http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/sep/17/mountain-biking-bliss/

Google Maps / GPS rendering of Walker Ranch Loop

I had the pleasure of riding a Boulder staple this past weekend with a good friend.  Walker ranch is one of the many gems available to mountian bikers in Boulder County.  In the past 2 weeks I have ridden this loop both clockwise and counter clockwise - after ending the loop each way I declared “oh that’s totally the most fun direction to ride that loop” - so good news, it’s highly rideable in either direction.  I could describe the trail in detal, but the link below does a much better job than I ever could - so check it out, and then get out there and ride.

http://www.protrails.com/trail.php?trailID=79

Great news!

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/aug/12/caivano-bike-park-organizers-mission-raise-500k/

If you don’t enjoy lift accessed buffed single track loaded with brilliant jumps, skinnies, berms, and wall rides, and other terrain that will cement a grin on your face, you should stear clear of Winter Park’s Trestle Bike Park and get your head examined ’cause you have issues, serious issues.  Words really won’t do this place justice - you just need to get out there and ride it.  It’s smoother, faster, but less technical than Keystone.  If a picture’s worth a thousand words, hopefully this video is worth more than that.

The much anticipated linkup between Heil Valley Ranch in Boulder and Hall Ranch in Lyons is nearing completion.  This piece of trail will connect two of the most  popular Front Range rides and make a 30 mile single track ride a possibility.   There will be a work day from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 9th and volunteers are needed.

To sign up, contact Matt Bruce at WildWorkVolunteers@BoulderCounty.org or 303-678-6216.

More info in the Daily Camera

I recently rented a 2008 Yeti 575 Enduro for a day of down-hilling at the Keystone Bike Park. The bike was suggested by the guy in the rental shop and as he set it up, he mentioned that the 575 had become his “do anything” bike - whether it was the drops at the downhill park or long trail rides in the mountains. I was a bit skeptical coming from a long stance of “Hard Tails are the only way”, I didn’t believe that a bike with ~6 inches of travel could be a good “Do Anything” bike, but I knew it would be fun on the downhill - so I happily paid my $55 rental fee and was off.

Just to disprove the “Do Anything” claim, before even getting to Keystone, I decided to see what the 575 did riding uphill. I was prepared for big travel-big weight sluggishness, pedal bob and all of those little items that would prevent this bike from being “do anything”. Well much to my dismay, the bike didn’t feel heavy (I am not in the habit of weighing bikes so I don’t know how much it weighed) and climbed like a dream. Seated, I could just crank over anything - loose gravel, big rocks, the rear wheel seemed to stick to the ground as if it was covered in Velcro - even equipped with the flats I had threaded on for the downhill. Standing, the bike had no noticeable pedal-bob - with the Fox RP23 propedal locked out - the bike felt almost like a hard tail. After an uphill jaunt, it was clear that disproving this “do anything” claim was going to be a bit harder than I first expected - but first I had downhill to ride.

Downhill has traditionally been the arena of big hits, big drops, and big suspension bikes, and by modern standards 5.75 inches of travel isn’t necessarily “downhill” caliber - but I am not necessarily a qualified “downhill” rider - so I figured we ought to be fairly suited together. Five runs at Keystone, and I never bottomed the bike out, nor did I ever feel like I got close to it. In fact, I rode things that I would have thought impossible before - the bike inspired all kinds of confidence. The fact is, the 575 feels like a bigger bike than it is - maybe there was something to this “do anything” claim after all.

Four days after first swinging a leg over the 575 at the rental shop, I had ordered one for myself. I think it’s my new “do anything” bike.

The Specs

Recently I spent a day riding downhill at Keystone Bike Park on the last run of the day a buddy of mine crashed pretty hard and banged himself up a bit. Most wounds were superficial, some missing skin, etc., his thumb got pretty banged up, swelled like a balloon, but all in all, for the caliber of the wreck, he’s doing alright (his bike was unscathed). I attribute his well being to the fact that he was wearing a full face motocross helmet. The face guard on the helmet is pretty scratched up, but the shocking part is the rather large HOLE in the top of the helmet. I am not sure a half lid cross country or mild free ride helmet would have fared as well, not sure he would have either.

The next night I ran across this post on Lee’s site. So what do you think about adding a full face to your protection arsenal. I think I will be picking one up - anyone have an opinion on a good one?

Location: Left Hand Canyon - Boulder, CO
Length: ~ 9.5 mile lariat with two interconnected loops
Skill Level: Intermediate
Directions to Trailhead: From North Boulder head north on Broadway until it merges with HWY 36 to Lyons. Head north on 36 approximately 5 miles to the junction with left hand canyon - turn left into the canyon and go about a mile to the entrance to Heil Valley (it’s marked with a brown sign). Then follow a dirt road (watch out for cows - seriously) about 1.5 miles to the parking area.
Link: http://www.protrails.com/trail.php?trailID=4
Post Ride: you’ll have to bring your own or head back into Boulder.

Head north out of the parking lot on the Wapiti trail (which will actually start out on a dirt road). The Wapiti trail is mixed single track with parts being very smooth, parts littered with rocks, and some mildly technical bits. You will slowly climb 2.5 miles past ruins of an old homestead until you reach the junction with the Ponderosa Loop.

Opinions, of course, differ on which way to go once you meet with the loop, but I prefer to head left on Ponderosa. When heading left, you climb nice single track for about 1/4th of the loop, then descend a rocky bit of trail for the next 1/4th. At the bottom of this rocky descent, there is a bench with a nice view of Lyons, CO and views of Hall Ranch (these two trails will be connected soon). Just past the bench, you meet up with the newly opened Turkey Loop - the first bit of this trail is a total dream to ride. Sections like this make mountain bikers come back for more with smooth crushed gravel and banked corners you wind through the trees as you slowly descend. The smoothness doesn’t last, and Turkey loop slowly winds around with a smattering required front-range-rocks until it joins up with the Ponderosa loop again. From here get ready to smile ear-to-ear as you bomb down the Wapiti trail back to your car.

I found this site today and it has some great information about Denver Bike Trails.  Check it out.

I had the privilege of riding the Keystone Bike Park for the first time this weekend. In the past I had always poo-pooed the whole “ride the lift up” experience (mostly due to my cross country mind set), but that is because I had left out the “then ride balls out on the way down” part - I feel great but the muscles in my face are sore from so much grinning. I was able to ride a summer’s worth of technical descents all on Saturday.

The bike park really does have something for everyone, logically enough trails are labeled as ski trails from green to double black. I consider myself an intermediate rider, with that in mind, green trails are too easy, blue trails rip, black trails are pretty ridable, very fun, but a few portions make me pucker, double blacks are constant pucker, and require some walking.

The terrain at Keystone is varied and includes tight, twisty, fast single track, raised “Whistler Style” trails, rock drops, table tops, bridges, rock gardens, berms, and wall rides. An area aptly termed the “Drop Zone” has bridge-to-drop features that range from 7′ to 15′ - like I said, something for everyone.

My favorite sequence that we strung together for the day was: Cowboy Up (black) up to TNT (black) to

Motorhead (Black) to Paid-in-Full (Black) to Money (Black) to Boy Scouts (green) to Even Flow (Double Black -lots-o-walking) to River Run Trail (Blue).

Money is the gem of the mountain if you ask me with 22 table-tops, massive berms and that superb flowy feeling that makes me grin - if you ride only one trail on this mountain, make it Money (although all of the above was done just so we could ride money).

I only have one photo of the whole day because my camera was out of batteries but the one i have is a keeper - 10″ bridge to at least a 7′ drop (on a hard tail) - very cool.

The Specifics
Location: Keystone Colorado Ski Area
Cost: $30 for unlimited rides up the lift (two for one if you have a season pass from last year)
Runs Completed: 4.5-5 (4.5? stay tuned for a future post)
Rental bikes are available at the resort (Specialized Big Hits seemed to be the most common), but check around, prices off the resort are a bit better. I rented a brand new Yeti 575 at a bike store in Breckenridge for $55 per day.
Post ride beer: have a Fat Tire at a bar in the Village.

At 3:40 in this video, the rider descends “Money”…check it out