Plan on riding in CO this weekend. One day road to Squaw Pass or beyond; one day MTB. Which would be better scenery + mtb terrain - Winter Park, Breck, Copper or other location in vicinity?
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MTB in Summit or WP?
- Thread starter TexasStout
- Start date
You can't go wrong with either Breck, Copper or WP? I guess it depends on what kind of riding you are looking but if you want big views and lots of single track climbing then hit the Searle Pass ride at Copper.
Paging @Doug Briggs
Breckenridge's trail system is highly varied with fantastic long rides around 13ers on single track and jeep roads, tons of single track with berms, tables and such as well as some easier (goes from 9800 down to 9100) point to point rides that you can use a bus to get back to where you started from. I frequently do 10 mile loops from my house. You can see my rides on the Strava group PugSki.
A new favorite which is about as good as I've ever ridden is the ZL trail in the Golden Horseshoe. Combined with the Galena Ditch, it makes a sweet flowy ride without a ton of vertical, but still plenty of DH speed.
If my captain is fit (recent foot surgery) to race his Ensign, I'll be boat racing this weekend. If not, I'll be riding. Feel free to call. I could also loan you a map of Summit County ($15 at the Breck info center) if you want to ride here and I can't go.
Sent PM with my phone number.
A new favorite which is about as good as I've ever ridden is the ZL trail in the Golden Horseshoe. Combined with the Galena Ditch, it makes a sweet flowy ride without a ton of vertical, but still plenty of DH speed.
If my captain is fit (recent foot surgery) to race his Ensign, I'll be boat racing this weekend. If not, I'll be riding. Feel free to call. I could also loan you a map of Summit County ($15 at the Breck info center) if you want to ride here and I can't go.
Sent PM with my phone number.
Ooo. I just remembered what Squaw Pass is. You are going to work hard. Is 'beyond' to summit Evans? Depending on where you start, you are looking at 6K to 7K of vertical.
http://www.mybicycleroutes.com/xsquawjuniperpassinfopage.html
http://www.mybicycleroutes.com/xsquawjuniperpassinfopage.html
How are you with altitude? Acclimated? What kind of mtbing do you like? How difficult?
I think Summit is much prettier, especially this time of year. More aspens turning and less pine beetle kill.
WP has an arguably better and easier to find and navigate mtb trail system.
I think Summit is much prettier, especially this time of year. More aspens turning and less pine beetle kill.
WP has an arguably better and easier to find and navigate mtb trail system.
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If you want fun and flowy downhill the lift-served at WP is hard to beat.
+1
There's also a loop with some climbing at the top of the lift, if you're into that kind of thing. I've never done it.
Kinda funny to see the suggestions at the different ends of the mtb spectrum there. Kinda like what you'd expect if the OP asked what's some good skiing terrain.
Personally, I'm not a fan of either suggestion. I don't really like lift served, and that Searle Pass ride is brutal between the rocks, climb, and altitude. Preferences of the OP would help
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He said scenery....I can't think of a better ride for scenery than Searle Pass....I'm sure there are ones, that's just my favorite. All rides in no lift served ride in Summit are brutal if you are Texan and not acclimatedKinda funny to see the suggestions at the different ends of the mtb spectrum there. Kinda like what you'd expect if the OP asked what's some good skiing terrain.
Personally, I'm not a fan of either suggestion. I don't really like lift served, and that Searle Pass ride is brutal between the rocks, climb, and altitude. Preferences of the OP would help
I don't know where Searle Pass came from. The OP said Squaw Pass. Sounds like he has a road ride planned as well as a mountain bike ride.
@UGASkiDawg suggested it as part of the age-old tradition of telling the Texan they gotta try that black run.
It is spectacularly beautiful. Some great pics, a map, and an elevation profile here:
https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/380438/colorado-trail-copper-mountain-to-searle-pass
Edit: and Sunday will be a great day up there weather wise.... if you like snow!!!!
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@UGASkiDawg suggested it as part of the age-old tradition of telling the Texan they gotta try that black run.
It is spectacularly beautiful. Some great pics, a map, and an elevation profile here:
https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/380438/colorado-trail-copper-mountain-to-searle-pass
Edit: and Sunday will be a great day up there weather wise.... if you like snow!!!!
I always figure if my old, timid, slow out of shape self can ride it (except for the sections I don't
) then even a Texan can ride it. Maybe I'm giving Texan's too much credit
Thread Starter
TS
I may a bit ambitious since I had done Squaw/Juniper Pass from Evergreen twice on 4th of July weekend, but I had also been at decent altitude for a week before making those attempts so was acclimated. This time, I fly in Thursday night, will do some short hiking Friday and then road ride up Squaw/Juniper to 11k on Saturday. Plan to follow that up with MTBing on Sunday.
It has been a quite a few years since I've ridden up jeep trails at WP and downhilled down the ski runs. May not be into an hour+ steep uphill followed by blasting down this time. More for enjoying the scenery than difficult challenge. Would probably not desire extreme technical nor beginner level trails. Intermediate/moderate level trails and mountain vistas, preferred. So maybe a mix of some climbing, some trees and some trails across meadows and ski runs.
Are any lifts going up Copper or Breck this time of year? Would my just-renewed RMSP+ include taking mountain bike up outside ski season?
It has been a quite a few years since I've ridden up jeep trails at WP and downhilled down the ski runs. May not be into an hour+ steep uphill followed by blasting down this time. More for enjoying the scenery than difficult challenge. Would probably not desire extreme technical nor beginner level trails. Intermediate/moderate level trails and mountain vistas, preferred. So maybe a mix of some climbing, some trees and some trails across meadows and ski runs.
Are any lifts going up Copper or Breck this time of year? Would my just-renewed RMSP+ include taking mountain bike up outside ski season?
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I put this on my list after seeing the post. Looks nice and scenic as well as fitting your desire for middling difficulty. I could be wrong as I haven't ridden it. Yet.
Not Copper ...
I think Winter Park and Vail are the last lift-served mountain biking and this is the final weekend. You can always ride up the other mountains when they are closed. I often ride up the A-road (service road) at Copper and down a nice single track Redtail. You have the mountain to yourself when the lift is closed. It's a pretty big climb, but technically easy, much easier than Searle Pass.
Is there a reason you want to ride Squaw/Juniper Pass again? I'd much rather get away from cars and ride Vail Pass on the bike path.
Elk Meadows a fantastic mountain bike ride in Evergreen that would be great for you. It's right at the beginning of Squaw Pass.
https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/3648013/elk-meadowbergen-peak-loop
http://jeffco.us/Open-Space/Documents/Park-Documents/Elk-Meadow-Park-Documents/Elk-Meadow-Park-Map/
Note the Bronco game is at 11am Sunday. It's a great time to ride as the trails and roads are empty.
Make sure to bring cold weather gear. It's gonna be chilly up at altitude this weekend.
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Here's a little hard sell on road biking Vail Pass on the bike path vs Squaw Pass with cars.
In the Ten Mile Canyon between Frisco and Copper about this time two years ago:
And a tour of the bike path between Copper and the Vail Pass summit:
I'm biased, but I have a hard time believing there is a better bike path anywhere in the world. More info and maps: http://www.summitbiking.org/area_rides/vail_pass_summit.html
In the Ten Mile Canyon between Frisco and Copper about this time two years ago:
And a tour of the bike path between Copper and the Vail Pass summit:
I'm biased, but I have a hard time believing there is a better bike path anywhere in the world. More info and maps: http://www.summitbiking.org/area_rides/vail_pass_summit.html
Thread Starter
TS
Hi Tball,
Squaw is convenient. Four miles out the driveway I'm at Bergen Park and starting the clinb to Squaw. In the early morning the traffic isn't bad.
Elk Meadow is a consideration for same reason as Squaw. If I don't feel up to the drive to Copper I might do that.
At some point I'd love to ride Vail Pass but would rather make that drive w somebody for company. If I go to Copper, I'd try and talk my wife into going since she could shop in Frisco while I ride. Don't think she'd be up for trip to Vail with nothing for her to do there.
As an alternative, I guess I could drive w wife to Frisco and ride the road bike on the path to Vail from there while she shops Frisco and then MTB in Evergreen the other day. Hmm. Will mull it over and discuss with better half.
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For Breck, you can call and check both gondola and bike access. I remember late one season, the gondola was running, but not for bikes. In retrospect it must have been that the Colorado wasn't running to take you up. It's cool seeing runs without snow on them.
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