Hello all,

To all the Durango Area riders, how are trail conditions at low and high altitude in the area and surroundings at the end of May?

Depends on the moisture, but everything in & around town is usually dry by the end of May. Everything from the ski area to town is usually rideable in mid-to-late June, and everything above that is late July thru Sept.

Lots of rides around Durango (Cortez, Aztec, Farmington, Moab) that will be in prime shape in May.

 

Remember the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic is scheduled for May 26-29 this year. This place will be crazy with bikes. The Horse Gulch / Telegraph trail system will be marked for the xc race and there will be lots of people pre-riding or racing.

 

Good Advice!

hey thanks guys,

i guess i can go a week or two later than the last of may. avoiding a huge crowd would be really nice. and the tails should be nicely packed from all the previous riders.

gotta buy the ticket next week, so i got a lot of planing to do.

geoffss

 

Hey Geoff...its been unusually dry around here lately...As of today(Jan22nd)theres little snow below 8,000' .May/June is a good time here for riding..Best time for Horse Gulch would be a morning ride...it gets hot,as most of it is out in the open...Don't ride when the trails are wet..you'll be carrying a 50# bike instead of riding a 25# one...Look me up when you get here and I'll direct you to some cool trails....peace...mtbikerjohn

 

Iron Horse 2006 will have no XC race

Remember the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic is scheduled for May 26-29 this year. This place will be crazy with bikes. The Horse Gulch / Telegraph trail system will be marked for the xc race and there will be lots of people pre-riding or racing.

From a very reliable source, I hear that this year's Iron Horse Bicycle Classic will have no mountain bike racing. Definitely not part of the mountain states cup http://www.racemsc.com. I think what I was told that there will be the traditional Road Race and a Criterium in town.

FYI.

 

From a very reliable source, I hear that this year's Iron Horse Bicycle Classic will have no mountain bike racing. Definitely not part of the mountain states cup http://www.racemsc.com. I think what I was told that there will be the traditional Road Race and a Criterium in town.

FYI.

This appears to be correct http://www.ironhorsebicycleclassic.com/schedule.html,
but I don't know why. Seems strange to me.

 

From a very reliable source, I hear that this year's Iron Horse Bicycle Classic will have no mountain bike racing. Definitely not part of the mountain states cup http://www.racemsc.com. I think what I was told that there will be the traditional Road Race and a Criterium in town.

FYI.

The IHBC XC race hasn't been part of the MSC for a few years now.

I'm not sure who your reliable source is, but I've got an email in to the director. I just got my notification of registration, and Lo and Behold - no XC, and no XC listed on their schedule of events.

Last year they had a 1/2 marathon and some swimming race - those are cut too. I can understand dumping those, but the XC race has been around for MANY years and is pretty well attended.. Maybe they got tired of all the pre-race cleanup of Horse Gulch - usually pull a couple dumpsters full of trash out of there in the leading weeks.

Lets all give up a big Huzzah for the Lance Effect.

 

don't kill the messenger

This appears to be correct http://www.ironhorsebicycleclassic.com/schedule.html, but I don't know why. Seems strange to me.

Seems strange to me too. It was a surprise to hear about and I'm not happy about it. That was one of the traditional races I'd always meant to do someday. Rage in the Sage, Riders Del Norte, Ironhorse, Road Apple...

That's a 50% attrition rate. [sigh]

 

What would the conditions be like the first couple of weeks of May?

Currently planning a 2 week trip for Southern Utah & Western Colorado hooking in to the FFTF.

Anywhere else other than Fruita, Moab & St. George?

 

What would the conditions be like the first couple of weeks of May?

Currently planning a 2 week trip for Southern Utah & Western Colorado hooking in to the FFTF.

Anywhere else other than Fruita, Moab & St. George?

Craig - it's really a crapshoot with early May in Durango. Some years we have clear trails in mid April, some years we get snow in June. It's been a pretty dry winter so far, but we usually get most of our snow in Feb/ March, so there is really no telling yet.

The other factor is trail limitation - Even if you can ride the trails around town, you are not going to be able to hit anything higher up - you will have Telegraph etc., Junction Creek (maybe) and the Test Tracks. If you haven't been here before, those are great trails - but if you are looking for Hermosa Creek, Kennebec or any of the higher trails, you will not (no way) be able to ride them.

If those aren't enough, you can deffinitely supplement them with a couple trails in Cortez, Aztec and Farmington that are a freaking blast and will almost definitely be open and rideable by then. There will be plenty of stuff to ride - just whether it's the stuff you want to ride will be the question

Hope that helps.

 

I've only ridden in Colorado once (FFTF for a week last year) so any other place will be new.

Thanks for the info. I guess I'll have to check closer to the date to see what the snow is like then.

I realize the high elevation stuff will still be snow covered, I was curious what other early season riding was possible.

 

If those aren't enough, you can deffinitely supplement them with a couple trails in Cortez, Aztec and Farmington that are a freaking blast and will almost definitely be open and rideable by then. There will be plenty of stuff to ride - just whether it's the stuff you want to ride will be the question
QUOTE]

I am currently set up with the two ring system. Should I add the 3rd ring for the Road Apple?

 

If those aren't enough, you can deffinitely supplement them with a couple trails in Cortez, Aztec and Farmington that are a freaking blast and will almost definitely be open and rideable by then. There will be plenty of stuff to ride - just whether it's the stuff you want to ride will be the question

I am currently set up with the two ring system. Should I add the 3rd ring for the Road Apple?

Nope - there will be a couple hills you have to walk, but I spend most of my time in the middle or big ring.

FWIW - Went out jogging last night, and most of the horse-gulch trails in Durango are bone dry. We got about an inch of snow last night, but give it 3-5 days without snow and everything will be bone dry again.

 

Nope - there will be a couple hills you have to walk, but I spend most of my time in the middle or big ring.

FWIW - Went out jogging last night, and most of the horse-gulch trails in Durango are bone dry. We got about an inch of snow last night, but give it 3-5 days without snow and everything will be bone dry again.

I was up on the Southern South Rim on Saturday, still a little too muddy.

OTOH, I've been working with some other guys to add about 6-7 miles onto the far end of Phil's world, easily as fun as the rest.The guys at Kokopelli should have the beta.

 

The Test Track was pretty dry today....

The Test Track was pretty dry,although there were some wet spots,in the more shady areas...Took the Burner out for its first ride..everything went well...It was a blast hitting the woops at speed...Now all I need to do is forget that I used to ride a HT,and trust the suspension... Tomorrow is another day..another ride....Happy trails,all......

 

The Test Track was pretty dry,although there were some wet spots,in the more shady areas...Took the Burner out for its first ride..everything went well...It was a blast hitting the woops at speed...Now all I need to do is forget that I used to ride a HT,and trust the suspension... Tomorrow is another day..another ride....Happy trails,all......

Just don't see a lot of Turners out on the trails, and even fewer Ventanas. I would think the Burner would be perfect in this area.
A group of us rode Phil's yesterday, it was very warm. We got to ride 5 new miles, which are officially open. I worked with another local, along with some of the Cortez guys to add these miles, it is nice now to drive over to Phils and have 15 miles to ride. Soft, and needs to be ridden in, but fun.

 

Just don't see a lot of Turners out on the trails, and even fewer Ventanas. I would think the Burner would be perfect in this area.
A group of us rode Phil's yesterday, it was very warm. We got to ride 5 new miles, which are officially open. I worked with another local, along with some of the Cortez guys to add these miles, it is nice now to drive over to Phils and have 15 miles to ride. Soft, and needs to be ridden in, but fun.

Where's the new section of trail at? I haven't been on Phils since last spring.

I've been mostly road riding and (gasp) jogging. When you only get an hour of daylight after work, you gotta do what you gotta do... Besides - I want to try that off-road duathalon they have on the South Rim in May.

Mikes is a muddy mess, and the new... extension.. is still pretty snowy. The meadow loop, Stacy's and Raider Ridge are all that is currently rideable.

 

I'm gonna have to check out Phil's soon...

Just don't see a lot of Turners out on the trails, and even fewer Ventanas. I would think the Burner would be perfect in this area.
A group of us rode Phil's yesterday, it was very warm. We got to ride 5 new miles, which are officially open. I worked with another local, along with some of the Cortez guys to add these miles, it is nice now to drive over to Phils and have 15 miles to ride. Soft, and needs to be ridden in, but fun.

I'm thinking the Burner is going to be a good choice for around here..Still dialing it in...I'm going from riding HT's forever to my first "real" suspension bike...That Jekyl I bought a few years back doesn't count... All I need now,is my wheelset from Larry@mtnhigh...I'm gonna have to check out Phil's before it gets too hot....See ya on the trails...John

 

Where's the new section of trail at? I haven't been on Phils since last spring.

It is on the last mesa just before you drop into the Rib Cage, then connects back in about 100' later, so you don't miss the cage.
Most of my rides have been on the road as well, but no running for me.

 

It is on the last mesa just before you drop into the Rib Cage, then connects back in about 100' later, so you don't miss the cage.
Most of my rides have been on the road as well, but no running for me.

HOLY CRAP!!!

Just got up there this past weekend. That section you guys added was a-freakin-mazing. It turns Phils into a whole different ride.

I'd be tempted to say that Phils world is now the best piece of technical singletrack in the four corners.

Good job!

 

HOLY CRAP!!!

Just got up there this past weekend. That section you guys added was a-freakin-mazing. It turns Phils into a whole different ride.

I'd be tempted to say that Phils world is now the best piece of technical singletrack in the four corners.

Good job!

I was out there on Sunday. It is amazing how good the new section has gotten since it was first put in and ridden 6 weeks ago.

There is discussion to continue to the east and possibly connect up with Chutes and Ladders (I think that is what it is called). One of the guys who has put a lot of time into Phil's just had a baby boy yesterday, he's the Bob of "Bob's loop".
I am not sure yet if this will cause him to spend more or less time working on new trails

 

I was out there on Sunday. It is amazing how good the new section has gotten since it was first put in and ridden 6 weeks ago.

I did notice a lot of cheater rocks. I don't know if that was part of the initial build, but some are nice - some could be done without.

Have you been on the other side behind the Fairgrounds lately? It is pretty much forsaken. About 30 downed trees over the trail and it looks like we were the first people to have ridden it since it rained.

 

I did notice a lot of cheater rocks. I don't know if that was part of the initial build, but some are nice - some could be done without.

Have you been on the other side behind the Fairgrounds lately? It is pretty much forsaken. About 30 downed trees over the trail and it looks like we were the first people to have ridden it since it rained.

The cheaters were added after the initial build. Most are unnecessary, but don't bother me.
The last time I rode over at the Fairgrounds was last fall. It was not all that interesting.