Mountain Bike Reviews Forum banner

durango trail recommendation - one trail only

8K views 54 replies 19 participants last post by  rockman 
#1 ·
Brethren, come to my aid. I have the bitter sweet opportunity to ride one day for up to three hours in early august in Durango. I'll be riding a fs 29er. I prefer intermediate tech and intermediate exertion trails. Fast and flowy is good. I am willing to endure climbs especially for prolonged gradual descents. I will consider shuttle rides if the drive time is under 20 minutes. A thousand thanks.
 
#4 ·
Up to three hours he said. Molas to Cascate, the shuttle and getting it will take more time then that IMO. Engine Creek took me 3 hours pedaling the other day, and engineer mtn trail takes 3.5-4 hrs for me. I'm not a racer, but I don't feel I am going slow, and we passed a lot of groups.

My 1st vote is for <3 hours is Pass Creek to Engineer Mtn Trail. Maybe even twice. Drop bike at top, park at bottom, hitchhike up the road. Round trip with hitchhike shuttle <2hrs. With another buddy and no fumbling, could easily get two laps out of it, and its fun the second time around because you remember the trail, and can fly. It is a fast and flowy trail down.

Second vote is park at Elbert Creek (or take the chairlift up purg if you don't feel like climbing), up that to Dutch Creek to Hermosa. Leave the drop car at the gas station, and much quicker shuttle to go get your start car. Elbert Creek may take some time to climb, but I expect that ride is in the 3 hr range.

I forgot how long black hawk pass takes, but I remember in the 4 hour range if you climb the road too. With shuttle (remove 9 miles of road), you might be in the 3 hour range, and if you can swing that time, I'd put it above the other two.
 
#5 ·
Up to 3 hours is nothing, that's not much more than an after-work ride. All of the high country rides will take a minimum of 45 minutes drive time from Durango. So my take, is just ride Horse Gulch trails. Plenty to keep you busy for 3 hours, and it starts right from town. If it looks like it's gonna be a hot day, start in the morning and be done midday. If it's not blazing hot, ride any time of the day.
 
#6 ·
three hours including drive time? anything high-country is out.
If that's the case, Town to High point is my favorite three hour ride. From my house it's two hours up to Highpoint and an hour back down. Or to make it a little shorter you could do CO-hof-dry-co and loop it up.

three hours riding? I think you could do Molas-Cascade in almost three hours. Or at least Molas-Coal Creek (same deal with coming over Jura but ride out Coal Creek or Pass Creek).

Also, I think you could do Pass-Engineer-Engine Ck in 3 hours?

I think Pass Ck-Engineer would be a great recommendation. Certainly less than a 3 hour ride, but if you're not from this area you're going to need at least 30 minutes to take in the views and another 30 minutes to be enraged with jealousy at those who get to ride up there every week.

I'd push whoever is giving you the three-hour limit to stretch it to a 5-hour limit. She won't be mad forever.

3 hours in town? I'd ride Twin Buttes from town and come through the Test Tracks on your way back. Or do a big gulch loop including some stuff on the backside of T-graph (yellow brick-sidewinder-skull rock-big canyon).
 
#7 ·
three hours riding? I think you could do Molas-Cascade in almost three hours.
always funny about asking people about rides, and how long they take. We don't know the OP's speed at all. I will be the first to admit that I'm slow among the people I ride with, but I do ride and am not completely (just mostly) fat and out of shape, and the one time I did this ride it took me about 6-7 hours. Granted I was under no time constraints and could have done it faster, but there is no way I could have come even remotely close to 3 hours. 25 miles above 11000' is going to be a tough 3 hours for a lot of people. So it's really hard for us to say what is best for the OP, though I totally agree that he should just find more time than 3 hours.

Given that we don't know speeds, your suggestion of the CT to Highpoint may be a good one, because he could just turn around when he hit a certain time, rather than be forced to press on because he's on a loop.
 
#8 ·
I just wrote a review of my rides in Durango last week. I don't live there but have been a bike tourist six times now and (this is purely my opinion) I don't care much at all about the high country routes. There is so much lower altitude, heavily wooded, beautiful alpine singletrack right around the city, that's what I would do any day.
Three hours is plenty of time to do most of the city rides.
My first suggestion would be lacticacidbath's Junction Creek CO trail ride: Either ride or drive to the Junction Creek trailhead, take the feeder trail up to Gudy's Rest, then the Hofheinz connector, climb up Dry Fork, then right again to descend back to Gudy's via the CO trail. Depending on your speed/fitness on the climbs that should take 1.5-3 hours easily. You'll have two long climbs, but three nice long semi-technical descents all bathed in the shadows of towering trees.
My Horse Gulch and Twin Buttes rides as described in my review can also be done in that time frame. Hermosa Creek too, only if you start from the bottom and do an out and back.
One of these days I'll probably do an extended high country ride, but only after I get tired of my favorites, which when you do them only once a year or so never get old.
 
#13 ·
Have a beer, I think yours is empty and the lactic acid is going to your head. Relax. I didn't criticize you, I merely said that trying to evaluate how long a ride is going to take for a stranger, when we know nothing about the person, is tough. I'm not actually fat, and I guarantee you that I could do the ride faster than a whole heck of a lot of people (you used it as an example of a 3 hour ride but now say it's a 4 hour ride, I said it took me 6-7 but could have done it faster if I needed to, we're not as far apart as it seems). Regardless, 20+ miles at 11,000' and above is damn hard for a lot of people. Not so hard for others. :shrug:

I don't think my time estimation is any more valid than yours, but I'm not sure why it's any less valid. I'm slower than you, you're faster than me, yay? My only point was that if I asked for a 3 hour ride recommendation and tried this ride, I'd be very late for whatever I had planned. And if you asked for an epic long ride and got this one recommended and tried it, you'd enjoy the ride but be disappointed because it wasn't epic enough. Jesus, you rode Molas to Durango in a day; you think that means your ride time experiences are valid for a huge number of riders? Some people are super fast, some are fast, some are medium, some are slow, some are super slow, and some are snails. If you don't know which one the rider is and which one you are, ride time advice is a silly exercise.

BTW, not sure why you hate MTBR so much, but maybe you should try being less of a dick here, you're a much nicer guy on TGR. :D
 
#20 ·
Not sure WTF is w/ the weirdness here but the Colorado trail to high point is a good call. I say drive to lighter creek park at the dry fork trail ride towards Denver, stop when you want and head back down. Great ride no matter how far you get and great downhill return. I wouldn't drop past high point unless you've extended your time ceiling.

Barring that the test tracks (mountain park) is my fave route but you can do it a few times in that time. You'd be better off doing a few 1+ rides to include the horse gulch complex.
Good luck.
G
 
#22 ·
Test Trax for a first timer without a guide would yield nothing but frustration. Stopping every 30 seconds to figure out where you are or where you were headed. Trails would be ridden "wrong." I came across a dude riding up star wars this spring because someone told him it was an awesome trail. Can't blame the guy.
 
#24 ·
I think the Colorado Trail up to Gudys then Do the Hoffheim loop counterclockwise. We love that ride and its about three hours and the trail head is in Durango, we're from PA and that's always the first Durango ride we do....tons of options there but for 3 hours of your time, in my opinion it gives you a quick sampler of Durango. Long switch ack climb up to Gudys....continued gradual climb of to CT split then Hoff back down towards Gudys is Fast, Flowy, and if it don't bring a huge smile to your face...then I don't know what will;p

P.S. nothing wrong with a FS 29er on that trail either, I'll bet it will rail in the swoops on Hoff
 
#30 ·
According to Bicycling, Horse Gulch is one of the Top Ten MTB rides in Colorado...

You can ride all the famous trails.

Like:

Water bar
Lower Water Bar
Upper Water Bar
Upper Upper Water Bar

That classic "Ya Know, Where the rock used to be"

And, now featuring "Who the Eff put all these logs in the trail??"
 
#31 ·
A long over due follow up...

I very much appreciate everybody's opinions. We all could have done with out the insults and disrespect this tread devolved into, but, some great info came out nonetheless.

I actually never got to riding that day last year, but to exercise my demons, I have come back to Durango and will be staying for 6 weeks. I have done two rides so far. The trails at Dalla (because I am staying right by there) and CT to Dry Creek to Hoffheins to CT lollipop. I have to say, the latter ride was perfect. 3hrs including riding to the trailhead from Durango, fast and flowy, mildly technical single track, great workout, excellent scenery. Perfect. This was one of the more enjoyable rides I've ever done.

I'd love to see more of the CT, particularly a shuttle like you guys have suggested. I'll see if I can make it happen. I'll certainly hit the Gulch, Animas, and the other rides in town while I'm here. Ideally, I'll make it out to Hermosa Creek if time and reality permit.

Thanks again for the suggestions, fellas.
 
#32 · (Edited)
Hey, I'm in Durango too, and I was reading this thread a few days ago for some tips. My favorite ride so far has been: starting at the Dry Fork Trailhead, climb up the Dry Fork Trail to the CT, and then climb up the CT to 'High Point'(when the CT starts descending steeply that's High Point), then turn around and descend back down the CT past the Dry Fork Trail intersection to Hoffheins Connector, to Dry Fork Trail, to Dry Fork Traihead.

1) Climbing for an hour in Durango is like climbing for 2 hours elsewhere. The first time I did the loop, I was so knackered at the Dry Fork Trail/CT intersection, I gave up the idea of riding to High Point. Today, I decided to press on to High Point. The trail gets steeper for awhile after the Dry Fork Trail/CT intersection before mellowing out. I had to stop several times at the side of the trail, bent over, panting trying to catch my breath. I burned all my matches riding up there, and on the descent I was so knackered, I couldn't pump over rocks, which made the descent a bit dangerous. The descent from the CT to Hoffheins Connector to Dry Fork Trail is awesome! It consists of rolling, ripping, banked curves with some mild tech sections thrown in. No drops over 8 inches and a log jump of about 15 inches on the side of the trail if you're game.

The first time I was out there, it took me an hour to climb to the Dry Fork/CT intersection, and then 20 minutes to descend all the way back to the Dry Fork Trail Head. Going all the way up to High Point took 3 1/2 hours. I'm sure locals do it in under 1 3/4 hours.

2) In Durango, you *want* to ride moto trails and you want to avoid mtb only trails. I was riding the Lower Hermosa Creek Trail my first day while trying to do a loop(without a map), and I couldn't find the turn off because the mtb only trail is barely a scratch in the dirt. A girl I met on the trail told me I was lucky I didn't find the turnoff because she had to spend the night out there when trying to do the same loop. An out and back ride up the Lower Hermosa Creek Trail(motos allowed) seemed like a fine introduction to Durango riding to me:

Plant Sky Cloud Natural landscape Tree


3) The vegetation on the side of the trail is thick and tall and at times you are riding *single* track through a narrow slot of green with ferns and grasses slapping your arms and legs. You cannot see where you are in those sections because the forest is so thick, so I can see how it could be easy to get lost.

4) The forest is absolutely beautiful here. Wild flowers, aspen groves, the scent of fresh cut pine. I wish I was in good enough shape to ride in the high country, but 3 hours is about all I've got.

5) Horse Gulch ain't so great. It's easy to get lost because the vegetation is so thick and there are unmarked trails branching off the trail you are on. Lots of signs out there though, so if you keep riding you should run into a sign, which along with a map should get you unlost. That's not to say that I won't ride out there again, but it does not offer the same beauty as the other trails I've ridden.
 
#34 ·
Hermosa Creek (by itself) is one of the most overblown/overrated trails out there. Sure, it's a pretty ride, but it pales in comparison to the ANY of the mountain/high country rides, as you're stuck in a trench the entire ride. Maybe you were trying to hook up with Pinkerton/Flag trails? Dunno...

The Pass trail is a relatively quick, and mindblowingly beautiful ride (compared to Hermosa) that gets you UP where the views are insane. However, it is HIGH, so being acclimated helps. Even if not, its still doable for a relatively in shape person, just would take a little longer. As noted, it's a quicker ride, so you don't have that commitment that the other high country adventures demand. You should look in to for next time, if there is one.

As for Horse Gulch. Not my favorite place to ride, but it's local favorite, and have to admit it's signed pretty well. Try Skyline to Raiders to Snake Charmer next time, you'll be pleasantly surprised I bet. :thumbsup:
 
#35 · (Edited)
Maybe you were trying to hook up with Pinkerton/Flag trails? Dunno...
The map at the trail head showed a trail called South Fork Hermosa Trail, which is designated mtb only and branches left off the Hermosa Creek Trail. It was the smallest loop on the map.

Hermosa Creek (by itself) is one of the most overblown/overrated trails out there.
I didn't know it was rated. Previously, I was riding in 100 degree heat in Fruita, so riding under a forest canopy with shade and creeks crossing the trail seemed like paradise to me.

The Pass trail...You should look in to for next time
Heck, I'll look into it for this time. I'll see if I feel any stronger over the next couple of days. I'm going to try and mix in some Heed with my water to see if that helps keep my energy up.

Try Skyline to Raiders to Snake Charmer next time, you'll be pleasantly surprised I bet.
Okay, thanks for the tips. Some guys I met on the trail told me to ride down the Anasazi Trail for some tech, but I didn't think it offered much challenge.

Yeah, real jungle out there...
Well, maybe I took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up in Brazil.
 
#36 ·
Sorry you got some bum info on Anasazi. Somehow, it's become a lot smoother over the last few years :skep: - not sure I'd ever refer to it as techy though. Steep at first, tech? Not so much.

If you go Skyline up to Raider Ridge, you might find some more challenging terrain there. Its worth the chance ;)

Hermosa never thrilled me personally; but won't deny that its a pretty ride if nothing else. Hope you can make the Pass trail ride happen. It will still be a tough climb, but nowhere near as grueling as the other high country stuff. But you still get the views and cool trail (it's necessarily tech though, just nice mountain single track, maybe a bit rutted in spots?).

I dunno, great rides all over there - hope you find something fun :thumbsup:
 
#40 ·
Over the past year or so, I've visited Durango for work a few times and have had the chance to ride 3 of the common rides:

- Horse Gulch - close to town, fun, a bit hot in the summer.

- Colo Trail - Hoffheins - Great riding, close to town, great workout

- Pass Creek to Engineer Mtn Trail - this is my ONE RIDE answer. If you can make the drive from town and get in this ride, I'd do it. The views are out of this world. The actual workout and riding might be a bit better at Colo Trail, but there's nothing like the view from Engineer Mountain. The only problems are: Shuttle "required" (but I parked below, rode up the road), weather (ride in the am to avoid afternoon storms), a bit far from town.

Pics from today's ride:





 
#41 ·
I did an out and back from Molas Pass heading west/south and it was one of the rides of my life. Considering both views and the quality of the single track, I would put it up there with Gooseberry Mesa, Sedona, and CT east of Breckenridge, maybe trumping all three. If there was a gun to my head and I had to thing of a criticism of this ride, it would be that I had to keep getting off my bike to take pictures. I plan to try Pass Creek up to EMT turn right (north) and possibly a lollipop with the CT and White Creek. I am not too into the shuttle idea just for simplicity and time restrictions. I don't' mind out and backs either. I figure that the ride is that much sweeter if you have to work for it. Thanks for all the input on ride suggestions. After all the venom and vitriol died down, this has turned into a great thread.
 
#42 ·
Hitching back to your car is easy in Durango. Last Monday I did Molas, to White Creek, which connects to the junction of engineer/engine creek. I have done both but prefer going out engine to cascade. I waited like 5-10 minutes and someone picked me up. Took me like 6 hours. Plenty of stopping to catch my breath, get more water, ect.

Having ridden a lot in Hurricaine, Sedona, and many other places, each trail gives you a different experience. Hard to compare, all good in their own right.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top