CO: Buena Vista - Whipple Trails

 I was on the road by 8a from Salida heading north. I had a bunch of stops planned for the day, first on the list was a ride in Buena Vista. The plan had been to ride with my bud, Ben Hanus, on the Vitamin B trail, but Ben got called into work at the last minute and couldn't ride. My Achilles was still feeling tender after the Divide ride and I didn't want to put any more stress on it with a 6 mile dirt road climb to loop Vitamin B. Plan B: Check out the town trails at the Whipple trail system. I'd still be climbing, but more intermittently.

I grabbed a bite to eat and coffee at Brown Dog Coffee in BV, good vibe there & is quite popular. Over at the trailhead I looked up a few routes online and found one in the 6 mile range, looked perfect for what I wanted on this morning. Off we go!!

Great views of the Arkansas River right from the get-go.

Quickly gaining some elevation for perspective. Lots of early morning clouds covering the nearby 14ers.

Well marked trails & map.

Cloud cover beginning to lift and the views open up.

Forested singletrack with enough boulders to keep you on your toes.

Every now & then the trail opened up for a quick burst.

14ers of the Collegiate Peaks. PeakFinder app. 

Plenty of technical riding. I was really liking the mix of terrain.

Nearing the top of the loop and my Achilles was behaving. I was really liking my decision to ride here.

With a trail name like that, what was instore?

A few punchy climbs, some exposure and a couple of dicey moves that I walked.

Then there were fast sections like this with that view!!

I really enjoyed the routing of these trails, using all the natural features available.

Short dirt road connection.

Turned out to be a beautiful morning overlooking Buena Vista.

This rock was begging for a photo.

Closing the loop back to the trailhead.

I loaded up the car and made my way to Leadville. I was meeting Katie Anderson for lunch, she was the second person to officially finish the AZT800, first female, back in the spring. Freaking legendary!! It was great to meet her and chat about her experience on the trail. After lunch, I was back on the road heading towards Steamboat Springs...

Mt. Elbert, tallest in Colorado & OPEN to bikes!!

Flyover via Ayvri.com

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