Dot Trails: A Mountain Bike Tale

My nephew was just awarded his Eagle Scout badge last month and each time I head out for the woods I’m always reminded of the Boy Scout motto; BE PREPARED.  My significant other is the first to remind me of the dangers of the forest and I do my best to assure her that I understand.  She grew up in the foothills of Boulder and she can speak with some authority. Of course for me any sign of good sense seems to vanish somewhere between our house and the trail head. 

Take this past weekend for example.  I have a backpack neatly packed with everything you need to get you out of a tight spot and this always seems to be the last thing on my mind before leaving for my ride.  I took the Scott Genius full suspension out to Nederland yesterday (8200 feet elevation), late afternoon to avoid the scorching heat.  I made sure to take inventory of the contents in my backpack which is also equipped with a whistle in case I find myself in a monkey wrench and out of sight.  I was out on the trail about 30 minutes before I realized I hadn’t brought my backpack.  I did however remember my Garmin Edge which you'll find a source of amusement at the end of this tale.  

I often have conversations with my significant other about how prepared I “can” be for my rides like having a first aid kit, some matches, extra food bars, extra tubes, a pump and Slime Skabs (these work great) and of course a multi-tool.  I also have a Garmin Etrex Vista HTx for some personal GPS navigation in the event I get lost.  But just in case my heart precedes my brain I tuck away some bright colored ribbon to tie around tree branches to help guide my way.  Oh how foolish these mortals be-I seem to forget my backpack about 75% of the time and these rides are always followed by a “you can’t believe what happened” story followed by the eye roll and "when will you learn?"

Back to the trail; I catch it off Magnolia Road just off Hwy 119 in Nederland Colorado.  It begins nicely with some mild ascents and great rolling sections, I would rate this first section a Green although be prepared for some threading, the trees get pretty tight especially when you’re gaining some speed.  The trail gets a little rockier but nothing too difficult, maybe a Blue.  I think what was most unique about this ride is how tight the trees are in some places.  There is a part of the trail around the 3 mile mark that runs right between two rows of pine trees just inches apart from each other but so perfectly lined it’s hard to believe they grew naturally that way.  The trail was just wide enough for my handle bars and with every elbow rub you could smell the fragrance of pine oil released into the air.

This part of my ride I will call “I don’t know where I’m going is the best way to get some place you’ve never been.”  

About 3.2 miles into my ride I decide it’s time to head back.  Almost a mile later I suddenly found myself on a strange path.  The environment seemed to be a bit damper than I had remembered.  A couple of downed trees cut in two for trail users to pass that I didn’t seem to recall and then a sure sign my next story was unfolding-a water crossing; “I don’t remember crossing any water” I utter to myself!  

So I reach a Dirt road and now I have 3 decisions; go right downhill perhaps to Nederland, go left uphill maybe to the car or turn back around up the trail.  It was still light out, a few more rain clouds had gathered and my watch said 7:30pm (if you're not on the path home by 8:00pm you'd better have a light) so naturally I decide to head back up into the forest.  I make my way back to the only junction I recognize and I head south thinking I hadn’t gone high enough the first time.

I come to the junction I’m sure will lead me home.  Here’s a tip: don’t go so fast that you don’t notice other feeding trails, a problem I’ll soon discover.  Along the way I meet with a trail junction and my next mile becomes a nervous loop.  Now I'm back where I started and I now have to decide, do I follow a four wheel drive road back to Magnolia Road or try the trail again hoping my luck will change.  Meanwhile the sun is fading and up at that altitude it starts to get cold.  The scenery is absolutely beautiful; it must have rained earlier that day because the smells seemed so fresh.  A few sips of Gatorade and I’m off to try my luck again.  I come to the junction again with one trail clearly visible and one that barely qualifies as a trail.  I tried the obvious before to my own groundhog day, perhaps I should try the more obscure so I start up what appears to be a water way for snow melt but nothing looks familiar.  I turn back after just a short distance and then I notice another trail on my way down.  Ah, this has to be it!

Despite my lack of good sense and poor recollection I’m having a great time.  My fitness is great, the bike with its full suspension brain allows me to adjust my suspension on the fly for great control, my tires (Schwalbe Nobby Nics) are really tracking well, it’s rocky enough to test some skills but not so much for a blindfold and a smoke.  There are plenty of sections to gain insane amounts of speed for such a tight trail, you don’t want to attempt this without a helmet.   There was absolutely no one on the trail this time of day so an accident could have been real trouble.

I finally begin to recognize my path and I make it back to the car in one piece; it was a great day.

All’s well that ends well but the forest is no place for carelessness especially when you ride alone.  I love a good challenge but I wouldn’t recommend attempting a new trail without preparation, plus a riding buddy wouldn't hurt.

To watch this whole ride play out, go to Dot Trails

Alan Romero