Lollipops,
Dots, Star Wars; to some this might sound like movie night with the kids but
for a Boulder County fat tire junkie this can only mean one thing: sweet
single-track. Lollipop Loop,
Red/Yellow/Blue Dot, Bear Down/Star Wars, just to name a few, are part of a
network of classic mountain bike trails affectionately known as the Dot
Trails. Located just outside the town of
Nederland Colorado here you’ll find everything from grueling technical climbs
to manic chutes through tight single-track, all under the cover of Rocky
Mountain landscaping.
My
ride began at the Nederland Park-n-Ride.
From here I rode up the Peak to Peak Hwy to Magnolia Road. I took a quick detour down Boot then back to
Magnolia for a little flavor, kind of like sneaking a few kernels of popcorn
while pouring your soft drink. I entered
Blue Dot just off Magnolia Road at mile 4.18 of my ride. From here it is a mild descent on
double-track through towering pines. The
trail narrows gradually to fine single-track on a mixture of Dirt and small
rocks, classic Ned tread. The climbs are
gentle by Colorado standards but you will encounter some rather technical
sections that will require strong legs and superb rock-hopping abilities. Threading through the forest is definitely a
highlight and the aspen groves will brighten up this trail deliciously in the
fall.
You’ll
reach the Red Dot/Yellow Dot loop at the 6.4 mile mark. This section can get a little rocky in areas
with an occasional steep climb and descent, one in particular can be a bit
precarious with jagged boulders and exposed roots but don’t despair the soft
center of the tootsie pop is not far off.
The mountain vegetation gets thick in parts which makes this section
that much sweeter. This loop ran for 1.7
miles and may add about half an hour to your ride.
The
whole route from Blue Dot to the Front Range trailhead took me roughly an hour
to complete and ran approximately 9.25 miles.
The elevation gain and loss was minimal for a high country ride although
there are a couple of areas that rise and fall pretty steeply.
The
Front Range road is wide double-track all the way to the trailhead and Magnolia
Road and it’s here that I ran into a couple of guys who convinced me that the
ride back down to Boulder is Red Hot.
The ride down was intense, reaching speeds in excess of 40 miles an hour
on fat nobby tires is not for the fearful.
Mountain bike tires get squirrely on pavement and the fast approaching
hairpin turns at high speed are extremely hard on your brakes.
The
afternoon went down like sugar; Click here for the trail profile and next time you
get a craving head out west for a little sweetness. Thanks for clicking in and I hope to see you
on the trail.
Dirt Life
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