At the start of the season we set out to do something unique to show our support for Colorado mountain biking. We asked ourselves how we could implement our mission to get rowdy and give back; this question paved the way for our our Mountain Bike Mission Trips. The answer was clear; travel with a group of volunteers to ride bikes in our favorite destinations and do work on the trails we love to ride. Not to mention, the trips would be an opportunity to meet new riding buddies and connect with local riders.

Crested Butte emerged as a top location on our list. The terrain and seemingly endless miles of singletrack make CB a mountain biker’s paradise. The riding is challenging, the mountains are steep, the scenery is incredible. Riding, camping, and hanging out in  CB create a quintessential mountain biking experience.

It was a hot day in the meadow swinging Mcleods and cutting new lines in the thick vegetation. We did some armouring and drain work that required moving massive rocks to limit water collection and reduce mud on the trail; building sustainable trail and preventing erosion are the goals of all the trail work we do. Our group worked their butts off, and in doing so left some sweat and blood on the trail as we worked our way up the mountain. We certainly earned the ice cold Oskar Blues beers that waited at camp.

After some recovery beers we headed out for a chill ride at Strand Hill. Even though we were  exhausted from the day’s work, we just had to ride bikes. Stand Hill is fun intermediate-level trail with a short, but steep, climb followed by some fun flowy sections leading the way back down Canal Trail. You can also add in Farris Creek and Strand Bonus for some extra miles. We opted for a short ride and a mad dash into town for some pizza at the Brick Oven. Of course we had to get some scoops at Third Bowl ice cream to make sure we were good and stuffed.

On Sunday we were up early for breakfast at Paradise Cafe. We were honored to have a surprise visit from Laurel Runcies with MTB Home. As a local resident, Laurel has been instrumental in spreading the stoke for mountain biking in the Gunnison Valley with MTB Home and is a great supporter of the Colorowdies. She gave us some trail beta and encouragement for the day as we geared up for our final ride of the weekend: the newly connected loop of Baxter/Carbon/Green Lake. This section of trail has been years in the making and didn’t disappoint. Although the climb up Baxter seems never-ending, the trail is superb, and we pushed on and enjoyed the views l. We even had a visit from a friendly bear who could care less about us as he focused on his berry lunch. At the final summit, Green Lake is a stunning setting and second only to the rewarding descent that takes you back to town.

Mission accomplished. And just like that the weekend was over. We couldn’t be more pleased with the results of our trail work project, the enthusiasm of our group, the support from our sponsors and supporters, and of course the iconic trails we rode in Crested Butte. With so many amazing places to mountain bike in Colorado it’s tough to ride all the trails we want during one season of riding. However, many in our group make it a priority to ride in Crested Butte a few times a year, and we encourage you to do the same.

Thank you, Crested Butte and our partners there – We’ll be back for more!  

Huge thank you to everyone who helped us accomplish our mission

Jeremy Bradshaw, Colorowides Leadership

Matt Steinwand and the Crested Butte Conservation Corp

Jill Lindros and the Town of Mt. Crested Butte

Laurel Runcies and everyone at MTB Home

Mia Phillips, our local guide and Colorowdies Ambassador  

Renee Hutchens, Colorowdies Ambassador, for all the great photos and videos

Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association

Oskar Blues

Hotbox Roasters

Honey Stinger

All the hard-working volunteers who joined us in Crested Butte

We encourage all riders to take a day or two off the bike and pick up a shovel. The trails we ride require countless hours of work to build and maintain. If everyone who rides does their part it makes the workload less for the whole community. Additionally, we encourage you to support your local trail and land advocacy groups. Your dollars and volunteer hours make all the difference in the world towards growing trail access and opening new places to ride. That’s why we #digtoride