

Tour de Colorado - Segment #3

Segment #3Little Scraggy Trail-head to Wellington Lake Road
Additional Bonus Riding —Segment #4 to Lost Creek Wilderness Boundary, Redskin Creek, Gashouse (726), Homestead (728), Sandy Wash (730)
Riders: Chuck, Kristin, Drew


The CoT
Date: August 4, 2012
Ride Type: Shuttle - 1)Little Scraggy 2) US Forest Service Workstation, Buffalo Creek Town
Chosen Direction / Route: Little Scraggy trail-head to Wellington Lake trail-head, 1.9 miles of segment #4 to Lost Creek Wilderness boundary, return on COT segment #3 to Redskin creek junction to Gashouse, climb to Homestead, ending with excellent descent of Sandy Wash to the town of Buffalo Creek 
Mileage: 31.4 miles (13.4 COT section #3 one way)
Elevation Gain: 4215' with 5211' of downhill radness
Average Pace: 11 min/mile
Total time includes breaks: 6 hours
Trail description: A glorious segment of the COT!  First 9 miles or so are for the most part downhill.  Followed by a short climb to the segments high point, and segment #3's end (Wellington Lake Road).  For a bonus ride segment #4 its an additional 1.9 miles will get you to the Lost Creek Wilderness Boundary.  Once you decide to return, its all downhill to the connection with Redskin Creek Trail.  Here you have two options either retrace your ride back to Little Scraggy Trail-head or enjoy some of Buffalo Creeks best singletrack.




Interactive GPS track recording for COT segment #3:

View Segment #3 — Little Scraggy Trail-head to Wellington Lake RoadUntitled in a larger map



Our GPS tracks overlaid onto Google Earth 


Elevation with corresponding speed profile


Homestead's Granite Slab Riding


Heart Rock Corner


The fastest portion of the COT - ride for your life

Don't Brake - Granite shreds tires


Drew rollin on his new "Clown Wheels"


Muffins of the Granite Variety