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Max, Brett, and I,
along with our
friend, Dylan,
decided to pre-ride
the Aspen Cycling
Club's race course
along the Government
Trail last Sunday.
It was a bluebird
day with a light
breeze and moderate
temperatures as we
rode from the
fountain in front of
the Ute Mountaineer
to the start of the
trail at Tiehack. |
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You have to ride on
Maroon Creek Road
for a short while to
access the
trailhead.
Sunday traffic is
minimal so it is
also a good day to
do some road riding.
It was all smiles at
this point. |
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To avoid the steep,
narrow switchbacks
that start the
Government Trail on
the Tiehack side, we
decided to climb up
the first part of
the Owl Creek Trail.
It's a moderate
climb with
well-established
double track and
great views of the
Roaring Fork Valley.
Full suspension
bikes, Camelbaks,
plenty of spandex,
and, of course,
helmets were the
most important gear
items. |
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We stopped on one of
Buttermilk's trails,
midway up the climb
before hooking up
with the Government
Trail, to take a
break and enjoy the
views of the valley. |
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Dylan rides one of
the few downhill
sections across
Buttermilk.
The Government Trail
keeps climbing for a
ways. |
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Max is still smiling
as we traverse
across Buttermilk,
jumping from shade
to sun as we cross
ski trails. |
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We met up with the
Government Trail
part way up
Homestead Road.
The Trail had just
opened for the
season and was in
great shape.
The trail was mostly
smooth with some
steep rocky and
rooty sections to
keep us on our toes.
There were still
several trees down
across the trail. |
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Despite mild
temperatures, the
sun was strong and
we all appreciated
the shade of the
trees between West
Buttermilk and
Snowmass. This
marked the start of
a series of stream
crossings that
continued all the
way to the Twin
Creeks chairlift. |
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Max, Brett, and I
(right to left) are
refueled and ready
to descend from
Government Trail to
Powerline Trail to
Tom Blake Trail to
Anaerobic Nightmare. |
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The trails on
Snowmass are
well-marked; this
comes in handy as
there are many
multi-trail
intersections.
Many trail signs
also have distances
on them. |
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We decided to cruise
Owl Creek Road back
to town rather than
climb back up
Snowmass and return
vie singletrack on
the Government
Trail. Brett
was pretty excited
to have made it. |
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Maybe a little too
excited. |
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Ted seemed surprised
that we made it back
in one piece...and
smiling still. |
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