WARNING: Long, long, long Trip Report below.
Holy $hite, Batman. This was one of those rides that you don't forget. Ever. Like a Teocalli Ridge ride. Or a Monarch Crest ride. 401. Slickrock. You get the idea.
Sunday, July 18. We'd been tossing around the idea of a "Long Ride Test Piece" to prepare us for our yearly Man Ride, which this year will take place in Krusty Butt. So we picked the Commando Run from Shrine Pass to Vail ski area, coupled with a descent to Minturn, where a fishing buddy would pick us up at a restaurant.
None of us had done any riding up in the Vail area, so it was all unknown territory. We drove to the top of Shrine Pass and began the descent to the singletrack. I'm not sure how far it was, but the trailhead was well marked.
We climbed through the trees, dealing with wet roots (it's been rainy here in CO for the last month or so), greasy trail, and the occasional pile of scat. We broke out near treeline on a ridge and were greeted with visual overload! The views were 360deg of classic Colorado mountains. Snow covered peaks everywhere we looked. The Cross Couloir on Mount of the Holy Cross filled in. It was nice to see things so "wet" so "late" in the summer.
We then started a roller coaster ride along ridges. Steep, rocky, rooty descents followed by steep, rocky, rooty climbs. We quickly found ourselves at Two Elk Pass and the edge of Vail Resorts - marked by the big boundary ropes. Heading west into the ski area proper, we found ourselves confronted with challenge #2 - trying to concentrate on 10-inch-wide singletrack with vegetation up to our waists in places all the time being distracted by a friggin' RIOT of wildflowers.......
Our singletrack descent ended at the bottom of China Bowl, where we consulted the map and decided to climb the dirt road to the top of Sunup Bowl. This, of course, was when the wind stopped and the sun started to *BAKE* us.
Much sweating and cursing found us at the top of Sunup Bowl and the start of the Grand Traverse - the "quintessential" Vail singletrack. The weather had turned on us a bit, with rain falling lightly, but this trail was fast, fast, FAST singletrack traversing the top of Sundown & Game Creek Bowls. Oh, and did I mention up until now we'd seen zero, count 'em, 0 other riders or hikers. Near the end of the Traverse we met a rider and a family of hikers, but that was IT.
The Grand Traverse ends at Eagle's Nest, which is the top of the gondy at Vail, and it was like we'd suddenly gotten tossed into civilization. There were all sorts of folks all over the place at Eagle's Nest.
We rested, chowed a bit, re-watered ourselves, then made our way down the access road to Mid Vail, where we decided on the "Mid Vail Escape" trail - which was loose. And steep. Oh - did I mention it was loose? This trail needed a little TLC. Oh, and the sun was out again and it was *HOT.* And humid. Our "climb timing" was impeccable.
Once we'd made it to the top of Sunup bowl again, we decided against the descent along Kloser's Klimb since it appeared to be a jeep road. Instead we decided to repeat the Grand Traverse. Which was a good call. Holy $hite is this trail fast and a blast!
Back at Eagle's Nest we'd heard rumors of a "Matterhorn" trail that dropped west towards Minturn. We sorta "felt" our way out along the ridge and found singletrack. We dropped. And dropped. And hauled MAJOR amounts of backside. We stopped occasionally to rave incoherently. We went over jumps. We went through Queen Ann's Lace that was up to our armpits. Aspen groves. Stands of pine. Loose, steep, scary washouts. It was one of those exhilerating descents that makes you want to climb back up the mountain to do it 5 more times.
We got dumped out in West Vail and found our way down to the bike path (most challenging routefinding of the day, I might add) and rode into Minturn for well deserved Tex-Mex and Margaritas. All in all, an absolutely, 100%, full-on KILLER day of riding.
Luckily, the only guy with a computer found out it was broken about 1/2 way through, so we're guessing it was easily a 40 mile day. Yeah. That's it.
-S.S.-
P.S. Oh yeah. Pics here: http://cograbers.o-f.com/Vail.htm
Holy $hite, Batman. This was one of those rides that you don't forget. Ever. Like a Teocalli Ridge ride. Or a Monarch Crest ride. 401. Slickrock. You get the idea.
Sunday, July 18. We'd been tossing around the idea of a "Long Ride Test Piece" to prepare us for our yearly Man Ride, which this year will take place in Krusty Butt. So we picked the Commando Run from Shrine Pass to Vail ski area, coupled with a descent to Minturn, where a fishing buddy would pick us up at a restaurant.
None of us had done any riding up in the Vail area, so it was all unknown territory. We drove to the top of Shrine Pass and began the descent to the singletrack. I'm not sure how far it was, but the trailhead was well marked.
We climbed through the trees, dealing with wet roots (it's been rainy here in CO for the last month or so), greasy trail, and the occasional pile of scat. We broke out near treeline on a ridge and were greeted with visual overload! The views were 360deg of classic Colorado mountains. Snow covered peaks everywhere we looked. The Cross Couloir on Mount of the Holy Cross filled in. It was nice to see things so "wet" so "late" in the summer.
We then started a roller coaster ride along ridges. Steep, rocky, rooty descents followed by steep, rocky, rooty climbs. We quickly found ourselves at Two Elk Pass and the edge of Vail Resorts - marked by the big boundary ropes. Heading west into the ski area proper, we found ourselves confronted with challenge #2 - trying to concentrate on 10-inch-wide singletrack with vegetation up to our waists in places all the time being distracted by a friggin' RIOT of wildflowers.......
Our singletrack descent ended at the bottom of China Bowl, where we consulted the map and decided to climb the dirt road to the top of Sunup Bowl. This, of course, was when the wind stopped and the sun started to *BAKE* us.
Much sweating and cursing found us at the top of Sunup Bowl and the start of the Grand Traverse - the "quintessential" Vail singletrack. The weather had turned on us a bit, with rain falling lightly, but this trail was fast, fast, FAST singletrack traversing the top of Sundown & Game Creek Bowls. Oh, and did I mention up until now we'd seen zero, count 'em, 0 other riders or hikers. Near the end of the Traverse we met a rider and a family of hikers, but that was IT.
The Grand Traverse ends at Eagle's Nest, which is the top of the gondy at Vail, and it was like we'd suddenly gotten tossed into civilization. There were all sorts of folks all over the place at Eagle's Nest.
We rested, chowed a bit, re-watered ourselves, then made our way down the access road to Mid Vail, where we decided on the "Mid Vail Escape" trail - which was loose. And steep. Oh - did I mention it was loose? This trail needed a little TLC. Oh, and the sun was out again and it was *HOT.* And humid. Our "climb timing" was impeccable.
Once we'd made it to the top of Sunup bowl again, we decided against the descent along Kloser's Klimb since it appeared to be a jeep road. Instead we decided to repeat the Grand Traverse. Which was a good call. Holy $hite is this trail fast and a blast!
Back at Eagle's Nest we'd heard rumors of a "Matterhorn" trail that dropped west towards Minturn. We sorta "felt" our way out along the ridge and found singletrack. We dropped. And dropped. And hauled MAJOR amounts of backside. We stopped occasionally to rave incoherently. We went over jumps. We went through Queen Ann's Lace that was up to our armpits. Aspen groves. Stands of pine. Loose, steep, scary washouts. It was one of those exhilerating descents that makes you want to climb back up the mountain to do it 5 more times.
We got dumped out in West Vail and found our way down to the bike path (most challenging routefinding of the day, I might add) and rode into Minturn for well deserved Tex-Mex and Margaritas. All in all, an absolutely, 100%, full-on KILLER day of riding.
Luckily, the only guy with a computer found out it was broken about 1/2 way through, so we're guessing it was easily a 40 mile day. Yeah. That's it.
-S.S.-
P.S. Oh yeah. Pics here: http://cograbers.o-f.com/Vail.htm
friends. 
What a SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEET ride!!! Left us all wanting more, but didn't have the legs to to keep going.
here are some of the better pics from the ride. Now you guys don't have to scroll through all the junk pictures. 
neaky: - you know, just to make it "officially" Epic.