Looks like some of our members just couldn't take it anymore and headed south in search of some dry dirt. Thanks to Steve Lacey for submitting. Read on:
Saturday a few of us had enough of the snow and went searching for some terra firma (dirt) in Pueblo. Not only did we find a bit more dirt than we were expecting we found some of the best overall riding we've had in months.
The day started off at 6:00AM Saturday; Doug, Kurt Ireland and myself headed south on 25 heading for the Pueblo Reservoir. A little over 2.5 hours later we pulled into the park and mooched a parking spot in the Bureau of Land Management parking lot. Little did we know a mile or so further down the road there was parking at one of the trailheads. It was a bit chilly to start, 20 degrees, but quickly warmed up as Kurt was eager to put some miles on and we were quickly shedding layers at the Duke trail. We didn't have a decent hardcopy map but pulling up the singletrack.com trail map on Doug's Iphone and zooming in did the trick. The map is colorcoded with the trails' difficulty so naturally we were headed for the black lines. With trail names like Broken Hip, Hooters Alley and Skull Canyon (must have been where Doug picked up his friend in his pack) we had a feeling we may be in for some fun.
Like kids in a candy store we couldn't decide which trail to go down or up so we decided our plan of attack would be to go down each one and turn around and go right back up. Each of the advanced trails are short....but sweet with technical sections to keep them interesting without too much worry of killing yourself. With the right set of lungs all were pretty much ridable in the upward direction as well, except Hooters Alley; I don't think any size lungs could get up that one.....maybe that had something to do with its namesake.
Outer Limits trail is similar in difficulty to our Blue Sky trail binging you close to the cliffs overlooking the reservoir. Tight little turns and small elevation changes makes this trail a screamer and lung burner (if your trying to keep on Kurt's wheel). From the outer most point you return via a dirt road that again is as hard as you want to make it.
To get back to the truck we came back on the South Shore Trail with detours down Keyhole and Stonehenge trails both aptly named but we weren't quite done yet......Watertower and Steep Tech caught our eyes and we just had to try them. Again their names say it all but "Steep Tech"? more like Steep Stairs. Finally we arrived back to the truck and were happy to see it without a ticket....4:00 right on time. A quick change, a quick stop at Arbee's and we were back to the snow by 7:30.
Photos from our day
Hope you enjoy!
Steve
After what seemed to be hours of checking our course on the map at each intersection it was now time to get some miles in and we headed out towards the Vodoo trail. On our way we took a look at the log drop trail but a thick bit of ice kept us from riding the whole thing but we were able to try the logs and can't wait to come back for a try for a full assent. Failing to heed the detour sign on the Vodoo trail we quickly found ourselves having to cross a small frozen finger of the lake (hey a couple locals were with us at the time) and I'm sure glad I wasn't the heaviest one; there was evidence of a previous failure. If we knew these locals didn't really know the trails we may not have listened to their advice but we did and never made it to the Vodoo loop and opted for the Outer Limits trail instead.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
February Events and Upcoming Season Info
I just about hopped in the truck this weekend and headed south with only my mountain bike, my bike gear, and a handful of Avett Brothers cds. Like most of you, I'm ready for some dry dirt trails. (I know I'm preachin' to the choir here, but please don't ride our sloppy trails. Ruts're bad, bad, bad...) Even though the trails are less than welcoming, that doesn't stop the fact that our upcoming season is just around the corner. Check this stuff out and don't forget to check out the fun calendar items we have listed below.
The Trail Committee has been meeting and discussing projects for the season. They're in need of more able bodies. Stacy Schroeder sent out an email discussing what's going on. They meet the 2nd Tuesday of every month at Cafe Vino. All are welcome and if you need more info, contact Stacy.
The Communications Committee will be forming and working to get the word out about all the great things Overland does for the community. We'd like to make Overland a household name, attract new members so we can get all our great activities done, and have a lot of fun. Monty Seitz and Jim Fu will be the main contact people on this one.
Skills Clinics - New board member, Corey Rhodes, is working on organizing several skills clinics this year. I'm sure he'd love your help if you're interested. We're planning clinics for kids, women, and men.
DPMBP - A service of Overland Mountain Bike Club, Diamond Peaks Mountain Bike Patrol is always looking for folks who want to get out and help. Check the calendar below to find out when the first Patroller's meeting is.
New Membership for Families - We'll be adding a Family Membership this year for $35. Awesome deal. Look for the new online membership listing soon. (Family memberships are for immediate family members living in the same household.)
Sloppy trails do not have to equal no fun. Get out your calendars. Here's what we've got in store in the near future...(Don't forget to check our CALENDAR regularly. We'll be adding stuff as it comes up. In fact, we've already added quite a bit for the upcoming season, including the Kick-Off)
February 8th, 7 p.m. - Cinema Spin - Slip into your chamois, velcrotize your feet to your shoes, and join us at the Fort Collins Club for a little movie on the spin bikes. We'll spin for awhile, watch a movie while we're at it and when we're good and sweaty, we'll climb down off of those stationary torture devices and socialize. (Due to the limited number of spin bikes available, we'll be taking reservations on this one - Overland members only to start. If there's space, there'll be another email. And yes, we're keeping the movie a suprise for now.) To reserve your seat, email Kory. (The Spin bikes at the club accomodate shimano type cleats or regular shoes.)
February 26th, 5 p.m. - 3rd Annual Winter FAC - Can you believe this'll be our third Winter FAC? Join us for a couple of hours for some food, drinks, mountain bike chatter, and to catch up on all that's gone on since the Costume Cruise. Hope to see you. (This is also a members/significant others event and will require sign up on our website. Not a member? Sign up now. Place: Kory's house.)
March 8th, 6:30 p.m. - Season Kick-Off at New Belgium - Come find out what Overland Mountain Bike Club is all about! Social rides, trail days, Diamond Peaks Mountain Bike Patrol, skills clinics, and more! We're a great group of people dedicated to making sure mountain biking has a place along the northern Front Range. This event is open to the public! Snacks and refreshments will be served.
March 22nd, 6:30 p.m. - Patroller's Kick-Off at New Belgium - Want to ride your mountain bike and help others? Come and check out what Diamond Peaks Mountain Bike Patrol, is all about. We certified 15 new patrollers last year! Whether you're just thinking about becoming a patroller or you are a returning patroller, this is the meeting for you. Diamond Peaks Mountain Bike Patrol is a service of Overland Mountain Bike Club. This is event is open to the public. Snacks and refreshments will be served.
April 2nd and 3rd - IMBA's Colorado Mountain Bike Summit - Meet in Salida for a weekend devoted to mountain bike advocacy in Colorado. Information to follow.
April 24th, 9:00 a.m. - Patrol Training Picnic at Lory State Park - Need a patrol refresher? Working towards becoming a Certified Patroller? This picnic's for you.
One quick note before you all start making plans - The Tour de Fat will once again be held on Saturday, Sept, 4th which is Labor Day Weekend. This is our annual fundraiser and requires a ton of volunteer hours. Start recruiting your friends now. FYI - We'll be going back to the 3 shift schedule of previous years. Please get this on your calendar. We need all hands on deck. And of course, a huge THANKS to New Belgium Brewery for their generous support!
The Trail Committee has been meeting and discussing projects for the season. They're in need of more able bodies. Stacy Schroeder sent out an email discussing what's going on. They meet the 2nd Tuesday of every month at Cafe Vino. All are welcome and if you need more info, contact Stacy.
The Communications Committee will be forming and working to get the word out about all the great things Overland does for the community. We'd like to make Overland a household name, attract new members so we can get all our great activities done, and have a lot of fun. Monty Seitz and Jim Fu will be the main contact people on this one.
Skills Clinics - New board member, Corey Rhodes, is working on organizing several skills clinics this year. I'm sure he'd love your help if you're interested. We're planning clinics for kids, women, and men.
DPMBP - A service of Overland Mountain Bike Club, Diamond Peaks Mountain Bike Patrol is always looking for folks who want to get out and help. Check the calendar below to find out when the first Patroller's meeting is.
New Membership for Families - We'll be adding a Family Membership this year for $35. Awesome deal. Look for the new online membership listing soon. (Family memberships are for immediate family members living in the same household.)
Sloppy trails do not have to equal no fun. Get out your calendars. Here's what we've got in store in the near future...(Don't forget to check our CALENDAR regularly. We'll be adding stuff as it comes up. In fact, we've already added quite a bit for the upcoming season, including the Kick-Off)
February 8th, 7 p.m. - Cinema Spin - Slip into your chamois, velcrotize your feet to your shoes, and join us at the Fort Collins Club for a little movie on the spin bikes. We'll spin for awhile, watch a movie while we're at it and when we're good and sweaty, we'll climb down off of those stationary torture devices and socialize. (Due to the limited number of spin bikes available, we'll be taking reservations on this one - Overland members only to start. If there's space, there'll be another email. And yes, we're keeping the movie a suprise for now.) To reserve your seat, email Kory. (The Spin bikes at the club accomodate shimano type cleats or regular shoes.)
February 26th, 5 p.m. - 3rd Annual Winter FAC - Can you believe this'll be our third Winter FAC? Join us for a couple of hours for some food, drinks, mountain bike chatter, and to catch up on all that's gone on since the Costume Cruise. Hope to see you. (This is also a members/significant others event and will require sign up on our website. Not a member? Sign up now. Place: Kory's house.)
March 8th, 6:30 p.m. - Season Kick-Off at New Belgium - Come find out what Overland Mountain Bike Club is all about! Social rides, trail days, Diamond Peaks Mountain Bike Patrol, skills clinics, and more! We're a great group of people dedicated to making sure mountain biking has a place along the northern Front Range. This event is open to the public! Snacks and refreshments will be served.
March 22nd, 6:30 p.m. - Patroller's Kick-Off at New Belgium - Want to ride your mountain bike and help others? Come and check out what Diamond Peaks Mountain Bike Patrol, is all about. We certified 15 new patrollers last year! Whether you're just thinking about becoming a patroller or you are a returning patroller, this is the meeting for you. Diamond Peaks Mountain Bike Patrol is a service of Overland Mountain Bike Club. This is event is open to the public. Snacks and refreshments will be served.
April 2nd and 3rd - IMBA's Colorado Mountain Bike Summit - Meet in Salida for a weekend devoted to mountain bike advocacy in Colorado. Information to follow.
April 24th, 9:00 a.m. - Patrol Training Picnic at Lory State Park - Need a patrol refresher? Working towards becoming a Certified Patroller? This picnic's for you.
One quick note before you all start making plans - The Tour de Fat will once again be held on Saturday, Sept, 4th which is Labor Day Weekend. This is our annual fundraiser and requires a ton of volunteer hours. Start recruiting your friends now. FYI - We'll be going back to the 3 shift schedule of previous years. Please get this on your calendar. We need all hands on deck. And of course, a huge THANKS to New Belgium Brewery for their generous support!
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