[msbike]

I'm hoping to find a map or good trail directions for Georgia Pass to Breck portion of the Kenosha Pass to Breck trail. Help?

 

[cutthroat]

The Trails Illustrated maps are the best - you can buy them on line here http://www.ngmapstore.com/shopping/...RODUCT&iMainCat=54&iSubCat=122&iProductID=197

Or most bike shops have them now. They just came out with one for Summit County - the ride from the top of Georgia Pass to Breck is pretty hard to screw up and has good signage. You drop down from the pass into the Tiger Road drainage of the Swan and end up on a dirt road that turns to pavement a few miles from Hwy 9.

 

[MikeMac]

Look a bit harder...

...and you may find the turn for the American Gulch flume, a ripping, big-ring, 5-mile mashfest back to Breck. It'll spit you out on American Gulch Road. From there head uphill (to your left) a short distance and you'll be on top of Humbug Hill. This is a key junction in the Firecracker 50 course. At that point you'll have many options to get back to Breck, but the simplest one is to head down Humbug to French Gulch Road for an easy cruise into town.

To get to the American Gulch turn from the top of Georgia: look for a 4-way intersection that looks like an old ditch (commonly mistaken for 'flume') trail shortly after your descent begins. It'll be pretty obvious. Turn left (south) and you're on it.

Good luck!

 

[rippling over canyons]

Here's a picture taken directly from my official Colorado trail guidebook.

MavSports, I have a question: is your route the recommended, or easiet route? Because I would think taking the colorado trail all the way down to the Gold Hill parking lot would be the way to go. I'm asking because I intend on doing this ride in a few weeks.

 

[MikeMac]

Easiest?

...not the easiest, but definitely the most fun. After the chatter of the upper section coming down from Georgia Pass I've always been stoked to get on something where you can really open 'er up. It's a ditch trail, so the grade never reallty exceeds 4% and is often less. It's also super-flowy.

The trail down to the road and then on to the Gold Hill parking lot is certainly the most turnkey of all possible options (and still pretty fun), but American Gulch is the lair of the local...and locals know best!

Good luck, out of the options you're considering there's really no bad choice.

MM

 

[rippling over canyons]

..American Gulch is the lair of the local...and locals know best!
MM

Thanks for the advice. Another question, what's a good route for combining the Peaks Trail with Miners Creek and Wheeler trails? Would you ride it counter-clockwise (gold hill>miners creek>wheeler>spruce creek? to pavement>peaks trail>back to gold hill parking? Or do you have another recommedation?

Thanks in advance.

 

[glovemtb]

Another great option is Georgia Pass via all Colorado Trail (as an out and back because the singe track is so good) from hwy 9 or hit Co Trail up Tiger Road. Or heading up 285 go over to it from Kenosha pass out/back. The single track options are many. (Note you are looking at as much as 8 hours per trip to Ga. Pass but as single track out and backs, you set whatever distance you feel like.)
On Peaks, Wheeler I've been over all of the 12 and 14teeners (is it 3 or 4 I can't remember) on peaks trail and wheeler starting from hwy 9 on Co trail up and over and back down to Copper then bike path to frisco and back to start. But, there are long hike sections that actually wore all the tread off my mountain bike shoes ! It's pretty much and all day thing and you would not want to make this route on a day when thunderstorms are predicted. I think next time I'll do that as an out and back also (No good advice on that one.)

 

[rippling over canyons]

On Peaks, Wheeler I've been over all of the 12 and 14teeners (is it 3 or 4 I can't remember) on peaks trail and wheeler starting from hwy 9 on Co trail up and over and back down to Copper then bike path to frisco and back to start. But, there are long hike sections that actually wore all the tread off my mountain bike shoes ! It's pretty much and all day thing and you would not want to make this route on a day when thunderstorms are predicted. I think next time I'll do that as an out and back also (No good advice on that one.)

Thanks, any and all advice/recommendations is much appreciated. I'll leaving for Colorado in less than two weeks!

 

[scrublover]

Thanks for the advice. Another question, what's a good route for combining the Peaks Trail with Miners Creek and Wheeler trails? Would you ride it counter-clockwise (gold hill>miners creek>wheeler>spruce creek? to pavement>peaks trail>back to gold hill parking? Or do you have another recommedation?

Thanks in advance.

I did it the way you've got described above, two years ago. http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=35605&highlight=last+ride+before+my+baby+died

If I do it again (probably later this fall) I'll start from the Frisco end of Peaks, rather than at the bottom of Gold Hill.

It's a great loop, but as already said, big sections above treeline, hiking up scree stuff to get there coming back up from the Copper side of things. Be sure it's on a predicted clear day, or start muhfuhen early. Bring the shell jacket, lotsa food and water, and be bike shoes that are comfy to hoof it in!