After an introductory -- and brake-tastic -- ride down some resort service roads, we ventured onto some singletrack. Then, several of us embarked on a second ride down all singletrack. The rating was blue, but with a couple of more challenging sections.
The new riders rocked it, and finished what was a pretty hard ride for someone who had never mountain biked before. Awesome. A couple of us went out a little faster, and had a great time alternating lead.
Day two was a ride up French Gulch Road, to Sally Barber mine, and then down Barney Ford and Moonstone to Carter Park.
The long incline up French Gulch Road:
The Sally Barber Mine:
The Fruita crew and I take a breather at the top:
Ted got a good shot of me riding one of the milder sections, but a fair bit of the downhill was on narrow, rocky switchbacks through pines. Corners were often banked, sometimes with concrete tiles to smooth the hairpin downhill bike turns.
It was funny to end at Carter Park, where I first started venturing out onto Town of Breckenridge trails a couple of years ago, while trail running or walking off a brew or two. I had some ski boots stolen from that lot (OK, I left them, but someone picked them up, which I'd never do unless it was to hand over to the cops). Coming in from a different angle, so to speak.
I have to say the narrow, rocky trails are much easier to run, and the zig-zags at the bottom were a trip since I don't ride many banked turns. I did OK, but I stood on the pedals for most of the last couple of miles.
Distance was 15.56 miles, time 2:28 (moving 1:49), elevation gain/loss 1,933 feet, avg. speed 6.3 mph, and max speed 34.8 mph (the max speed was down paved roads from the lodge we stayed in).
Afterwards was a nice catered dinner for my sister's 40th, which was a new thing for us, and was awesome. Great long weekend.
