New to Colorado...any DH in the Colorado Springs area?
- Thread starter droplover
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Anyone?
Oh my, yes.
You might be a bit late in the year, but rest assured, you'll have plenty o' DH.
You might be a bit late in the year, but rest assured, you'll have plenty o' DH.
I guess it depends on your definition of "local". In or about town? Not really. There are a couple places that if you shuttle might qualify as DH (Jones/pipeline or Stupid Trail). Most riding in the greater springs area is XC and fantastic. Lift assisted riding is a short drive, but by no means local.
Not necessarily IN Colorado Springs...we'll say from Pueblo up to Castle Rock out to Woodland Park. I'm not necessarily looking for lift access (I found all those already). I'm just looking for a place to ride a DH bike and do some FR-type stuff. I would be grateful to anyone who knows of any places to post up!
ok...so I ran into a "local" here in the Springs and he told me that this place is an epicenter for downhill but pretty much on the "down low". I should've known...it's pretty much like that anywhere in the country. He did tell me about a couple of the trails that weren't too far from our location, but if anyone knows of any please PM me or better yet, maybe we could get together and ride! 
"Epicenter"? I don't know about that. There is good riding to be found but I don't know if I'd go that far. Guess I wasn't sure what you meant by DH. There is good riding to be had @ Palmer (Edna Mae if your feeling technical), a pretty wild stretch @ Redrocks (I'm drawing a blank on the name), and there is always Section 16. I'm off most sun-mon-tues, though I'd guess you'll find I'm hardly the most aggressive rider. I don't really do DH, my body is too broken for those sorts of shenanigans anymore.
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Not really, finding the trail is kind of difficult. Best description I was able to find on teh interwebz.
LocalHikes - Detailed Hike Information
DO NOT ride it the way it is described. Do it clockwise. Find a place to park somewhere about the water tower then ride up (wrong way on a one way, you'll have to hop a gate, High Drive is closed sept-may). Eventually a trail will appear on your right, ride up Palmer trail. Long grind but easy. Way the story was told to me is that this trail was actually built for Gen. Palmer by his railroad engineers so he could ride his horse up to Glen Eryie and go drinking with Spencer Penrose. Anyway, its a steady, but gradual climb. Stay right when the trail splits, you'll stay/follow the ridge line for a while, it then goes left over the top. Its all fairly technical (IMHO) down hill from there. Cross the road once and stay on the trail, you'll come out pretty close to the water tower.
*edit, found this:
http://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/palmer-trail-section-16.html
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Went to Palmer Park last weekend and I must say I was very disappointed. I checked out Edna Mae and most of that trail isn't even rideable. Nothing really there for a bike like mine. I just read something about Jones Downhill. Anybody been there before?...and would like to do it again? If not, I guess I'll just have to wait until the spring to take my bike to the resorts.
Edna Mae is rideable. Not by me for sure, but I have been witness to it being done more than once. Closest I've ever come is in the winter when snow packs down into a lot of the low spots and between the rocks. I have to admit I also did not like riding at palmer when I first moved here. It takes awhile to get that place figured out and find stuff you like to ride.
Jones is possibly my favorite ride on the front range that doesn't involve 2 or more hours of driving. I haven't been up in a while but I would have to assume that there is probably snow and ice on a large portion of it this late in the year. We haven't had much snow so far this year, but there are several portions of the trail that are deep in the canyon and see little sun in the winter months. I always assume that after the first snow fall or two that Jones is done till May. Check eMpTy BeeR, someone might be able to tell you other wise
Jones is possibly my favorite ride on the front range that doesn't involve 2 or more hours of driving. I haven't been up in a while but I would have to assume that there is probably snow and ice on a large portion of it this late in the year. We haven't had much snow so far this year, but there are several portions of the trail that are deep in the canyon and see little sun in the winter months. I always assume that after the first snow fall or two that Jones is done till May. Check eMpTy BeeR, someone might be able to tell you other wise
DH yes, Section 16 is a hike for the big bike. An hour hike for 20 minutes of ride time, no jumps no drops just loose rock with a couple of fast sections.
Captain Jacks is ok but with 8 inches of travel its kinda slow but still fun. You can actually Do Pipeline To Jones To Buckhorn Some climbing but the dh part is super fast, then to Captan Jacks, then to the Chutes. Its 13 miles with say less than one mile of climbing. And that damn snow might not melt till May..See how winter goes.
For now Captain Jacks is still icy, the chutes should be dry by now.
Pueblo Has a small Freeride line about 1/4 mile long but tons of different lines to take. Big bike ok there,
Castle rock has a new Jump park/Free Ride Park. Hardtail of 4x bike is great there, you will have to break some sweat to get your dh rig over the jumps...but the flow trail is great to work on your turns
Pikes Peak has a gnarly trail but again already covered in snow.
All these trails are on the maps, some you can push up but better to have a shuttle driver
Captain Jacks is ok but with 8 inches of travel its kinda slow but still fun. You can actually Do Pipeline To Jones To Buckhorn Some climbing but the dh part is super fast, then to Captan Jacks, then to the Chutes. Its 13 miles with say less than one mile of climbing. And that damn snow might not melt till May..See how winter goes.
For now Captain Jacks is still icy, the chutes should be dry by now.
Pueblo Has a small Freeride line about 1/4 mile long but tons of different lines to take. Big bike ok there,
Castle rock has a new Jump park/Free Ride Park. Hardtail of 4x bike is great there, you will have to break some sweat to get your dh rig over the jumps...but the flow trail is great to work on your turns
Pikes Peak has a gnarly trail but again already covered in snow.
All these trails are on the maps, some you can push up but better to have a shuttle driver
There are a lot of bike parks and skate parks to ride a dj over the winter. Thats what I do.
