schnauzers.ws

This entire area is filled with hidden gems (one of which I rode last summer). Though not as hidden as soon, it was still a very lightly treaded start.

The trail quickly starts out on the climb and I quietly fall behind the rest of the pack

However, Matt is not feeling well today and has slowed enough that I can see him in the distance. Well, at least I won't be too bad off.

This trail has a little of everything as it climbs. The terrain varies from tight twisty single track, roots, loose rocky above timberline jaunts, and an incredibly fun rock garden.

There are thee sections as it crosses a county road and then Boreas Pass road. Each section is a world in it's own. AT some point in the first section, Matt and I are screaming downhill as the others have hammered on ahead. As I come to a fork that looks like it should go left, Matt screams "go right". So, if he wasn't there I would have been lost. Right we go as the trail-blazes point the way until we come to this little obstacle.

It seems like the water is running high and fast today. We start to wonder about the other group. Did they go through it? We don't see other bike tracks, but decide this is the trail and thats the story we are sticking to. The water is ice cold as I'm barely able to stand up while crossing it.

On the other side, it's time for section two and of course, more climbing.

Then we come to what is affectionately called the flume. It's seems to be an old aqua duct that miners must of used for water. As we started riding in it, it seems flat thought it must be going uphill. We we came back, I got the same feeling. It felt like it goes up in both directions. Strange!

Another raging creek, but at least the bridge was OK.

Another road crossing and it's on to section three and the steepest climb yet. The only word to describe it is relentless!

It was pretty much stop and go for both of us at this point, but we were determined to summit.

Just one snow bank to walk through.

And out of the group of thirteen, with eleven hammerheads we are the first to the summit!

Ha! All that speed they had but I was with the guy who knew the trail. We basked in the glory for 40 minutes and still no other riders. At that point weather started rolling in, so we began the fast and fun decent back down. one mile from the top we run into the others (What's left of them as some had bailed after their four mile wrong turn).

At the cold river crossing before section one, Matt set off on the trail while I boogied down the road back to the car. I didn't have it in me to ride up the rock garden I had so much fun coming down. Plus, I wanted to check out the tailings piles along the way.

Twenty miles, 2800' of climbing, and a 10% grade. Ouch!