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Longs Peak

3K views 9 replies 8 participants last post by  TomP 
#1 ·
I hope this isnt a repost, but I couldn't find any info using the search bar. I was wondering if anyone has ridden Longs Peak... I hiked it a few years ago, and from what I remember, everything up to boulder field was ridable (when starting at the ranger station, i think). My memory could be bad, but I'd like to bike to boulder field and hike to the summit sometime. Are bikes even allowed on this trail? If so, has anyone done it?
 
#3 ·
r33t said:
I hope this isnt a repost, but I couldn't find any info using the search bar. I was wondering if anyone has ridden Longs Peak... I hiked it a few years ago, and from what I remember, everything up to boulder field was ridable (when starting at the ranger station, i think). My memory could be bad, but I'd like to bike to boulder field and hike to the summit sometime. Are bikes even allowed on this trail? If so, has anyone done it?
Like jdholland said, it's within RMNP; no bikes.
 
#4 ·
This Printed in the Rocky mt. News on July 8th. Myself, coming from a place were all mt. biking was banned on all single track, here in CO it is a small price to pay for all the trails we have access to as bikers.

In Federal legislation proposed by Colorado Representative Mark Udal and Colorado Senator Ken Salazar, 250,000 acres of Rocky Mountain National Park will be designated as Federal Wilderness Areas, meaning mountain biking would be completely banned within the park boundaries. But after negotiations between the National Park Service, the Wilderness Society, the Headwaters Trail Alliance and the International Mountain Bicycling Assocations, the bill was revised to exclude the East Shore Trail, a 6 1/2 mile route that runs south from Grand Lake along the western edge of Rocky Mountain National Park. Although mountain bikes are not currently allowed on RMNP trails, Park Service rules do allow for the possibility of mountain bikes. The IMBA has been working with local, state, and federal agencies for a bike trail connecting the villages of Grand Lake and Granby, and the East Shore Trail is the option most people are talking about.
 
#6 ·
If you'd like to bike a 14er, there are 20 of the 53 open to mountain biking (21 if you include biking the road to the top of Mt Evans). I've listed them out by Class below. Class 1 will be mostly rideable (at least on the way down), Class 2 mostly hike-a-bike, Class 3/4...ummm...yeah...you must be crazy.

I'd recommend Pikes Peak via the Barr Trail or Mt Elbert to start with.

6 are Class 1 climbs:
1) Pikes Peak
2) Elbert
3) Lincoln
4) Grays
5) Quandary
6) Bross

11 are Class 2:
7) Blanca
8) Antero
9) Torreys
10) Shavano
11) Princeton
12) Tabeguache
13) Sneffels
14) Democrat
15) Challenger
16) Lindsey
17) Sherman

2 are Class 3:
18) Crestone
19) Kit Carson

and 1 is Class 4:
20) Little Bear
 
#7 ·
Scratch Grays Peak from the list

Grays Peak is closed to bicyles. I've tried last weekend. You can ride from I70 up to the official parking lot/trail head. Up there, just before the single track starts is a little mean sign that announces the trail closure.

Has anybody recently tried any other 13ks or 14ks? I've seen reports on Pikes Peak and Mt Elbert. So I know they are possible. What about the others in the class 1 category?
 
#8 ·
I've hiked Mt Sneffles 4 times, I believe it's in a wilderness area. Even if it's not, no way in $%^& anyone could ride up or down it.You could ride to the base of the first steep pitch maybe, but hiking up the scree slope is hard enough on 2 feet. I've done Pikes Peak on a MT bike and that is plenty hard if you want a challenge. Lots of the 14ers have serious erosion problems even from the hikers coming down them. There are stretches thet are just super steep, not a good idea to have bike tires ripping up the exposed sides of those mountains. I did see a MT biker ontop of Bross one time, but there was also a Jeep up on the "summit" of that one. The top of Mt Bross is almost big enough to land a 747 on, and has a road to the top.
 
#9 ·
hardtail05 is correct about Sneffels being in wilderness, but aren't Grays and Torreys part of the Montezuma's Revenge course? I think the course comes from the south instead of from the I-70/Bakersville TH. Good to know that access is denied from the north...I've never tried that route.

Bross and Lincoln are nothing to write home about. Simply a road to the top of Bross, and a quick jaunt over to Lincoln. However, there has been access issues on these two and Democrat. They are on private land and I don't know if they have been reopened to the public. I guess the owner doesn't mind people being up there, but he doesn't want to be liable for someone getting hurt. Here's a shot of the last 20 feet up Lincoln.
 
#10 ·
mt princeton, baby

jjonas said:
If you'd like to bike a 14er, there are 20 of the 53 open to mountain biking (21 if you include biking the road to the top of Mt Evans)...[clip]

11) Princeton...[clip]
Mt Princeton has a jeep road/service road that goes to about 12,000, then it's pretty much hiking to the summit at 14,197. But that would be a worthy way to summit Princeton. Ride to 12 then hike on up to the top.

That jeep road is all rideable. Furthermore, there will be a race there October 1st, The Mt. Princeton Hell Climb Time Trial: http://www.rpmcycling.org/

RPM puts on great events. They do the Chalk Creek Stampede every Spring.
 
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