I just returned from a week in Breckenridge! It was awesome as you would suspect. I was lucky enough to slip away for 2 rides, this RR being the first which was mostly on the Western Ridge portion of the Colorado Trail. This is my first TR - I hope it is a worthy one!
I was very happy with the Santa Cruz Tall Boy that I rented. It was the first 29er that I have ever ridden for an extended period of time. The bike was super fast on the down hill and just as agile as a 26er as I made it through obstacles. Climbing was great and the bike rolled easily over roots and rocks without ever losing traction. If I had enough cash to have two sweet bikes, this would be my second rig for sure. Check one out if you get a chance.
On to the pics:
Horseshoe Gulch Trailhead: I actually parked my car here and road down Tiger Road Southward from here. I would eventually finish my loop at this point.
I rode down Tiger Road for about 3.5 miles southward as I mentioned. It was just a dirt road but the scenery was still beautiful.
Tall Boy
I turned left from Tiger Road to Swan Road right before a bridge that crossed the Swan River. Swan road was another dirt road that I road for a little less than a mile. At that point I turned left onto the Colorado Trail. Into the forest on a skinny trail I went.
Looking back at Swan Road once I had climbed for almost a mile on the Colorado Trail (Breckenridge in the background, not sure which peak):
I climbed for a few more miles and the altitude was tough on me. I just took it slow and enjoyed. Once I climbed for about 3.5 miles or so I rested for a few and then began the single track descent of epic proportions down to the Horseshoe Gulch trail head. It was so much fun in the forest I did not stop for pictures until I came to this clearing where I just had to stop and take this memory home:
This ride was pretty fun, and if you had more time, you could easily connect it to multiple other trails and ride all the way to Keystone in one Direction, Frisco in another, Copper Mt. in another, or back on the Peaks trail to the Heart of Breck in another. I wish I had more time and stamina for this place for sure.
Stay tuned for my Peaks Trail to Frisco TR coming soon. If you can make it to this place one day, I highly recommend it.
Joe
