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Mountain Biking
Sun Dogs
Favorite Rides
The Rio
Grande Trail
This trail is Aspen's easiest and most popular mountain bike trail. Sun dog likes to
access the trail at Herron Park on Neal Street. From Herron Park, the trail is a paved
bike path which continues past the Aspen Art Museum, behind the post office and continues
along the Roaring Fork River for a good mile. At Cemetery Lane, the trail crosses under a
bridge and turns into a dirt bike path, which continues along the river canyon and finally
emerges into open space with epic views of the Elk Mountain Range. At the intersection
(with the downhill to the left toward Jaffee Park) stay straight on the trail and follow
the "bike path" signs for a few more miles to the famed Woody Creek Tavern.
Quench with a Flying Dog Ale and return on the same route for a 16 mile ride or drive back
in the "Suburban" with Erik and sun dog and call it an 8 mile day. Ah yes, a
river runs through it... |
Smuggler / Hunter Creek Loop
This classic Aspen intermediate ride offers a nice mix of jeep road and singletrack. Sun
Dog and many locals simply call it "woof woof" or "the loop". Start
your initial climb on the Smuggler Mountain Road located at the east side of town by the
blue-roofed Centennial Condominiums. You will gain a respectable 800 vertical feet on this
fabled climb up to an observation platform. At the fork by the platform, go left and
continue on a more gradual climb for another quarter mile to the Iowa mine shaft. Start
your descent until you reach a hairpin to the left. At the hairpin turn, go right into the
aspens onto a sweet singletrack. After a hundred yards or so, you'll reach a fork. Go
straight, not left and continue on a rock 'n rollin' singletrack to your next descent. |
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You will then wind your way down to a jeep road on the Hunter Creek Valley floor. Turn
right to get to the old reservoir bridge. Just before the bridge take a sharp left and get
onto a killer singletrack that takes you back down the valley floor and along the river.
You will come out onto Red Mountain Rd. and descend back to town.
Lincoln Creek Road
This ride is not pictured on the map as even the sun dog can sniff it out with ease. A
great beginner/intermediate ride, Lincoln Creek Road is a relatively rocky and very scenic
jeep road, which starts just off highway 82 ten miles east of Aspen. As you're heading up
the pass watch for the big green sign on the right. Park in the dirt lot and start your
first descent along the creek. The road rocks and rolls along Lincoln Creek about six
miles to Grizzly Reservoir. At the reservoir take time for a break or better yet- a picnic
lunch. Sun Dog will help you with the leftovers! Continue for five miles on a gnarly jeep
road to the ghost town of Ruby or head on back to the trailhead for a twelve mile out and
back ride.
The Rim Trail
This advanced trail is not pictured on the Aspen trail map as it's Snowmass's premier
singletrack ride. To access the trailhead from Snowmass Village Mail, descend on Brush
Creek Road to Divide Road and go left, then to an immediate right into a parking lot. Look
for a yellow trailhead sign near a small playground just off the lot. Start your uphill
here until you eventually switchback to the top of a ridge. You'll then enjoy a joyous
rolling and switchbacking singletrack along the ridge till you reach Sinclair Road.
Proceed across the road and climb up the trail to again reach the top of the ridge.
Indulge yourselves (as sun dog does) in a few heart pounding uphills then a fantastic
"pin your ears back" fast fun singletrack, which eventually dumps you out near
the rodeo grounds. Take a right on Brush Creek road and hump it a few miles back to the
trailhead to complete this oh-so-sunny loop. It's grrrrrrreat! |
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