First ride - Tipperary Creek Loop near Winter Park/Fraser Valley

15 mile loop, about 50% singletrack with a tough 3 mile climb before a very fast & sketchy downhill. Dirt road back to the cars. Good first ride! (MS)

getting ready for that first ride...

mandetory group pic...

James...

short ride for Shane - cracked rear-hub...

Arrogant Bastard PhotoG...

we hit the road after an awesome singletrack downhill (no time for pics of that)...

the sun is setting...

Ward...

better use 2 hands...

Second ride - Winter Park Ski Resort (minus the snow)

5 or so rides on the lift up the mountain, lots of fun on the way down. Winter Park Ski Resort offers something for everyone, from easy trails to black sections and some man made structures. We all got between 25 to 30 miles in that day, with some good climbing to get to "Mary Jane"... (MS)

buying lift tickets...

still feels like cheating to me...

Shane, Charles & Mason having a good time...

Rod railing a turn...

Charles... (pic by Shane Jones)

Mason & Charles on "Upper Roof of the Rockies"...

Rod...

Ward on "Icarus"...

Shane...

Charles on "Lower Arapahoe"...

Marcel... (pic by James Perry)

"The Downhill"... (pic by James Perry)

Structures... (pic by James Perry)

James... (pic by Ward?)

James... (pic by Ward?)

good scenery on the drive to Salida...

Third ride - Monarch Crest

What can I say that has not been said before? This trail finds it self ranked as number one trail in Colorado by Colorado riders and the locals preach it as one of the ten best in the world - I agree whole hardly and can’t wait to get back and do it again... The trail is beautiful (big ass views) and has an excellent trail bed - I still need to get back and ride the rainbow trail section- oh-man I gotta go back!!! The road back down to Poncho Springs can be one wild ride - like a Nascar-slotcar racing at 45mph plus - without any pedaling... Sick! (JP)

start of the ride on Monarch Pass...

poser... (pic by Ward?)

climbing the crest...

more climbing... (pic by Shane Jones)

Shane...

Mason and Shane...

James...

that black dot is Shane...

to the top of the world... (pic by Shane Jones)

Following James... (pic by Shane Jones)

Mason...

Charles...

Rod... (pic by James Perry)

Shane and Ward in a scree field... (pic by James Perry)

more climbing... (pic by James Perry)

aspen on the way down...

one of several pinch flats...

where are those other hands?

Fourth ride - 401 trail near Crested Butte

We did a 15 mile loop; from Gothic up the fireroad to Schofield Pass, then up the 401 trail which after a couple of miles levels out and starts to go down to Gothic. The fields of tall flowers on the 401 are amazing, watch out for those hidden turns though! One of the best trails in my book. (MS)

trailhead with lousy scenery just outside of Gothic...

the 5 mile climb to Schofield Pass...

Rod still going up...

regroup before the climb up 401 trail...

Ward...

James...

CLICK HERE for a large panorama shot on the 401 trail...

All together now...

Shane on the way down...

doesn't get any better than this...

what it looked like from the bike...

more Ward... (pic by James Perry)

Charles & Shane...

cool little bridge...

Ward crossing...

THE END...