18 Roads was the easiest of the trail systems, but that didn't make it boring. There are more than enough trails there to make anyone happy. I managed to put about 15 miles in here and every last inch of dirt was well groomed and extremely fast rolling. I was most excited to ride PBR, not only because of the immense amount of hype everyone I have run into has given me about it, but because it's named after one of my favorite drinks! Pumps, bumps, and rollers. 2.5 miles of it. And almost no pedaling! There were multiple sections where you could easily double or triple through a section and there were no issues manualing through long straights. If you are in the area and not looking for a technical trail system, 18 Roads is the place to be for sure.
First turn onto PBR
The fury little friend Dalen and I made on the trail!
Now, the Kokopelli area is a good step above 18 Roads. There is plenty of smooth single track, but there are some awesome rock drops, views, and plenty of rough spots. As far as riding here, Horsethief had to be my favorite trail. The starting roll in was a good sign of how the trail was going to be; 75 yards of steep, loose, and technical rock garden and rock drops. Now I was a little misinformed about the "small rock drops" at the start of this trail, so I came into it a little fast and honestly, thought my day was going to end before I got to ride. Luckily for me, Shimano makes a damn strong brake so I was able to stop myself before flying off the trail. After catching my breath and taking a look, I found a good line, reset myself, and made it through clean. And everything from that point on was great. Lots of technical sections like the first roll in but enough single track to separate things and let me enjoy the views of the Colorado River. Great riding and gorgeous views. What more could a guy ask for? For all around riding for someone who doesn't want to go over the top, but doesn't want to ride basic stuff, this is definitely the trail head for you! Easy to get to, fun to ride, and some of the most incredible views I've seen in Colorado!
The awesome roll in to Horsethief!
Pretty awesome views of the Colorado River!
Just riding along
And the real riding, THAT is at the Lunch Loops trail head. about 10 miles here put me through more work than the 40 miles at both other trail heads combined. The signs they have at the start of black and double black trails saying "Extremely technical terrain. For advanced riders only" is no joke. There were spots so off camber and steep that I was sitting on my back tire and leaning against a rock wall just to stay on path. The blue trails weren't too bad. most well rounded riders should be able to do that no problem. But Holy Cross and Pucker Up were the real deal. Some spots were so tight my handlebars wouldn't fit through, and some parts were so steep I don't see it being possible to ride on a XC bike. I definitely didn't clean every line the first time. My hands, feet, and knees hit the ground many, many times! But the trail and views were completely worth getting covered in dirt! If you are 100% confident on your bike and don't mind getting dirty, make a point to ride this trail head. It is incredible. Oh yeah, there is a dirt jump and pump track park right at the start too! I managed to hit a few jumps before and after my ride! Even clipped in the Stumpy jumps well!
View from the back end of Holy Cross
Hard to see in this picture, but on the top of the back hill was one of the riding lines
Now it's time to visit some more shops, swing by the DT Swiss headquarters, and pack up for Moab! Slick Rock here I come!
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