Time To Catch Up

It's been a few days since we posted something so I'm going to hit you with a few bullets to get you up to speed.

Driving over Cottonwood Pass

-Wednesday we drove to my buddy Matt's firehouse in Nederland, CO.  He works for a small fire department in the front range that runs more wildfires than they do structure fires. It was rainy and cold but his Chief let him off work to ride, so we rode some trails in town.  We snaked through National Forest land by several abandoned (but still technically active) gold mines.  It was a perfect first ride at higher altitudes to acclimate us.  Nederland sits at about 9000 feet above sea level.


Bear-proof trash cans at a local gas station in Crested Butte

-Afterward we went back to his firehouse so he could finish out his OT shift and we had dinner, did house duties, and slept in empty bunks.  The Nederland Fire Protection District employs one shift commander everyday for a total of one FF/EMT-P on duty everyday.  We were the only three in the station.
-Thursday morning we drove to Crested Butte, a beautiful city near epic mountain biking in the heart of the Rockies.  We got there in late afternoon but the weather was beautiful..  We did a short loop on the backside of the ski resort and celebrated with a Dale's Deviant Ale (only $14.50 for a four-pack of pint cans).
-Set up camp at Gothic campground on the road to Schofield Pass just outside of town.
-Next morning weather was beautiful again!  We rode one of the trails we have been talking about since our last trip.
-The 401 trail is possibly the most famous and photographed MTB trails in CO.  It starts at the top of Schofield Pass and skirts through groves of Aspens and fields of colorful wildflowers for several miles.  Google it, you'll see.


Aspens on the 401

-We started a 1000' climb up a gravel road to the pass, and then another 1000' of climbing up the singletrack.  After that it was mostly fast downhill.  Total stats: 14.2 miles, about three and a half hours, highest elevation: 11,340 feet above sea level!  Definitely the highest I have ever travelled under my own power and I was feeling it.
-After we rolled into town and checked out a local distillery that sells it's own rum made right there in Crested Butte.  We then drove to Fruita right on the Utah border where we will meet Matt and his wife tomorrow for several days of riding more epic trails.
-We have a ton of GoPro HD video but it is too big for this simple blogger to handle so we will have to find an alternative means to get it online for you.