5 Ways Colorado Can Stun

05/18/2008 - Chicago Tribune

A Crested Butte mountain biking experience chronicled by Assitant Travel Editor Phill Marty

By Phil Marty |Tribune staff reporter

May 18, 2008

The aspen trees' bright yellow leaves stood out among the dark green pines surrounding them. "Cool," I murmured to myself.

Then the sun slid out from behind the fluffy clouds and bang, it was like someone had thrown a light switch. The bright yellow leaves exploded into an almost blinding burst of glowing gold.

"Wow!" I said, almost shouting.

It wasn't the first-or last-time I used that word during almost two weeks traveling around Colorado last fall. That's the kind of place it is. Whether it's fall color time, winter, summer or spring, the wow moments keep stopping you in your tracks.

Check out these five ways to collect your own wow moments.

Mountain bike

Wow moment: The Lower Loop Trail heading out of Crested Butte is ranked "easy," as mountain bike trails out here go. But then you're flying down or struggling up one of its hilly sections on a 12- to 18-inch wide single-track trail, dodging rocks in the path, and you notice that the outer edge of the trail drops off nearly straight down, promising a nasty 20- to 30-foot plunge if you slip up. It's not the time to be rubbernecking. Save that for when you stop to catch your breath and marvel at the aspen- and pine-covered mountains rising around you.

Where: Crested Butte, sitting at nearly 9,000 feet in the very mountainous west-central part of the state northwest of Gunnison, is considered by many to be the country's best mountain-biking destination. Trails of all skill levels form a web around the tiny, picturesque onetime mining town. And finding a trail often is as easy as just cruising the streets to the edge of town. But trail maps are readily available.

More wows: Given that so much of Colorado is mountainous and is public land, finding mountain biking trails is as easy as . . . well, falling off a bike. And finding rental bikes is just as easy. Road bikers are everywhere in Colorado, too, including some interstates that have bike lanes. Just be sure to pack an extra set of lungs. And, for the real gluttons for punishment, there's the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic (May 24 this year) where cyclists try (successfully) to beat the steam train that runs from Durango (elevation 6,500 feet) to Silverton (9,300 feet). The nearly 50-mile route goes over two 10,000-foot passes and, with ups and downs, climbs 5,700 feet. Last year's winner clocked in at an amazing 2:19:52.

You should know: Try to allow a few days to acclimate to the higher altitudes. Your body will thank you. And don't head out without some basic gear (and the smarts to know how to use it): a spare tube, pump, tire levers, mini-tool, water, nutrition bars and cell phone (though being able to get cell coverage isn't a given). Yeah, there can be other bikers out there, but I was out for a couple of hours and saw only one person.

Information: Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, 970-349-6817, www.mtnbikehalloffame.com/crestedbutte.cfm; Crested Butte Lodging, 888-412-7310, www.crestedbutte.org; Crested Butte Tourism Association, 800-814-7988 www.gunnisoncrestedbutte.com; Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce, 800-545-4505, www.crestedbuttechamber.com.

Chicago Tribune 5.18.08.pdf

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