Ben starts teaching on Monday so he wanted to have one last hoorah before the grind begins. Durango didn’t work out so we opted for Salida and Crested Butte instead to hit up some of the most epic, renowned mtn bike trails around. Plus, it’s perfect territory for fly fishing, too.
Soooo, we started the fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants trip in Salida which is home to the Monarch Crest Trail. No doubt one of the most epic rides in CO. And it was freaking awesome!! We took the shuttle to the top of the pass so that we could avoid riding on the road out of town. The trail starts somewhere around a breathtaking 11,200ft and we could feel every bit of it…the lack of oxygen that is. Being above tree line made our heads spin, literally. It was cloudy at the top so we could only imagine what the view would have been like, but it didn’t take us long to get low enough for the clouds to disappear and the mountains to open up all around us.
We quickly realized how sick this ride was going to be. Right off the bat we were riding some tight single track that snaked its way through the rocks above tree line before dropping down into the forest. Eventually we hooked up with the Rainbow Trail and kept railing the fast single track that wound its way in and out of the trees and through stream crossings and then finally delivered us to the final ripping descent of the day. Booyah. We conquered the Crest.
Before pulling into Crested Butte, our next destination, we pulled off beside the Spring Creek River to try a little fly fishing. Ben is still a novice but has been gradually learning this new “art” form over the last 2 years. I, on the other hand, had never given this sport much thought until just recently. But the intrigue and beauty of it had finally gotten the best of me and I decided it was something I wanted to try. With the waders, rod and reel, and fly (one of the dozen or so that “Cowboy” so graciously let me borrow) ready to go I stepped into the water where Ben gave me a quick low down on how to cast. It wasn’t pretty but I was able to cast a few lines here and there. The rocks and branches were the only things that seemed to “bite”, but it was enjoyable and peaceful being in the rushing river water nevertheless. A little more practice and I can imagine being hooked, so to speak.
So the one other ride that we knew we wanted to do on this trip was the 401 in CB. Today we drove just out of CB to the little town of Gothic where we parked the car and rolled up the gravel road to the 401 trailhead. It was a brutal climb to start and then became even tougher once we hit the trail and it kept going up and up over roots and rocks. But, oh my god, when we rolled out of the woods into the meadow at the top we were awe struck by the 360 degrees of majestic beauty that surrounded. The Maroon Bells were just visible across the meadow and we could see peak after peak for miles and miles. Blue sky and green grass framed the picture perfectly. Wild flowers added the final, vibrant touch. From that point on the trail was more or less all downhill. We flew through the meadows, trees and occasional mud holes until we were back at the car before we knew it. Booyah. We conquered the 401.
Straight from there we went to the Taylor River for a little more fly fishing. It was another beautiful spot but because of the rain that hit CB last night the river was running fast. Still we cast our lines hoping to catch a little fishy. Ben had a bite or two and I had four!! Maybe if was a little more savvy I would have caught the little suckers. Oh well, I enjoyed being out there in the water just the same.
As a side note, CB not only offers spectacular riding and fishing but it also has a generous offering of good food. Last night we stuffed ourselves on Secret Stash pizza (a must when in town), and tonight we dined at the newly opened Sherpa Cafe followed up by spiffy cocktails at the Dogwood Cocktail Cabin, a quaint place where the drinks aren’t cheap but they are strong.
Two more days to go here and I’m pretty sure whatever we do won’t disappoint. Check back for more highlights…but only if you don’t mind being jealous. 
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