Yea! Singletrack

Last night I was so tired that I did not even eat. Hungry this morning - so I went to the Durango Diner for a hotcake and sausage. They are known for their large hotcakes. The one was enough for me this morning. (Could have eaten more, but did not want to stuff myself.)

Set out to check out Durango singletrack. The trail head at Horse Gulch was packed. Anyway, I wanted to ride the Animas River trail to see if I can now handle the altitude. Feeling good, and the trail ended near the local Trek dealer (Hassle Free Sports), stopped in to see what they can recommend.

They suggested Colorado Trail (at least for the first 2.5 miles, where then there are sharp switchbacks). I headed to the trailhead. The trail surface is anything from rocks, native soil, gravel, pine needle-covered. I did pretty well. Negotiated the rocks better than I have done before. Had to walk up a couple little sharp rises in the trail. As I got 1.5 miles, the trail was on a ledge, overlooking the creek. It got to the point that I was not feeling comfortable walking the bike up the trail. First photo shows the point where I decided to turn back. I was pleased that I was able to ride among the rocks - gained some experience.

Now, I was not ready to give up on singletrack today. Headed over to Horse Gulch. I had to walk up most of the gravel road (about .5 mile). The altitude was also getting to me. Guess I should do these kinds of walks/rides in the morning. Anyway, had a good ride. Rode the Meadow Loop and Stacy's Loop (about 3 miles of singletrack). The second photo was taken on Meadow Loop. Some wildflowers are in bloom. There were a couple sections of the trail that I did not feel comfortable riding. That, and my heart rate spiked from riding in the afternoon and the altitude.

Plans are to ride Horse Gulch again in the morning. Then later in the day, perhaps hike up the Colorado Trail.