[gabbard]

I am trying to put together some longish rides around Boulder for the winter and wonder if anyone has some trip reports or GPS data for this. I searched on variations of "loop", "Boulder", etc. but didn't find anything.

I know all of the trails, but would like some rough distances and suggestions for clever ways to string a bunch of trails together. Thinking something like Boulder north to Eagle Trail, Left Hand Trail, Boulder Valley Ranch, Boulder Res, White Rocks, Teller Farm, Marshall Mesa, Springbrook, Dowdy, Morgul Loop and home. I know, I can just ride it, but for fun, I am trying to put together a 50+ mile loop from my house with the majority on trails and want to know what I have to string together to break 50 miles.

Steve

 

[lidarman]

I really enjoy a trek around Boulder.

My ride starts in East Boulder, do East Boulder trail to Arapahoe, then take Arapahoe to 75th to baseline to Bobolink to south boulder creek to Marshall Mesa. Ride those trails then take Broadway path to the Boulder creek traklup to four mile Canyon. Take the road, do poorman, down sunshine and then foots hills trail North to Eagle/Sage. Wrap around to the dirt road north to Coot lake trail on the North side of Boulder Rez then back.

That is close to 50 miles. To add more, you can skip Coot lake and ride out to Niwot road then east on Niwot road up to the high school, then go south on the trail that goes through somerset and west back to Niwot loop. The loop connects to cottontail trail back to kingsoopers in Gunbarrel.

Not sure it's possible to eliminate pavement. But you certainly can get lesser used road, dirt roads and paths in the mix.

However, until it gets really dry, this is a more than difficult ride at the present time. Either cobblestone packed snow or muck.

EDIT here are two of my tracks. The first one is exactly 50 miles. It hardly covers the area by Marshall mesa such as Doudy draw and such, but it adds a the Lefthand section to Neva road. There are several variations on this. I have done many but never map them. Poorman option gives a nice sustained climb in the mix--I highly recommend this leg if you want to burn some calories.

50 miles


55 miles. Skip poorman but add dirty bismark.