August 30th, 2008
Our last day in Crested Butte was spent riding the most difficult ride, evelevation wise, up to the distinct mountain of Teocalli.
Most of the ride is close to 11,000 or 12,000ft high, and the downhill section is really technical. This year the trail was really loose from all the motorbikes that have been riding it, making for a lot of chunky rocks and soft, powdery dirt sections. I was skeptical of a lot of the downhill, and, just like the rest of the week, I was cautious going down… walking what looked weird or tricky. I walked the most of any downhills this day, but it still wasn’t that much all together… only a few short sections… so I was really proud of myself for riding the majority of the downhills that Crested Butte had to offer.
The uphill on this ride was tough. It was really steep double track with lots of muddy areas due to creeks crossing the road and the run-off water trickling down off the mountain. The ridge trail that flows around the mountain was also really loose this year, forcing me to walk more than I wanted to (especially when climbing). I walked because one simple mistake and you fell WAY down the mountain side… something I did not care to do!
Teocalli is an amazing mountain, and I really loved this ride… I look forward to riding it again in the future, and conquering the sections I walked out of fear and caution.
We left Crested Butte that night to drive back to Denver in oder to catch our flight home early the next morning. I was sad to leave, and I watched Crested Butte fade into the background as we drove away until it disappeared around the mountainside.
August 30th, 2008 at 9:39 am
What an AMAZING trip that was.