Decalibron

I don’t consider myself a particularly obsessive person but if I’m interested in something I do have a tendency to lock onto it like a dog on a bone.  From the very first 14er we climbed years ago I’ve found a definite attraction to their challenges.  And now that we’ve climbed several of them, I find my interest has only grown.  I don’t know if I’ll ever climb them all.  Due to their difficulty or remoteness, there are several that are probably out of my reach at this point in life.  I’m not 20 years old anymore.  But for the time being I’m really interested in pushing myself to climb as many as I can.   

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Club Huron

Next up on our 14er climb list was Huron Peak.  At 14,003 feet Huron just makes the list of Colorado 14ers but what it lacks in altitude list-topping, it makes up for in remoteness and rugged beauty.  Huron has the distinction of being the Sawatch 14er farthest from a paved road. What that means is that when you approach it from the lovely Lake Ann basin you are surrounded by nothing but wilderness for miles in every direction.  No towns, highways or civilization of any kind are visible from Huron’s slopes.  A perfect place for quiet seclusion.  

Or so we thought.

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Do that hoodoo that you do

One of the most interesting things about living in Colorado is the variety and abundance of geology all around you.  If you venture outside anywhere in the mountains, you’re bound to find strange rock formations, fossils, crystals, and all manner of other minerally things.  As a non-geologist I don’t know what ninety percent of it is but I find the whole thing fascinating and I’m slowly learning about it as I go.

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Ol’ Crusty Butt

For as long as I can remember, Crested Butte has been one of my favorite places to ride.  I’ve had the opportunity to ride my bike in places all over the U.S. but more than anywhere else, the rides that have burned themselves deepest into my memory are the ones I’ve done at Crested Butte.   The number and quality of trails, combined with the natural beauty of the place makes riding there something special. 

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Smooooooth

This past Thursday, I decided to head up to Buena Vista to check out what they have to offer in the way of mountain bike trails.  I had never ridden in BV but I know they have a network of trails in the Arkansas Hills similar to Salida’s.  The trails are the creation of the Buena Vista Singletrack Coalition and their website has maps and information to help you orient yourself.  The Midland Hill section on the south end of the network looked promising and I plotted out an eleven-mile loop for my introduction to BV mountain biking.  

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