The sustainability of mountain biking is dependent on our acts of stewardship. Giving back to the communities that are doing things right for bikes through trail building efforts is a core value of the Colorowdies Mountain Bike Crew. #DigToRide
With the loosening grip of virus concerns, we headed to where it’s been seen rainin’ fire in the sky, and the serenity of clear blue mountain lakes captivate your eye…that’s right John Denver, we headed to the Rocky Mountain high country. For 2021, the Colorowdies raised their gaze on Lenawee trail in Summit County, Colorado. With a plan in place stemming from Summit County Mountain Bike Alliance (SCOMBA) and the US Forest Service (USFS) in partnership with Arapahoe Basin, 40 Colorowdies and friends planned to ‘dig in’ above 10,000-feet.
Cultivating from all over the state, a few folks arrived early on Friday and tested the thinner air by sending the jump lines at Frisco Bike Park or pedaling to the top of Arapahoe Basin for a lap on Lenawee. The majority of volunteers left Golden, CO in the evening and made it to camp in time for a purple and red watercolor sunset over Dillon Reservoir.
Even with the influx of summer vacationers, the Dillon Ranger District (Huge thanks to them!) reserved a campground loop at Lowry Campground where the crew could settle in with their vans, truck campers, trailers, and tents. As with much of the west, Summit County was under fire restrictions, so socializing around a campfire wasn’t in the cards. But that doesn’t stop us; insert cosmic Bocce Ball! The group chased illuminated orbs under starlight to cap off the first evening.
Morning arrived wrapped in the smell of eggs, bacon green chili, sauteed onions/peppers, hash browned potatoes, spicy chorizo, spinach, and avocado. Using local and homemade ingredients with organic, gluten free, and vegan options, BreckFast loaded us up!
Conversations between bites of burritos were enriched with stoke of the upcoming day. The crew packed lunches, fueled up with Guayaki Yerba Mate, and loaded the trucks to Arapahoe Basin (A-Basin). We got the run-down of the dig plans and a safety talk from SCoMBA and the USFS. The local forest service chaperone mentioned “this is amazing with how many people have come to volunteer. Can we do this again?”
Accessing Lenawee trail involves a 3 mile climb up 1,600 feet. A-Basin showed their love for this area by spinning the lifts and getting the crew up to the top! The views were absolutely stunning.
Mountain goats, pikas, and marmots inhabit the landscape and added to the ambiance of the day. Gathering tools and splitting into our work groups, we headed down the backside of the mountain.
In-Sloped Turn Crew
Brush Trimming Crew
Tread Repair Crew
Trail Work Sign
The Lenawee Trail is an original Summit County classic characterized as a high alpine rugged trail that drops into the coniferous forest below. It is a local gem and keeping the dynamics of the trail intact was of most importance to SCoMBA, USFS, and the trail community. Areas worked on were the high wear rutted sections in the meadow, the widened section in the flat right turn leading into the brush area, and the brushed area itself. The goal was to keep the rugged character of the trail but make it more sustainable.
An afternoon shower was timed perfectly with lunch as the crew refueled in the presence of rocky giants. Colorowdies Ambassador Justin Kelm mentioned “we are so fortunate that USFS and SCoMBA trusted our crew to perform work on such a beautiful landscape.” As the sprinkles subsided, the crew got back to work finishing over 3-miles of trail work that included rock armored drainage, tread repairs, an insloped turn, and brush grooming. After we packed up our tools and headed down the hill for camp, Mother Nature let out a steady afternoon rain that solidified our work. Colorowdies Ambassador Jason Russell said it best when reflecting on the day; “It always feels good to give back to our sport. It’s such an honor to be part of an amazing organization that has the means to make build days like this possible on our favorite local trails.”
Our plan was to ride bikes but the soft rain allowed some quality time to be spent under the canopies trading stories of trail work and riding bikes. Once the showers finally broke the crew was ready for some competition. The game of choice…Kubb. For those that haven’t played, Kubb is a stick throwing game, Viking Chess if you will, that will bring out the inner smack talker in anyone. 10 Teams of 3 were formed, brackets drawn on van white boards, and the battles began. Going well into the night with headlamps, a winner was finally declared with J³ (Jazmin, Jordan, and Jordann) taking home victory.
Sunday morning came with mildly sore hands and backs but all that faded with the morning dew as Breckfast burritos arrived steaming. With gluten free and vegan options, everyone got exactly what they were looking for. People’s excitement, however, did not fade…today we ride bikes! SCoMBA has hosted multiple trail work events and we got to ride some of their latest work. Once the group finished fueling up for the 23-mile, 3000-foot ride we broke from camp on bikes. July high country riding in Colorado is met with high motivation due to the short window of opportunity, but it comes with a cost of shortness of breath. The short season for these rides typically means long, raw, and rewarding descents…that’s exactly what we got!
The Colorowdies Mission Trip fulfilled the attributes of what it means to be a Rowdy: Connection, Progression, and Stewardship. As with our Mission Trips in previous years, the crew was left with memories of making meaningful improvements to a trail and supporting communities that are progressing experiences for mountain bikers. “It’s so inspiring to see so many people come out and get involved that share a passion for building and maintaining trails that we all love to ride“; Colorowdies Ambassador Brandon Halpin.
Thank you to SCoMBA, USFS, and Breckfast for an amazing weekend! Until next year…and we’re looking at you Silverton…Stay Rowdy!
And Thank You To Our Ambassador Behind The Lens, Alec Linton.
