Marshall Mesa | Doudy Draw

One of the best things about living in Boulder County are the abundance of riches in terms of mountain bike trials and most only a song or two away from home.  South Boulder is one area where stress goes to die.  Marshall Mesa and Doudy Draw have a number of routes to choose from that are sure to satisfy the most discerning tastes.  For example, you can begin at the Greenbelt Plateau trailhead and traverse the high plains for that single-track craving or pedal out of the Flatirons Vista trailhead for a more intimate setting.  The Doudy Draw trailhead gives you access to the whole area including the Spring Brook loop or if you’re more daring you can test your climbing skills up Rattlesnake Gulch up in Eldorado Canyon which is just a short ride up Eldorado Springs Drive.  For me, this stormy afternoon I chose the Coalton trailhead off McCaslin Blvd and Coalton Road (trailhead) as my starting point to add a little distance to my ride.

From here the ride begins on very wide double track with one short climb.  For beginners or those from lower altitudes this climb could be a little taxing but stick with it because it gets so much better.  The double track continues to the 2.84 mile mark before turning west on some very cool single-track.  The trail gets narrow at times which is great for testing your balance and when you add rolling downhill’s it makes for one heck of a ride.  You’re fully exposed here and the rain and the wind this afternoon luckily was void of any lightning otherwise it would have been a really short ride.  This whole area hosts a number of cattle so please remember to close the cattle gates behind you.

Once through I crossed highway 93 at the Greenbelt Plateau trailhead and onto Doudy Draw.  At the 6.78 mile mark is another highlight of this ride and although it’s short it is a favorite for many mountain bikers with a gentle slope as you thread down a ridge overlooking the Boulder Flatirons.  Here you’ll encounter the only real climb, in the opposite direction, but don’t worry because it’s short and can be a little tricky on the way down because there are rocks along the way so be careful.

I hooked up with the Spring Brook loop and chose to go left.  Thinking back I should have gone right since I have yet to map this section in that direction.  Oh well, good thing this whole area is only minutes from my house.  The tread is mostly hard packed Dirt and Flatirons Vista has it's fair share of gravel and rock so be prepared you hard tails.

The afternoon was cold and wet but as long as you’re prepared (rain jacket) there isn’t much that can ruin a day of mountain biking in Boulder County.  Click here for the trail profile and feel free to leave a comment on this trail or any other for those who haven’t yet had the pleasure.  Thanks for clicking in and I hope to see you out on the trail.

Dirt Life

Pennsylvania Gulch | Sublime Punishment

Trailhead coordinates: N40°02.138’ W105°28.144’

Back In Time

Driving down Wall Street in the Boulder foothills is like driving through a scene in Butcher Holler.  A light rain showered the area all day filling a thousand little puddles along the Dirt road, giant jagged rock walls blooming with blue spruce and aspen trees, the occasional Detroit relic on one side, a flowing stream on the other sharing the scene with propane tanks and woodsheds nestled within towering pine.  Looking for a challenge I settled on Pennsylvania Gulch with a starting point at the town site of Sunset.

Private road; oops

This is perhaps the most difficult route for this ride, one reserved for the advanced and slightly insane.  I parked at the top of the south Switzerland Trail and made my way down to the town site of Sunset.  This was my first attempt at Penn Gulch so my first hurdle was to locate the trailhead.  Making my way around the town site of Sunset I stumbled upon what I can only describe as the Paris, CO hideout.  A trail running along a stream, you finally come to a rather spacious cave opening, all that was missing in this scene were a couple of dueling banjos.  Figuring I had missed the trail earlier I backtracked and found myself in a ridge hiking along an eroded waterway in deep woods and scat I couldn’t identify; hardly a trail, I concluded I was way off track and turned around.

Rideable but loose

Finally back at the Switzerland Trail a fellow biker steered me in the right direction and I was on the trail in no time.  The trail climbs immediately on very loose Dirt and gravel.  The gravel slowly turns to rock and the rocks seem to get bigger the higher you go.  If this isn’t enough to give you pause, add in the steep grade and what you have is an afternoon of sublime punishment.  It would take a well conditioned athlete with superior skill to make this climb without dismounting and I’m not too proud to say I possess neither, apparently!

It gets worse!

Determined to map this beast, pushing on through the rain, albeit light, and wind I finally reached the plateau in a time just shy of an hour and an elevation gain of approximately 1,300 feet, which is quite a ratio of rise and run.  I can’t recall a time when I walked a climb more than I rode, which should give you an indication of just how difficult this route can be.  Coming down is just as challenging and very precarious given the abundance of rock and the steep grade.  “Step Off” if you possess limited skills or inferior equipment, no peanut butter and jelly sandwich will save you here.

This was the hardest climb since Vail Mountain and Walker Ranch and easily the most dangerous.  I understand that one can perform a loop extending all the way to Nederland and perhaps one day I’ll give it a shot but definitely in the opposite direction.  You can find the trail profile at Pennsylvania Gulch and remember that Pennsylvania Gulch begins around the 6.20 mile mark.

Thanks for clicking in and hope to see you on the trail.

Finally at the top

Dirt Life    

Teller Farm | Wheatstraw

My grandparents were farmers and my mom often delights us with tales from the farm.  I recall as a kid climbing over farm equipment and walking over scattered hay bales in the summer heat as the southern breeze tossed up the fleeting soil, carrying with it the scent only a farm could produce.  Teller Farm is just minutes from my house and I had been looking forward to mapping this nostalgic trail for quite some time.  I rarely ride with headphones because I love the sound of silence but the whole farming atmosphere needed a soundtrack and visions of Peetie Wheatstraw sitting on a porch behind his trusty dobro called for my best mix of St. Louis blues.

I started off the south trailhead which is tucked away off Arapahoe Avenue amidst some of the grandest trees you’ll find in the area.  One of my favorite attractions of this trail is the free roaming livestock.  It’s so hard to pass the cows without stopping; their large brown eyes focus in on you as you ride by, at times meeting you head on.

The trail itself is very well groomed double-track and mostly hard packed Dirt.  Along the way you’ll breeze by a row of lilac trees and this time of year they are in full bloom, painting the air with broad strokes of purple.  Small irrigation canals follow along before turning north towards a coral of horses and cattle.  Here you’ll get the full aroma of a farm and for some of us it’s not so displeasing.  I’m such a Dirt clod when it comes to terrain and one of my favorite ground cover is hay on loose brown Dirt and you’ll find plenty of it here, even if only for a few yards.  At this point you will have passed 3 cattle gates, which should always be secured behind you, and now you’re at the north Teller Farm trailhead off Valmont Road (you can start from here too if you wish to bypass the farm.)

The trail continues from the northwest corner down a short distance to a road crossing for the next section of your ride.  Here you’ll be bombarded with a taste of honeysuckle and more lilac trees.  The trail become a bit loose and there is a small stream crossing that has been repaired after the last flood with rocks of varying size.  Moving along you’ll cross a well constructed pedestrian bridge set over a slow flowing stream and a great place for a photo.

The first of the climbs comes shortly after the bridge.  It is short and mild for most but those new to mountain biking may find this climb a bit taxing.  You’ll traverse a really cool single-track section after reaching the top before ascending and descending along two barbed wire fences.  The fastest sections to this trail come last just before reaching the East Boulder Trail Gunbarrel trailhead.  This is a popular trail for runners and dog walkers so be on your best behavior and yield when appropriate.

It was overcast with storms threatening but even a short sprinkle could not dampen my mood this afternoon.  Making my way back I stopped on a couple of occasions to visit with the horses and cattle hoping they would allow me to grab a photo up close.  click here for the trail profile and a link to my Garmin page.

It was a great afternoon, for a little while you’ll feel like you’re out riding fences on some old country farm road and what a feeling after dealing with 5 o’clock traffic.  Give this one a shot if you’d like to escape the city life for a while without the long drive.  It’s a very easy trail and the climbs come late in case you choose to skip these sections.  Thanks for clicking in and hope to see you on the trail. 

Dirt Life