Spring Mountain Biking in Colorado

Snow anyone?

Riding in Colorado during the winter can be tricky, especially because we all know the weather guy is not always spot-on when predicting the forecast. If you’re a fair weather rider (defined as: will not ride outside if the day’s high is below 40 degrees) and you have raynauds in your hand and feet like me, you might be spending the better part of the winter months inside on the trainer and/or rollers, which translates to losing your mind after watching one too many Tour de France and Giro DVDs.

As someone  who has now proudly survived two winters in Colorado (thanks to snowboarding), you can imagine my excitement this year when April rolled around and I was able to hit up the trails, which I  hadn’t seen since November. Problem is, my favorite trails are often times not-so-quick to dry out, hence the snow patches at high altitudes. Last Saturday (4/17/10) I decided I’d had enough of driving to Boulder and Lyons  (where the trails tend to dry out much more quickly), so Francis and I headed out to  Deer Creek Canyon Trail outside of Morrison. This trail is tough but fun, with big rocky climbs and fun single-track descents through pine forests. Overall, the trail was in great shape although I have to admit I was a bit skeptical of the snow patches like the one in the photo. However,  once I figured out how to ride over snow (no, you will not die!), I hardly even noticed the vast array of  mud and wetness covering my bike and entire body until I attempted to get into the’ car (sorry ’bout that, Francis). All and all, it was a great spring ride.  Thanks to the Jefferson County Forest  and Trail Service for keeping the trails in top-notch condition.