[pixelninja]

One trail that I really want to ride this season is the Colorado trail between Kenosha Pass and Georgia pass. If you've done this before, I have a few questions for you:

1. How far is it from Denver?
2. How do you get there? Is it simply down 285?
3. Is it an out-n-back? Do you ride from Kenosha to Georgia, then turn around and go back down the way you came, or are there alternate routes?
4. What is the mileage from K to G?
5. If you're from Denver, have you done this as a single day trip, or do you camp?
6. If you've camped, how are the Kenosha campgrounds? Primitive? Over run by RVs?
7. What's the best time of the year to do this trail?

Any info and photos are appreciated. Please only reply if you've done this trail, not just heard/read about it.

 

[scrublover]

done it plenty of times. it's not bad. the last three have been on my SS; only had to walk a few breif spots up top.

yep, down 285. 2-3 hours, depending on where exactly in D you're coming from, and what time of day. (commute traffic and so on)

out and back OR you can take a nice singletrack down from the top, that joins back to the main trail at about the halfway point. from the near the top, near the first wooden sign post, look for trail heading off the main route. this dumps you down to a campground. go out the main road from the camp, and you'll run into the main trail again very shortly. boom, hop on this back to the start.

i *think* it's 12 miles one way.

never camped there. easy to do in a day, so long as you keep in mind afternoon storms. bring your shell, start early.
it's doable anytime from now, up until it gets too much snow.

it's a great trail. nothing horribly hard/techy. but the views and scenery are great. a big bike is totally unneeded.

go do a search of the passion board and the front range board over on mtbr.com quite a few threads of it over there.

 

[caputo1989]

You shoud do the watermelon ride W/ my shop and I. It is soon. Go to my link in my sig I think there is some info.

 

[pixelninja]

done it plenty of times. it's not bad. the last three have been on my SS; only had to walk a few breif spots up top.

yep, down 285. 2-3 hours, depending on where exactly in D you're coming from, and what time of day. (commute traffic and so on)

out and back OR you can take a nice singletrack down from the top, that joins back to the main trail at about the halfway point. from the near the top, near the first wooden sign post, look for trail heading off the main route. this dumps you down to a campground. go out the main road from the camp, and you'll run into the main trail again very shortly. boom, hop on this back to the start.

i *think* it's 12 miles one way.

never camped there. easy to do in a day, so long as you keep in mind afternoon storms. bring your shell, start early.
it's doable anytime from now, up until it gets too much snow.

it's a great trail. nothing horribly hard/techy. but the views and scenery are great. a big bike is totally unneeded.

go do a search of the passion board and the front range board over on mtbr.com quite a few threads of it over there.

Thanks Scrub. Much appreciated.

2-3 hours to get there? I just found on Trail Central that the trailhead is past Grant on 285. Google Maps puts Grant about 60 miles from Denver. Is the trailhead right on 285, or do you get off the highway and have to drive up somewhere?

Is the singletrack you're talking about the Jefferson Trail? What is the CO trail like between KP and GP? Singletrack? Doubletrack? Jeep road?

Once again, thanks for the good info.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Thanks Scrub. Much appreciated.

2-3 hours to get there? I just found on Trail Central that the trailhead is past Grant on 285. Google Maps puts Grant about 60 miles from Denver. Is the trailhead right on 285, or do you get off the highway and have to drive up somewhere?

Drive to Kenosha Pass is about an hour. I guess if you got caught in *heinous* traffic on a weekend it might take 2-3. Just go really early if you go on a w/e. Trailhead is right on the hwy right at the top of Kenosha Pass. Park right at the road. It's obvious.

Is the singletrack you're talking about the Jefferson Trail? What is the CO trail like between KP and GP? Singletrack? Doubletrack? Jeep road?

Trail is *all* singletrack from Kenosha Pass to Georgia Pass. Take the Jefferson trail up. Really nice loop. Jefferson trail leaves the CT at the main creek crossing in the valley right after you cross the FS road going up to Jefferson Lake.

 

[Full Trucker]

One trail that I really want to ride this season is the Colorado trail between Kenosha Pass and Georgia pass. If you've done this before, I have a few questions for you:

1. About an hour - 60 miles is correct
2. Straight out 285, stop at the top of K-Pass, trailhead is right there.
3. Yes, out-n-back with option as was mentioned before. OR, drop a car in Breck, and ride the whole dang thing as a point-to-point for 30ish miles of LOVE. The decent off the top of G-Pass heading towards Breck is 4-5 miles of EPIC goodness.
4. 12 miles one-way
5. single day
6. n/a
7. fall when the leaves are changing, without question

 

[Morryjg]

Definitely do the Jefferson creek trail on the way up. Pretty ride and you don't have to ride the same trail twice. Plus once you are on Jefferson you won't have to share the trail with anyone. I've never seen anyone else on it.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Definitely do the Jefferson creek trail on the way up. Pretty ride and you don't have to ride the same trail twice. Plus once you are on Jefferson you won't have to share the trail with anyone. I've never seen anyone else on it.

Me either. Except that one time there was the dude toting a gun.

 

[scrublover]

Drive to Kenosha Pass is about an hour. I guess if you got caught in *heinous* traffic on a weekend it might take 2-3. Just go really early if you go on a w/e.

doh! brain fart. it's an extra hour or more for me, coming from up here in longmont. yeah, for you southern folk, an hour or so is about right.

 

[pixelninja]

Definitely do the Jefferson creek trail on the way up. Pretty ride and you don't have to ride the same trail twice. Plus once you are on Jefferson you won't have to share the trail with anyone. I've never seen anyone else on it.

So Jefferson Creek on the way up and then back down the Colorado Trail?

 

[SkaredShtles]

So Jefferson Creek on the way up and then back down the Colorado Trail?

Yup - Jefferson is much more climber friendly. Nobody riding down, trail's in much better condition (at least it was last time), more shaded, etc.

The CT portion of the Georgia Pass ride was pretty dry and washed out when I last did it.

 

[pixelninja]

So it looks like I'll be doing this ride on Saturday. For those who've done it, what time do you usually try to be at the trailhead by?

 

[SkaredShtles]

So it looks like I'll be doing this ride on Saturday. For those who've done it, what time do you usually try to be at the trailhead by?

8 a.m.

 

[pixelninja]

8 a.m.

That's cool. We were talking about meeting at the Morrison exit lots no later than 7. That should put us at Kenosha a little past 8.

 

[FBTMILF]

I'm not sure on the lenght of the trail, but i do know that you just take 285 towards Fairplay until you reach a small town called Grant. Keep going straight on 285 to the top of Kenosha Pass. If you coming from Denver, then stop at the top of the pass to the right. Walk through the gate and go to the left, and there's the trail head.

 

[pixelninja]

I'm not sure on the lenght of the trail, but i do know that you just take 285 towards Fairplay until you reach a small town called Grant. Keep going straight on 285 to the top of Kenosha Pass. If you coming from Denver, then stop at the top of the pass to the right. Walk through the gate and go to the left, and there's the trail head.

Yeah, we found it. Great time had by all...

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127098