Places
to Ride - 5/25/07 version
One of the hardest things to do, when you are planning to visit
a new place to ride, is to find out where all the good trails
are and the good places to sleep and eat. It is especially difficult
if you are planning a vacation far from home. This writeup may
be useful if you are planning to visit Colorado. It is a collection
of information that I have gathered from various sources or have
written myself while riding trails in Colorado over the last 20
years or so. I used to live in Los Alamos (about 35 miles NW of
Santa Fe) and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Now, I live in Salida,
Colorado. I still ride trails in Colorado and I hope to be adding
to this writeup in the years to come. If you find any errors,
let me know and I'll fix 'em. If you have any additional information,
let me know and I'll try to include it herein.
Note on organization: the complete writeup is made up of this
web page and several other referenced web pages:
"Places to Ride" is available as a printable
pdf file, which includes this page (pix excluded) and all
of the referenced external web pages except the NCTR page (mostly
pix). The 1/5/02 version of the printable pdf file is about 50K
/ 19 print pages.
Use this information as a guide
only. Plan carefully before venturing into new areas. Use maps
and a GPS receiver if you are unsure of your navigational skills.
If you stay on designated trails (highly recommended), you should
have very few problems. I do not rate the trails for degree of
difficulty. Some trails are good for beginners, and some are suitable
only for highly skilled riders, but most trails mentioned are
suitable for intermediate riders. Wet or snowy conditions will
usually make any of the trails harder to ride. Remember this:
you can always turn back if the trail gets too hard.
Lastly, find someone to ride with, preferably someone who's
ridden the areas you're interested in riding. There are clubs
that put on weekend and week-long rides (MTRA, NCTR,
etc) and non-organizers who non-organize SpodeFests.
Ask on rmd for anyone who's a member of such a club or when and
where the next SpodeFest will be held, and if you can join their
ride.
For more information about places to ride, have a look at the
Stay the Tail web site.
Top
Southern Colorado Summer Riding
Rio Grande National Forest
Chama Basin - about 40 miles of trails. The parking
area is about 10 minutes north of Chama, NM (near the border).
Drive north from Chama 4-5 miles and turn left (west) at Lobo
Lodge. Drive 5-6 miles into a small camp area (with toilets) right
next to the Chama River. This is a nice place with excellent views
and it's easy to get to. If you're going to fish, you need a CO
license.
Cumbres Pass to La Manga Pass - The mountains north
of Chama, NM are excellent for camping, scenery, and casual dirt
road riding and some trail riding. Chama is about 8 miles south
of the NM/CO border; the mountains are in Colorado, starting at
the border. There is a campground at Trujillo Meadows Reservoir.
There's a good supermarket in Chama for supplies. A narrow gauge
railroad (tourist attraction) runs out of Chama.
Del Norte - The town is due west of Alamosa and Monte
Vista. There are many trails in the area, north and south of town,
as noted below.
Del Norte south area - about 100 miles of trails, 2-tracks,
and logging roads. Parking and camping areas are about 30 minutes
south of Del Norte, CO and/or South Fork, CO. Drive in on any
one of the open USFS roads and camp wherever you find room.
Del Norte north area and La Garita - about 100 miles
of trails, 2-tracks, and logging roads. The Del Norte north parking
areas are about 30 minutes north of Del Norte, CO and/or South
Fork, CO. Popular places to camp are north of Del Norte at Baughman
Cr area (enduro camp area) and Cathedral CG although you can literally
camp anywhere you can park your camper/truck. La
Garita Pix
La Garita is another access to the Del Norte north area. The
turnoff for La Garita is on US285, about halfway between Saguache
and Monte Vista (17 miles from either). The few cross roads in
the area are lettered "A" "B" etc going north
on US285 from Monte Vista and "Z" "Y" etc
going south from Saguache. The turnoff for La Garita is on road
"G", and there is a La Garita sign also. Drive west
on road "G" about 5 miles to get to the La Garita Store,
home of the best hamburgers in the San Luis Valley.
You can drive in on FR41G to get to Poso CG. From Poso CG,
you have to ride a few dirt roads to get to the first trail south
or east. You can also drive in on La Garita Cr road to get to
La Garita Tr.
South Fork - SF is west of Del Norte. The trails north
of South Fork (Alder Cr and Bear Cr areas) were used in the Boot
Hill National Enduro on 7/15/01. You can drive up Alder Cr road
for primitive camping. There is also camping north of Wagon Wheel
Gap on FR600. South Fork Pix
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Many
of the routes in the Del Norte/La Garita/South Fork area are ATV
trails, but don't let that fool you. They can be very challenging.
The trails on the west side by Alder Cr are all single-track.
Most of the rest are ATV. The trail to Mesa Mtn from Bowers Peak
is ATV then narrows to single-track through rough rocks. Embargo
Cr and Cathedral Cr trails are difficult single-track trails.
There is a new ATV trail that goes north over Bowers Peak (not
the actual top of the mtn, to the west a little) down to roads
north of the large mountains. It's a blast. Some of the trails
are listed in the TrailStatus. You will also find trails that
are not on the maps; the local FS District is constantly upgrading
trails and renews older non-published trails now and then.
Caution: On La Garita Trail - take the bypass north around
the private property (it's about a 5 mile bypass ;-) and do NOT
go through the private property gate on La Garita Cr. One private
property landowner has threatened riders with a shotgun. You're
plenty safe if you avoid the private property.
Whatever you do, get off of Mesa Mtn, Bowers Peak, and any
other high peaks when the clouds roll in. You can ride lower elevation
trails in the rain, but the high places are extremely dangerous
due to lightning and total white-outs, even during July and August.
We always plan the high-elevation portion of our rides for early
mornings.
---------------------------------------
San Juan National Forest
Pagosa Springs to Durango - there are some great camping areas
along the road between these two towns. Most of the riding is
dirt roads with a few beginner trails. See Vallecito Lake also.
Hermosa Creek north of Durango is open to riding. Durango has
lots of entertainment; shopping, restaurants, narrow gauge railroad,
etc.
Top
Central Colorado Summer Riding
Near Colorado Springs
Rampart Range - designated trails area, about a days
worth of riding. You don't need a guide, but a map helps. Rampart
trails are very busy, and very whooped out.
Woodland Park/Divide - you can ride Woodland in a day.
You don't need a guide, but a map helps. Woodland trails have
a fair amount of traffic, and are getting whooped out.
---------------------------------------
Further west, over the front range, is the town of Salida,
CO. From Salida, there is easy access to the following: Rainbow
Trail, Marshall Pass trails, Pitkin Loop, Gunnison Basin trails.
Rainbow Trail - The Rainbow Trail is in the Sangre de
Cristo mountains 10 (ten!) minutes south of Salida. The trail
is 100 miles long. There are several campsites on the trail from
which you can stage rides north and south. It takes about three
days to ride the whole trail due to the logistics of gas and having
to ride parts of the trail twice (not a hardship!). The problem
is, you can't just start at one end and ride all the way to the
other end, then turn around and head back. There's no gas stations,
and it's hard to ride 200 miles in one day. You don't need a guide,
but a map helps. You can also ride from some motels right to the
trail on dirt roads that run south from Salida.
Marshall Pass -
Southwest of Salida are Marshall Pass and Sargents, which are
the starting points for several loop rides. The loops can be as
short as 40 miles, all the way up to 120+ miles. Most of the loops
consist of single-track trails. There's at least three days of
riding here. You almost have to have a guide because of the many
trails and possibilities, however a map will serve the adventurous
adequately. Skinny Tr Pix Sargents
Area Pix
Pitkin Loop - The Pitkin
Loop starts near the town of Sargents, which is about 35 miles
west of Salida. The ride is one of the most spectacular in the
area. You ride to the little town of Pitkin for lunch and then
return. You don't need a guide, but a map helps.
Gunnison Basin trails - Further west are the towns of
Gunnison and Crested Butte. From either of these towns you have
access to the trails in the Gunnison Basin (including the famous
Taylor Park area). There's at least a week's worth of riding.
You don't need a guide, but a map helps. Suggested loops
and riding tips in the Taylor Park
and Gunnison Basin area. Taylor Park
Pix
Central CO Trail Loops - Here are a few trail
loops in the Central Colorado area of Salida, Buena Vista,
Taylor Park, Gunnison, and Crested Butte.
---------------------------------------
Uncompahgre Plateau - Further west is the Uncompahgre
Plateau, accessed from the north via Highway 50 near Whitewater
(between Delta and Grand Junction) or from the south via Montrose.
The northern trails are near the Divide Fork Campground; the southern
trails are near the Iron Springs Campground. These trails are
sometimes difficult to find and are difficult to ride in places.
A guide would be a good idea. Maps are available from the MTRA
at:
Motorcycle Trail Riding Association
PO Box 3033
Montrose, CO 81402 |
Motorcycle Trail Riding Association
PO Box 3204
Grand Junction, CO 81502 |
---------------------------------------
Ouray
I usually don't like riding jeep roads, but when the sights
are as good as they are around Ouray, I tough it out and ride
the roads at least once every three or four years. You can actually
skip almost all dirt road riding and choose to ride only trails,
but you'll miss some of the very spectacular scenery. You should
try to see a few of the following:
Southeast of Ouray - Engineer Mtn, Animas Fork, Cinnamon Pass
Southwest of Ouray - Imogene Pass, Black Bear Pass
Top
Northern Colorado Summer riding
Rand - the small town of Rand in northern CO, north
of Granby and south of Walden, is in the center of some spectacular
trail riding country. Most of the trails are located south of
Rand and extend east and west from Highway 125 in the Routt National
Forest. The USFS now has substantial signing designating which
trails are open to motorized use. Some of the trails are closed
on a seasonal basis, so it's best to go when they are all open,
which is generally from late June through Labor Day. For maps
and specific details, contact the USFS at the Parks Ranger District.
Parks Ranger District
Medicine Bow/Routt National Forest
100 Main Street
Walden, Colorado 80480
970-723-8204
The Calamity Pass Enduro is held in this area.
For information on the enduro, contact Mike Troast at <mtroast@ix.netcom.com>.
Top
Colorado Winter Riding
There are very few areas open to dirt biking when the snow
flies over most of Colorado. Here's a short list of what I know
of:
Several front-range motocross tracks near Colorado Springs and
Pueblo
Riding area near Grand Junction
Pawnee National Grassland (NE of Denver)
Pueblo riding area (west of Pueblo)
Stultz-Tanner trails (south of Canon City)
Texas Creek (30 miles SE of Salida)
Fourmile Area (NE of Salida) Pix
Top
Maps
Almost all the good trails in CO are on US Forest Service land,
with some on BLM land. Maps are available from both agencies;
they usually have local offices near the forests. The US
Forest Service and BLM have
web sites.
I recommend the following USFS visitor maps for riding in CO:
Rio Grande NF visitor map, 719-852-5941
San Juan NF visitor map, 303-247-4874
San Isabel NF visitor map, 719-539-3591
Gunnison Basin Area, available at any of the above
Medicine Bow/Routt NF, 970-723-8204
Maps cost $4-6. Call the numbers, get their mailing addresses
and prices, then send a check for what you want. Any of the offices
may have all the maps listed.
---------------------------------------
L&M Productions <L&M
Productions web site> has videos ($20) and guide books
with maps ($15) of many trails in Colorado. While these maps are
not all inclusive, nor the most detailed available, they are an
excellent source of information to get you started. L&M has
actually copied the US Forest Service maps and hi-lighted the
trails of interest. Note that many other trails are also open
in the same areas. Map and videos are provided for both motorcycle
and ATV interests and there are some difference between the sets.
The videos are more entertaining than informative, even though
the helmet-cam does cause some bouncing of the picture. I do not
have a financial interest in L&M Productions; I'm just a satisfied
customer.
L&M Productions
2015 W Alameda Ave
Denver, CO 80223
303-777-4337
(Physically located at Fay Myers Motorcycle World)
---------------------------------------
|
National Geographic produces the very high quality Trails
Illustrated map series ($10 ea) that show literally all the trails
in a given area. They can be ordered through your local map or
book store or the National
Geographic map store. Locally, you can buy the TI maps at
the bookstore in Gunnison and the USFS office and book stores
in Salida. The maps are plastic (or plastic coated) and very
durable.
I like to hi-lite trails and routes on maps so that when I
pull one out on the trail, it's easy to pick out the trails.
Regular hi-liter ink rubs off of the TI maps. Renee from AZ discovered
that Sanford EXPO2 Dry Erase marker ink does not easily rub off
and seems to be fairly waterproof. I used Paradise pink (86011)
and it works great. I do not have a financial interest in National
Geographic or Sanford; I'm just a satisfied customer.
I recommend the following Trails Illustrated maps for riding
in CO:
129 Buena Vista, Collegiate Peaks
130 Salida, St Elmo, Shavano Peak
131 Crested Butte, Pearl Pass
132 Gunnison, Pitkin
139 La Garita, Cochetopa Hills
142 South San Juan, Del Norte
|
|
Here are six TI maps mounted on a foam panel. The maps show trails
in the Taylor Park area.
|
---------------------------------------
USGS 7.5 minute topographic quads are available at the bookstore
in Gunnison and at the Trailhead store in Buena Vista. They are
also available in Salida at the USFS office and Stroud Realty
& Maps on US50, and Adventure Media store downtown.
---------------------------------------
The most detailed of all the foregoing maps are USGS 7.5 minute
topographic quads. These topos will not show you anything more
recent than the USGS survey for a given area. Some surveys date
from the 60s and 70s, although there are newer surveys, too. So
newer trails are usually not shown on the USGS topos. Their chief
advantage is that they show terrain elevation and topography.
The Trails Illustrated maps are updated often, and none are older
than the mid 80s. The maps are easier to use in the field and
provide all the detail you need to find your way around. The USFS
maps are fairly recent also, but do not have the detail of the
TI maps, although they show larger areas.
I use a Garmin 12XL and an Etrex Summit to log trails and to
explore with. But when I'm just riding, I only carry my Trails
Illustrated maps and USFS maps. They provide everything I need.
None of the GPS receivers has a large enough display to show you
adequate details within the bigger picture. GPS receivers are
great for logging trails and making maps and tracking down locations,
but none of the riders I know actually use them to follow trails.
Most trails are marked with signs and the tread is easily visible
on the ground. Once you find a trail or road using a map, you
usually don't need to check the map again until the end of the
trail or road.
---------------------------------------
Here are some maps and brochures that I've collected over the
years. Click on the map name to download a copy; click on the
web page to see pictures and other information.
Note - The only information I have about the maps and brochures
is on the web pages noted above.
For more information about places to ride, have a look at the
Stay the Tail web site.
Top
Registration - Colorado
Residents of Colorado must register their off-road vehicles
with CO State
Parks and attach a sticker to their vehicle. Street-legal
bikes are registered with the Motor Vehicle Division. Non-residents
must have the proper titling/registration that their state requires.
If your state does not register off-road vehicles, you must purchase
a CO non-resident OHV permit.
You can ride all the trails and many dirt roads legally. A
few major dirt roads require street-legal licensing, but you can
avoid those easily. Most towns require street-legal licensing
(avoid Lake City), but there are a few notable exceptions. Pitkin
is posted with a reduced speed limit for OHVs and a drivers license
is required. The very tiny burgs of Taylor Park, Sargents, and
Whitepine are open to OHVs. You can ride non street-legal bikes
in Gunnison, Almont, Crested Butte, Villa Grove, Del Norte, South
Fork, Creede, Ridgeway, Silverton, and Ouray if you are discreet
and stay off the main drag. I've seen riders on the paved roads
in Salida and Buena Vista, and I've even heard about guys riding
from their garages out of Aspen!
The Colorado 500 and 600, the Rocky Mountain 300, and several
other large organized rides travel through many of these towns
during the summer. Most of the towns welcome tourists, including
off-road bikers, so act accordingly. Install a spark arrestor
and don't call attention to yourself; no wheelies, burnouts, or
donuts in town!
Carry your driver's license and bike registration/OHV permit
or whatever your state uses.
Top
High Altitude Health Considerations
Most of the trails and areas I've mentioned are at 6,000' to
13,000' elevation. If you're coming from lower elevations, take
it easy the first day or two. If you start to have headaches,
you're probably overdoing it. I found the following info on "rec.backcountry"
in Oct, 2001.
From: Review Articles High Altitude Illness, Peter Hackett,
MD and Robert C. Roach, Ph.D. New England Journal of Medicine,
July 12, 2001
Highlights: 1991 Colorado study: acute mountain sickness (AMS)
in 22% @ 7000-9000ft; 42% @ 10,000ft. Risk factors include previous
bouts of AMS, residence below 2800ft, exertion, and preexisting
cardiopulmonary conditions. Persons over 50 years of age are somewhat
less susceptible to AMS whereas children are about as susceptible
as adults. Women are less susceptible than men to HAPE (High Altitude
Pulmonary Edema) but equally prone to AMS.
Physical fitness is not protective against high-altitude sickness.
Genetic factors and the environment probably explain varying individual
susceptibilities. Descent of only 1500 to 3000ft usually leads
to resolution of AMS (HACE--high altitude cerebral edema--may
require greater descent).
New evidence suggests that ALL people have swelling of the brain
at high altitudes. One hypothesis is that those with a higher
cerebrospinal fluid volume to brain volume experience AMS less
often, since they have more skull space with which to accommodate
brain swelling.
400mg to 600mg of ibuprofen decreased or resolved high-altitude
headache.
Gradual ascent is still the best strategy for AMS avoidance.
In two controlled trials, Ginkgo biloba (80mg-120mg orally twice
daily) prevented AMS during a gradual ascent to 15,000ft and was
50% effective in an abrupt ascent to 12,500ft. Prophylactic aspirin
(325mg every four hours totaling three doses) reduced the incidence
of headache from 50% to 7%.
The notion that over-hydration prevents AMS has no scientific
basis. (!)
PETER HACKETT, MD:
Associate Professor, University of Washington School of Medicine;
Director, Denali Altitude Research Project;
Medical Control, Denali National Park Mountaineering Rangers;
Emergency Medicine, Grand Junction, Colorado.
Top
Silencers & Spark Arrestors
All off-road riding, on either BLM or USFS land, requires that
motorcycles be equipped with silencers and USDA approved spark
arrestors. Stock XRs, KDXs, WRs, DRs, and others have such equipment;
stock CRs, KXs, YZs, RMs, etc do not. Some CRFs, KXFs, RMZs, and
DRZs have spark arrestors and some do not. Bikes with spark arrestors
usually have a stamped legend on the muffler/silencer noting the
fact. You can buy after-market spark arrestors that are legal.
Here's an interesting
page showing what the NCTR found out about noisy silencers.
Top
Jetting
Jetting for high altitude - for elevations over 8,000 feet,
most jetting charts show 92-95% of sea level jetting for the main
jet. For example, if you use a 200 main jet at sea level, then
try a 185-190. Also, drop the needle one position (raise the clip)
and for 2-smokes, go down one size on the pilot if the low end
blubbers. If your bike is already jetted for higher than sea level,
then you may only need to adjust the needle clip and/or the fuel
or air screw. These are starting points-adjust as necessary. You
may notice some power loss, but that shouldn't actually be a problem.
If you rejet at your lower elevation, your bike will run lean
there and should not be ridden extensively. A 10 minute test session
should not cause problems. But you should rejet at your elevation,
anyway. If you wait until you get to CO to rejet, you may break
something in the carb while you are working on the innards, and
replacement parts may be difficult or impossible to find. Riders
who are experienced at jetting and working on carbs usually don't
bother with pre-jetting, and do it 'on-the-spot.' I don't advise
this for less experienced riders.
Top
Riding Gear
It rains in Colorado in the summer, sometimes a lot. I wear
an MSR Wind Stopper jersey and Cabela's Gore-Tex hunting pants
for most rides. If it's cold, I layer underneath with differing
weights of polypro underwear, depending on the temps. I always
carry an MSR Gore-Tex Pak Jak and Cold-Pro gloves on my bike for
when it rains or gets very cold. As a minimum, you might consider
just using the Pak Jak and some light-duty plastic-coated pants.
I also use Gore-Tex booties inside my boots, available from Cabela's
(800-237-4444); get them large enough to fit over your riding
socks.
Carry water; backpack hydration systems are popular in the
woods.
For food, some riders like Power Bars; I pack fried chicken
and cheese or a sandwich for all-day rides.
Also, don't forget tools, a spare tube, and a first aid kit.
Top
Motorcycle Shops
There are many motorcycle shops in the front range cities of
Denver (and suburbs), Colorado Springs, and Pueblo, but once you
get into the mountains, they become harder to find.
Salida - High Country Connection (Kawasaki) - 719-539-6168
and Advantage Motorsports (parts and used bikes) - 719-539-6923
Buena Vista - Arkansas Valley Yamaha - 719-395-0438
Gunnison - Sun Sports (Yamaha, KTM) - 970-641-0883
Montrose - several
Grand Junction - several
Top
---------------------------------------
End.
Many
of the routes in the Del Norte/La Garita/South Fork area are ATV
trails, but don't let that fool you. They can be very challenging.
The trails on the west side by Alder Cr are all single-track.
Most of the rest are ATV. The trail to Mesa Mtn from Bowers Peak
is ATV then narrows to single-track through rough rocks. Embargo
Cr and Cathedral Cr trails are difficult single-track trails.
There is a new ATV trail that goes north over Bowers Peak (not
the actual top of the mtn, to the west a little) down to roads
north of the large mountains. It's a blast. Some of the trails
are listed in the TrailStatus. You will also find trails that
are not on the maps; the local FS District is constantly upgrading
trails and renews older non-published trails now and then.
