Ride Report: Tipperary Creek in Winter Park
All my riding buddies were either out of town, out of commission or could not get a hall pass from the wife for the day. So, I headed up to Winter Park early on Sunday morning. I got a new stereo in the car that plays MP3s the day before so I was having fun playing with it and cranked tunes. I got up to Winter Park at 8:00 and luckily the visitors center opens at 8:00 so I could pick up the trail map of the area. I headed over to the Safeway in Fraser to leave the car, its a fairly central location to the loop and didnt really want to ride the paved trail between Fraser and Winter Park.
I took off from the parking lot and it was about 40 degrees out so it was a good thing I brought my fleece vest along. The first 3 miles or so was dirt road, but there wasnt anyone out yet. I hit a piece of single track that parallels the road after that but it soon peeled off and wound itself through the trees. Its flat and is constantly winding around trees. What a great way to warm up the legs!! Unfortunately, it ended and back out onto the dirt road to get to the Tipperary trail head. The next part was a long climb up through the trees, meadows and a stream crossing. It was still fairly cool in the trees but the sun was beating down on me so I had the fleece stuffed in my camelback and sleeves pulled up on my jersey and the temp was still reading mid 40s. Gotta love Colorado!! At the top of the climb there was a trail on the map that was rated Difficult called Backsratch that dumped back down to close to the Tipperary trailhead. Im always up for some fun downhill so I blasted down it. Wow .did it suck! It was a short section of marginal singletrack that dumped onto an old forest/mining road. So, back up Tipperary I went. That added 5 miles onto my ride and another climb so that was good, but the lack of fun downhill was a bummer. Off the top of Tipperary you bomb down Spruce Creek trail. That was a blast and I pretty much had the trail to myself. Id only seen one other rider and I left him at the top of Tipperary.
At the bottom of Spruce Creek I rode a couple hundred yards to the top of Flume trail. That is an absolutely awesome fun trail to ride. Its a big gear sprint on a slight downhill. Im sure its really pretty as you fly down by a creek & beaver ponds, but frankly I was too busy weaving through the trees and trying not to hit one. I did have to slow down for this group of tourists that were riding up the trail. I think the dude in front just about dropped a load in his pants when I came around the corner in a full sprint. :evil: I managed to stop and pull over to let them through. After that it was all my trail, I didnt see another person. I stopped at a little scenic overlook for some food and a red bull. I finished off Flume trail and got onto Chainsaw. Chainsaw really should be ridden the opposite way that I was going, but still a fun trail. That was the end of the single track. A couple miles of dirt road work and I was back at the car.
What a great ride!
And......Yes I know there are no pictures. For once I didn't take the camera. I'll try to post some pics that I took a couple years ago of the same loop if anyone is interested.
All my riding buddies were either out of town, out of commission or could not get a hall pass from the wife for the day. So, I headed up to Winter Park early on Sunday morning. I got a new stereo in the car that plays MP3s the day before so I was having fun playing with it and cranked tunes. I got up to Winter Park at 8:00 and luckily the visitors center opens at 8:00 so I could pick up the trail map of the area. I headed over to the Safeway in Fraser to leave the car, its a fairly central location to the loop and didnt really want to ride the paved trail between Fraser and Winter Park.
I took off from the parking lot and it was about 40 degrees out so it was a good thing I brought my fleece vest along. The first 3 miles or so was dirt road, but there wasnt anyone out yet. I hit a piece of single track that parallels the road after that but it soon peeled off and wound itself through the trees. Its flat and is constantly winding around trees. What a great way to warm up the legs!! Unfortunately, it ended and back out onto the dirt road to get to the Tipperary trail head. The next part was a long climb up through the trees, meadows and a stream crossing. It was still fairly cool in the trees but the sun was beating down on me so I had the fleece stuffed in my camelback and sleeves pulled up on my jersey and the temp was still reading mid 40s. Gotta love Colorado!! At the top of the climb there was a trail on the map that was rated Difficult called Backsratch that dumped back down to close to the Tipperary trailhead. Im always up for some fun downhill so I blasted down it. Wow .did it suck! It was a short section of marginal singletrack that dumped onto an old forest/mining road. So, back up Tipperary I went. That added 5 miles onto my ride and another climb so that was good, but the lack of fun downhill was a bummer. Off the top of Tipperary you bomb down Spruce Creek trail. That was a blast and I pretty much had the trail to myself. Id only seen one other rider and I left him at the top of Tipperary.
At the bottom of Spruce Creek I rode a couple hundred yards to the top of Flume trail. That is an absolutely awesome fun trail to ride. Its a big gear sprint on a slight downhill. Im sure its really pretty as you fly down by a creek & beaver ponds, but frankly I was too busy weaving through the trees and trying not to hit one. I did have to slow down for this group of tourists that were riding up the trail. I think the dude in front just about dropped a load in his pants when I came around the corner in a full sprint. :evil: I managed to stop and pull over to let them through. After that it was all my trail, I didnt see another person. I stopped at a little scenic overlook for some food and a red bull. I finished off Flume trail and got onto Chainsaw. Chainsaw really should be ridden the opposite way that I was going, but still a fun trail. That was the end of the single track. A couple miles of dirt road work and I was back at the car. What a great ride!
And......Yes I know there are no pictures. For once I didn't take the camera. I'll try to post some pics that I took a couple years ago of the same loop if anyone is interested.
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