Hermosa Creek Trail

[Hermosa]

Rode to Clear Creek and back today. All clear!

[radnasty]

Well hello there!



Was it snow free or actually dry?

[Hermosa]

Why is posting trail conditions Spam?

[radnasty]

I only ask because if it was just snow free and not bone dry you're a jackass for rutting it up. You might as well ride a horse.

[Timo]

Thanks for the trail report.

[Hermosa]

Originally Posted by radnasty

I only ask because if it was just snow free and not bone dry you're a jackass for rutting it up. You might as well ride a horse.

You are so rad nasty.

[Scary Mc]

For those of us only vaguely familiar with the trail, did you ride it from the bottom up? Is the entire trail clear?

-Thanks

[Hermosa]

Originally Posted by Scary Mc

For those of us only vaguely familiar with the trail, did yu ride it from the bottom up? Is the entire trail clear?

-Thanks

Bottom up - the first 4 or 5 miles and then turned around. For the record, it was snow free and 95% dry. The drop in to Clear Creek was wet at the end, but that's year round.

I'm going to explore a little further today...I'll report back.

[Hermosa]

Originally Posted by Hermosa

Bottom up - the first 4 or 5 miles and then turned around. For the record, it was snow free and 95% dry. The drop in to Clear Creek was wet at the end, but that's year round.

I'm going to explore a little further today...I'll report back.

Addendum - rode out to South Fork and back on Hermosa Creek Trail from the bottom. That's about 10 miles in and it was 100% dry...even dusty. It may be dry all the way into the doubletrack section.

[radnasty]

I guess most of that is south facing but it would seem like it ought to be pretty shaded even this early in the season. That said I'd still rather be riding Horse Gulch until the upper sections are ready. I hate that ride as an out and back. Do you know if the stuff out Junction Creek is drying out? Log Chutes etc...

[bones get broke]

Originally Posted by radnasty

I guess most of that is south facing but it would seem like it ought to be pretty shaded even this early in the season. That said I'd still rather be riding Horse Gulch until the upper sections are ready. I hate that ride as an out and back. Do you know if the stuff out Junction Creek is drying out? Log Chutes etc...

Hows about ya hop on that rad nasty bike of yours and let the rest of us know.

[Hermosa]

Originally Posted by radnasty

I guess most of that is south facing but it would seem like it ought to be pretty shaded even this early in the season. That said I'd still rather be riding Horse Gulch until the upper sections are ready. I hate that ride as an out and back. Do you know if the stuff out Junction Creek is drying out? Log Chutes etc...

I'm having trouble buddying up here after your "jackass" threats and "SPAM" accusations....but to show you I'm a man of the trails, yes, all of Dry Fork/Junction Creek/Hoffein's is dry and I'm assuming Log Chutes is.

[radnasty]

Originally Posted by bones get broke

Hows about ya hop on that rad nasty bike of yours and let the rest of us know.

I'm thinking I might just do that...in about 3 weeks. I'll bring radnasty with.

[bones get broke]

Originally Posted by radnasty

I'm thinking I might just do that...in about 3 weeks. I'll bring radnasty with.

We'll see you then.

BTW, I hope your riding skills are as good as your photog skills or you're going to have to carry that carbon fiber POS back home with you in pieces.

Happy trails f@g.

[radnasty]

Originally Posted by bones get broke

We'll see you then.

BTW, I hope your riding skills are as good as your photog skills or you're going to have to carry that carbon fiber POS back home with you in pieces.

Happy trails f@g.

Wow. Now we're really getting to the bottom of things. Thanks for the homophobic slur, the ignorant remark on carbon fiber and your complete and total miscalculation regarding my skilz and how they were born in the Xtreme radness of Durango.

Started riding in 1999 huh? Old skool dawg.
Bayfield huh? How's the double wide life treating you?

[cbrossman]

Originally Posted by Hermosa

and I'm assuming Log Chutes is.

It is, of course there are some water crossings, but not unusual this time a year. The 2-track is now graded flat, but that is only a short section.

Rutting Hermosa Creek all up? Ever actually ride it? Ever notice the cow, motocross and horse traffic? I say leave "the best Durango Trail" to the tourists and keep them off the good stuff, like Jones/Dutch. That is a broken CF frame waiting to happen!

Thanks for the trail report Matt.

[bones get broke]

Originally Posted by radnasty

Wow. Now we're really getting to the bottom of things. Thanks for the homophobic slur, the ignorant remark on carbon fiber and your complete and total miscalculation regarding my skilz and how they were born in the Xtreme radness of Durango.

Started riding in 1999 huh? Old skool dawg.
Bayfield huh? How's the double wide life treating you?

WTF are you talking about exactly? Dawg? before typing that word there I don't believe I've ever used it unless I was refering to a K9.
Bayfield's a sweet town, I supose you don't have any double wide's in Ogden. I could easily afford a place in Durango, I choose to live out here for a number of reasons, non of which conscern the likes of your dumb as$.

I didn't miscalculate your riding skills, hell, I didn't calculate anything about you except for the douche nozzle manner in which you introduced yourself here on this thread. Here's an idea: take that time traveling as$ missle of yours and ride it somewhere else, maybe somewhere where the jackas$es don't rut up the trails.

You're dismissed, thanks for playing.

[Anonymous]

Originally Posted by bones get broke

WTF are you talking about exactly? Dawg? before typing that word there I don't believe I've ever used it unless I was refering to a K9.
Bayfield's a sweet town, I supose you don't have any double wide's in Ogden. I could easily afford a place in Durango, I choose to live out here for a number of reasons, non of which conscern the likes of your dumb as$.

I didn't miscalculate your riding skills, hell, I didn't calculate anything about you except for the douche nozzle manner in which you introduced yourself here on this thread. Here's an idea: take that time traveling as$ missle of yours and ride it somewhere else, maybe somewhere where the jackas$es don't rut up the trails.

You're dismissed, thanks for playing.

Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh
You said douche nozzle

[ameybrook]

Originally Posted by radnasty

Started riding in 1999 huh? Old skool dawg.

Old school? Your joking right? I bet you had v-brakes and rapidfire on your "old school" Cannondale Jekyl.



Horse gulch is f'd BTW.

[cbrossman]

Originally Posted by ameybrook

horse gulch is f'd BTW.

Why is that?

[ameybrook]

Originally Posted by cbrossman

Why is that?

Ok ok, well maybe thats an overstatement, but its pretty beat to hell. Nothing we havent seen early season before, but corners are blown out everywhere.

I rode dry fork last week, and minus a couple trees down, its good.

[cbrossman]

Originally Posted by ameybrook

Ok ok, well maybe thats an overstatement, but its pretty beat to hell. Nothing we havent seen early season before, but corners are blown out everywhere.

I rode dry fork last week, and minus a couple trees down, its good.

I think you are right, early season, seeing a lot of traffic, and we need a bit of moisture (tomorrow maybe).

BTW, Sailing Hawks is a trail worth mentioning as a local favorite! More fun than should be legal on only a few miles.

[forkboy]

Originally Posted by cbrossman

Rutting Hermosa Creek all up? Ever actually ride it?

Heh - that's what I was thinking

Holy Cow! Are the Fruita / GJ locals moving down here? I thought I was in a BLM Holy Cross OTE Rant thread there for a second.

It was probably all those runners that F'ed up the gulch this weekend.

I say leave "the best Durango Trail" to the tourists and keep them off the good stuff,

So we shouldn't tell them that the Road Apple is the best trail in the four corners?

Way better than UPS/LPS.

[radnasty]

Originally Posted by bones get broke

Here's an idea: take that time traveling as$ missle of yours and ride it somewhere else, maybe somewhere where the jackas$es don't rut up the trails.

You really are obsessed with this whole gay thing aren't you? Makes perfect sense given your Pugsley / 29'er / SS combo. I bet you want a fixie as well. Sad really.


This is how we do it on our time traveling rides.

[bones get broke]

Originally Posted by radnasty

You really are obsessed with this whole gay thing aren't you? Makes perfect sense given your Pugsley / 29'er / SS combo. I bet you want a fixie as well. Sad really.


This is how we do it on our time traveling rides.

Now you're just groping for something to fire back with.
Not good enough, try again or do us all a favor and STFU.

[cbrossman]

Originally Posted by forkboy

So we shouldn't tell them that the Road Apple is the best trail in the four corners?

I actually rode the Apple a few weeks ago because some friends talked me into it.
I was wrong to give it a second chance.

OTOH, I did ride UPS, LPS and Porc. as part of the Bikerpelli adventure. The first 2 are about as much fun as one can have on a bike, except maybe Phil's.

[bones get broke]

Originally Posted by cbrossman

....... except maybe Phil's.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[forkboy]

Originally Posted by bones get broke

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Exactly.

Sheesh Craig.

I do a little happy dance every time I pick up a copy of Dirt Rag or BIKE and they have an article talking about how fantabulous Fruita is.

[NoahColorado]

Originally Posted by cbrossman

OTOH, I did ride UPS, LPS and Porc. as part of the Bikerpelli adventure. The first 2 are about as much fun as one can have on a bike, except maybe Phil's.

You did UPS and LPS on the Bikerpelli trip? Interesting.....

Did you go last week? How many people were in the group?

[Hermosa]

Originally Posted by cbrossman

It is, of course there are some water crossings, but not unusual this time a year. The 2-track is now graded flat, but that is only a short section.

Rutting Hermosa Creek all up? Ever actually ride it? Ever notice the cow, motocross and horse traffic? I say leave "the best Durango Trail" to the tourists and keep them off the good stuff, like Jones/Dutch. That is a broken CF frame waiting to happen!

Thanks for the trail report Matt.

Rode Jones today. It was clear (and dry) til about a mile or so out from the Pinkerton junction. There were enough snow banks to make me bag and buzz back down.

[cbrossman]

Originally Posted by NoahColorado

You did UPS and LPS on the Bikerpelli trip? Interesting.....

Did you go last week? How many people were in the group?

We were out the weekend of 3/4, and I guess we just rode LPS. UPS is closed, and Alex was quite clear about this, although there are no signs anywhere that we saw.
So I stand corrected!

[cbrossman]

was totally clear until about a mile after the CO Trail junction. We could have easily walked over a 10 ft wide snow bank and continued on, but probably not for very long.

Surprisingly, the trail was in great shape. Not too pocked up from cows or horses, and who has been kicking the rock off the scree fields just above the junction? Thank you!!!

Still, if you come to Durango, you have to spend all your time on Hermosa Creek!

[Hermosa]

With absolutely no permission from radnasty, I checked out the north end of Hermosa last night. It's safe to say HCT is now open from top to bottom with a few caveats. First, you must be willing to get your feet wet in several areas where HC engulfs the doubletrack....which is pretty much the case year round. Second, there are a decent amount of downed trees, but I was able to move about 10-12 by hand myself and clear the branches for easy hurdling on many others. Some photos:

The only major snow bank right at the top:



Tree steeple chase, also right at the beginning:



Had to ford this section along the wall:



A little early to attempt a Corral Draw crossing.



Another soaker:



I'm not sure this safe for ice climbing :



A nice shot of Hermosa Peak on the way out:



And one of the Twilights on my drive out:



Game on...

[rippling over canyons]

Originally Posted by Hermosa

A little early to attempt a Corral Draw crossing. .

Thanks for posting the pictures. My Latitude 40 map lists a bridge here; I guess their information is outdated! In August I'm going to try to ride Blackhawk pass down to the top of Hotel Draw. Then, continue south on the Colorado trail to Corral Draw to Hermosa Creek Trail, back north to Hermosa Park. Hopefully, the creek can be safely forded then.

[Hermosa]

Originally Posted by rippling over canyons

Thanks for posting the pictures. My Latitude 40 map lists a bridge here; I guess their information is outdated! In August I'm going to try to ride Blackhawk pass down to the top of Hotel Draw. Then, continue south on the Colorado trail to Corral Draw to Hermosa Creek Trail, back north to Hermosa Park. Hopefully, the creek can be safely forded then.

No problem. We're going up to clear the trees today. You'll be able to ford the Corral Draw crossing by August no problem. It's pretty swift year round, but a little caution will get you safely across. That's a terrific ride you have planned.

[Medeco]

Originally Posted by rippling over canyons

In August I'm going to try to ride Blackhawk pass down to the top of Hotel Draw. Then, continue south on the Colorado trail to Corral Draw to Hermosa Creek Trail, back north to Hermosa Park. Hopefully, the creek can be safely forded then.

Is the ride you mention above a loop or shuttle type of ride? Am I correct that its about 50 miles or so?

I'm tyring to do a bike camping type of trip out there sometime, would this be a good choice, with a trailer or panniers over a couple of days?

M

[rippling over canyons]

Originally Posted by Medeco

Is the ride you mention above a loop or shuttle type of ride? Am I correct that its about 50 miles or so?

I'm tyring to do a bike camping type of trip out there sometime, would this be a good choice, with a trailer or panniers over a couple of days?

M

It's an approximately 30 something mile loop. The start is the start/end of Hermosa Creek trail. It's a counterclockwise loop: up Bolam Pass road to the Colorado trail, then west and south along the Colorado trail to the top of Hotel Draw. Last year, this is were I descended back to the start point. I'm trying to avoid losing all of the gained vertical on a gravel road (Hotel Draw). So, one can continue south on the Colorado trail another 3 miles, then descend Corral Draw to Hermosa Creek trail, then back north a couple of miles to the start point. The first section of the Colorado trail is over 11,000 ft. for about 3 miles. The descent down from Blackhawk pass is fairly burly; it could be done with panniers, but you'd have to be sure to control your speed.

If I was set up for bike camping (bivy sack, good lighting, very stable rack, etc.) I would ride the Colorado trail the 70 miles from Molas pass to Durango over 3 days!