Mix It Up

Cross Training

Monday is my cross-training day and I usually opt to spend it on my mountain bike. I chose to make the short trip to Matthews/Winters Park, just west of Denver along the ridges that make up the very eastern edge of the massive uplift that forms the Rocky Mountains. I’d been planning to ride a 7-mile loop for a while, one that I’d run before and that I knew would present a substantial challenge for me in the pedals. I started early to avoid the August heat and after crossing the road, the trail climbed up a free-standing ridge of sandstone along a rocky path. After a few switchbacks, I reached the top of the long ridgeline. Here, following the narrow crest of the ridge south, the trail became a rocky trough of angled stone, the bedrock here sharply broken by exposure to the elements. I doubted that I would ride much of this stretch and that proved itself out here, many segments requiring me to dismount and push or drag my trusty mount along with me. After some on-again off-again riding I came to the descent that plunged down into the valley, crossed the highway again and began a slow climb through waist-high grasses and large fins of red and brown sandstone to another highpoint at a sculpted saddle. From here the trail curved and twisted its way back to the trailhead, a fun and exciting ride on the smooth, hardpacked surface.