Just some thoughts and experiences from a mountain bike endurance racer who likes to ride and race his single speed mountain bike a long long way on remote single track in the mountains and desert.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Mountain bike ride around McPhee Reservoir in Dolores Colorado

Did a local 67 mile ride around McPhee reservoir on Sunday.  The recent snow made the singletrack trails to muddy to ride so we stayed on the graded roads except through Sagehen where the normally cool trail dropping down to the river was a mudfest.  The rest of the ride was very scenic and pretty mellow sticking to the graded roads circling the lake.  Kiviok and I started from my house through the town of Dolores on 145 and 184 to the turnoff for the reservoir.  Then through Sagehen down to the lower Dolores river to Bradfield bridge.  Normally we take the trail up along the lake to Dry Fork but that would have been muddy.  A big climb up to Salter Y then past the pump station and onto the Boggy draw trail back to the house.  Lots of wildlife!  Singlespeeds geared 32x18.
Stats http://connect.garmin.com/activity/87653055 
Left the house at 9.  I'd fix it up a little but I needed some new parts for my bike
Riding through Dolores
Road next to the lake on the way to Sagehen
Kiviok carrying his bike through the mud

Mud!!! Kiv's bike standing by itself
Couldn't even ride downhill, there was to much mud on this normally great section dropping to the river.  I resorted to dragging my bike by the seat for a bit
Cleaning up

Washing the bike in the Lower Dolores

 
















Which way should be go? Bradfield bridge, the 2500' climb up    
Nice few of the mountains
Boggy singletrack
67 Miles