It was our third day in Durango before I got a chance to ride on the Colorado Trail. We had arrived mid-day amidst a heavy thunderstorm, and the next day we took the historic, narrow gauge train from Durango to Silverton (which was fantastic).

We rolled into the parking area for The Colorado Trail bathed in beautiful sunshine. We were the sixth car there. A couple of vehicles looked as if they had been there a while (all dusty and dirty) ... like maybe they were out on a backpack trip.

My silhouette was also headed for trailhead

I got all my stuff ready, gave Cindy the usual good-bye kiss ... to which she uttered her usual "be careful," and headed toward the trailhead. Cindy watched me ride off and I knew she would be getting back into the car to drive back toward Durango. She was going to be hiking around on Animas Mountain, which was adjacent to Durango. The trail I would ride started at Junction Creek, which was a couple miles out of town.

Southwestern endpoint of the Colorado Trail

The trailhead had three huge signs telling about the Colorado Trail. This was the end of the 483 mile trail which starts near Denver (or vice-versa depending on the direction of travel).

Click Colorado for a larger map. Click back-button to return here.

I was only going to be riding a small portion of of the Colorado Trail, then turn onto the Dry Creek Tail ... take Hoffein's Connection, which leads back to the Colorado Trail. I would then come back to this trailhead on the Colorado Trail ... what most people call a "lollipop" trail, because of its shape.

Trash can along trail = busy trail.

A couple hundred yards down the trail I rode past a trash can, which is a tip-off that this was going to be a busy trail ... but it wasn't ... not that early. The trail runs right along the eastern bank of Junction Creek, through thick, lush vegetation. Later the trail rises above the creek, hugging the shoulder of the hill to the east, drops down to cross a side creek, then arrives at the bridge crossing Junction Creek. None of this stretch had me breathing real hard. Things were soon to change.

Junction Creek Bridge (Not a soul!) -

Junction Creek was 2-3 feet deep and rushing hard. I was glad there was a bridge ... although I've hike-a-biked across similar creeks. I noticed noone on the bridge, not a soul, then reflected upon the part I'd ridden. From the trailhead to the bridge I only met a couple of hikers, a golden retriever, and one mountain biker.

I dreaded the next part of the ride... or at least I thought I would. I had read about this trail (as I usually try to do) and the description said steep switchbacks. The 50 yards of trail immediately past the bridge were steep, steep enough that I had to dismount and hike a bit. The rest of the switchbacks were easily ride-able. I only had to get off once, when I came upon a fallen tree jutting across the trail, about shoulder length high.

Bench at Gudy's Rest

I saw the sign for Gudy's Rest before I saw the bench or clearing where it was. This whole ride was beautiful ... but this was the only place where a person could see anything except trees. I love riding in a forest of trees, especially coming from southern California, where most everything is sagebrush ... but I also like to look at distant landmarks ... like mountains, canyons, plateaus, etc. Gudy's Rest offered just that.

Southern View from Gudy's Rest

I could see mountains many miles to the south, ridges across the canyon, and I could see the path of Junction Creek, not quite all the way back to the trailhead ... but almost.

Looking Southeast from Gudy's Rest

I later read this lookout was named for Gudy Gaskill, a woman largely responsible for the building of the Colorado Trail. Thank you Gudy Gaskill!

Less than a half mile from Gudy's rest, in a small green valley, the Colorado Trail meets-up with Hoffein's Connection, a trail I would ride later in the day. From this connection the Colorado steadily climbs through an aspen forest.

Anyone thirsty?

During this climb I came upon a most unusual watering trough. Someone had taken a 30-foot long tree... hollowed out the middle, and filled it with water.

Just up the trail from there I came upon a rider (or I should say he came upon me) who must have been a pro. He had logo patches all over him, like a Nascar driver.

Real Serious Rider

I pulled over to let him pass, then said, "Hello", but either he didn't hear me or was worried about his riding time. I don't expect people to talk to me when they are out riding, but I usually get a "Hi" or "Howdy" or something like that.

Less than 3 miles from the connection I arrived at the Dry Fork Trail, which is a fairly flat single track that runs mostly through thick forest. A fun little ride, but nothing unusual.

When I rode up to the clearing and spotted the Hoffein's Connection sign I heard a real cattle drive taking place. It was down the trail to the right, in the opposite direction I was going to go. Cattle were mooing loudly, men's voices were consistently yelling commands that were loud ... but undistinguishable. I saw no people and no animals ... yet they were so loud I though I would soon be in the middle of a stampede. They never did appear. It was as if a giant sound system lay hidden behind the trees. I was hesitant to ride down that direction ... maybe they were headed at me!

I took the trail left and began the ride back toward the Colorado Trail, which was a grinding uphill. Almost as soon as I started the climb a fellow biker went by me. I tried to stay with him but he slowly pulled away. I would see him several more times on this trip.

Gudy's was real busy. I said hello.

The Hoffein's/ Colorado Trail connection looked identical to what it did an hour earlier. The biker that had passed me was just leaving as I approached.

He was also just leaving Gudy's Rest when I got there. There were several other bikers at the "Rest", so I just went by (saying Hello!) and started down the switchbacks.

Two youngsters passed me going down and I was shocked. I am not bragging ... but very few people pass me going down any trail. These guys were really pushing it (fellow racers of the "Nascar" guy)? I tried to keep up (which turned out to be a mistake) but they left me in the dust.

I was traveling faster than I should have, and I had forgotten about the shoulder-high tree crossing the trail from earlier. When I spotted the tree I slid my butt down behind my seat, curled into a ball, and hit both breaks hard. I skidded a good 30 feet and came to a stop with my head one foot from the tree! My whole body was pulsating from the adrenaline flowing through it. I had been lucky. If my skid had taken me off the trail I'd have headed down a severe incline littered with big trees ... sure disaster! If I'd hit the tree ... another broken neck?

There were at least 20 people on the bridge. One was that same rider I had been trying to catch on Hoffein's. When he started riding I got right behind him.

Colorado Trail...busy in afternoon.

We speedily rode back to the trailhead, dodging hikers, bikers, dogs, babies, picnickers, etc. I was able to keep up with him the whole way. He stopped at the trailhead and I pulled up beside him.

I told him I liked following people like him because copying his moves helped me improve. He said I was pretty good on the downhill and level but not real good on the uphill. I gave him my usual, "I am not used to the elevation" excuse. I asked him if he had done the same trails as me. He told me he had come in from another trailhead but had to wait a half hour for some cattle to clear the trail. That told me which way he had come. He said he lived in a nearby town (not Durango) then headed off in that direction. I rode back to Durango and waited for Cindy at the foot of Animas Mountain.

While I waited for her to come down, I couldn't help but wonder how the Colorado Trail would look on a weekend. I thought, "They need a lot more than one trash can if it's busier than today!"

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