Consistently ranked as one of the top mountain bike trails in the United States, the Monarch Crest Trail delivers incredible high altitude singletrack and a long downhill that descends thousands of feet back to Salida. ** This is without a doubt one of the most special mountain bike rides anywhere. Agate Creek may be my favorite trail that ive ridden in Colorado. After you climb the dirt road and do a short climb, the views are amazing, and then more amazing as you navigate between small peaks. There are several other options but that one was excellent - not too extreme or long at 30 miles and lots of variety. Gutz decent – SEASONAL CLOSURE (DEC 1 – APR 15) CR 108 to Sand Gulch section – SNOW. The Monarch Crest Trail to Silver Creek combines the sweet riding and views of the Monarch Crest Trail with a fast and sometimes technical downhill along the Silver Creek drainage to US 285 on Poncha Pass. Make sure you bring plenty of food and water so you can take your sweet time and truly enjoy this trail. It was an easy cruise with beautiful views. Rainbow Trail: Bear Creek to CR 108 – SNOW. Bob’s been doing this for 27 years, the owner. SGL56, Sep 5, 2014 #1. Distance: 12-mile spur or you can add an additional 2.5 miles of very difficult terrain with some bike-hiking and connect with the Monarch Crest Trail. Fantastic! This is an amazing ride, one of the best backcountry rides I've ever done, right up there with the Whole Enchilada, but completely different! It is a 35-mile ride full of technically varied, high-alpine singletrack. Don't forget to link up with the Rainbow trail for some swoopy fun action on the way down! Turn right on Old Monarch Pass Road and settle in for a consistently steep but smooth eight mile dirt road climb. mixed sections of tough and fun flowing trail, followed by a scenic ride on top of monarch pass. Thanks. Of course, you get to follow this up with a raging descent that is a ton of fun. After the trail opens up in a meadow with spectacular views, watch for a sign for Agate Creek. Hardcore locals might just ride up Monarch Pass to the trailhead but most shuttle. After you top out, the descent towards Green Creek is fast and furious. Excellent! Widgets, Explore   Best ride I've ever done, and probably will ever do. I was definitely excited to get there as a back up plan! East of Salida, the popular Monarch Crest mountain bike ride is a 29 mile epic route that combines the a stretch of the Continental Divide Trail, the Silver Creek Trail (#1407) and a stretch of the Rainbow Trail. Also, don't forget to spend some time in Salida. 7 AM special request shuttle is available for groups over 7. Oct 18, 2020. view: Oct 16, 2020 @ 8:18am. It begins at 11,312 foot Monarch Pass and climbs to around 12,000 before dropping back down to 10,800 foot Marshall Pass. Singletracks Merch | It feels a lot tougher than 2,000 ft of climbing on other trails. The Rockies – It's all downhill from here... http://www.rockartsigns.com/rockartstore55/agora.cgi?cart_id=1244669.5175&xm=on&product=Decals, (You must log in or sign up to reply here. BIKES WE CARRY. The route begins relatively flat and contours through pines. Take this road a short distance until it intersects with the trail located on the right side of the road. Remember that you are in the high country, so be prepared with a rain jacket at a bare minimum. It starts as a dirt road with a steady climb. Some may ride this trail only once in their entire lives, while others may ride it once a … You will pass the junction of the Agate Creek Trail and Little Cocheyopa trails at 7.9 miles (MCE-07). http://getsomeadventures.com/ride-the-divide-the-monarch-crest-trail/. Stop on in and we’d be happy to go over the map of the trail. To begin this ride we shuttle from Salida at 7,000 feet up to Monarch Pass at 11,312 feet! Go down a bit here until you see a sign for the Rainbow Trail. High Valley Bike Shuttle is your #1 source for bike shuttles and info on the Monarch Crest Trail and other mountain bike rides throughout Central Colorado. The descent is not too technical either really but depending on the route can go for many miles and gets steep and a little sketchy in a few places. The route begins relatively flat and contours through pines. Gutz decent – SEASONAL CLOSURE (DEC 1 – APR 15) CR 108 to Sand Gulch section – SNOW. Mountain Bike Reporter Primary Activity; amazeballs!! Canyon Creek Hike-A-Bike Rollin on the Monarch Crest Views of the valley High country bliss Winter on Wheels Into the mist High in the clouds on the Crest Hero dirt through fields of green Winter in Wheels Ladies Trip Mt Princeton views Paradise Wheel repair Almost 13,000ft! The Monarch Crest Trail is one of the finest mountain bike rides in the state with elevation gains up to 12,000 feet and extreme views of the Sawatch, Uncom-pahgres and San Juan Mountain Ranges. Losing the last few hundred feet of elevation on the main road is a bummer for sure. Day Hiking. This mountain bike primary trail can be used both directions. It is a town of only 5000, but it has 3 awesome bike shops. Three shuttles run daily at 8 & 10 AM. Mountain Bike Trails In Close Proximity To Downtown Salida. Head south on 285 for less than a quarter. The Monarch Crest Trail is not just ANY trail; it’s an epic ride that has notoriety, at least in Colorado. BIKES WE CARRY. There aren't many real long slogs. At this point, I’m not sure I can remember how many times I’ve ridden the Monarch Crest. We sell new and pre-owned Powersport Vehicles from Honda, Husqvarna and Zero with excellent financing and pricing options. This premier ride of my life - only got to do it once in the late 90's. This report was generated from the a ridelog. I've also come across a lot of motorcycle stickers scraped off the carsonite. Absolute Bikes: Monarch Crest Trail Guide and Bike Rental - See 71 traveler reviews, 22 candid photos, and great deals for Salida, CO, at Tripadvisor. Many, many riders call the full ride they do the Monarch Crest. East of Salida, the popular Monarch Crest mountain bike ride is a 29 mile epic route that combines the a stretch of the Continental Divide Trail, the Silver Creek Trail (#1407) and a … August 4, 2015 September 2, 2015 ~ Montana. mixed sections of tough and fun flowing trail, followed by a scenic ride on top of monarch pass. Agate Creek may be my favorite trail that ive ridden in Colorado. The drainage lies directly to your left (north). The drainage lies directly to your left (north). Last year when we were in Salida these trails were still under snow in July and we didn’t get to … Starting at Monarch Pass summit at 11,320 feet you will travel south along the Continental Divide nudging up to 12,000 feet as you make your way to Marshall Pass to take in some Colorado trail goodness. The starting elevation is about 11,300 feet and for the first two and a half miles it climbs steadily. The Vapor Trail is a weekend bikepacking loop based on the longstanding 125-mile race that starts and finishes in Salida, Colorado. Occasionally I get an urge to take the plunge and tackle one of the trans-US routes from coast to coast. MIND BLOWING!! The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until October. Published by Montana. Great views, nice flowy singletrack, and awesome dirt. You can arrange a shuttle from one of the local bike shops, you can find a rental shop online at TripOutside.com for this area as well. 330 West Sackett Avenue Salida, … status date description ; Oct 18, 2020 @ 11:22am. We swore it was 50/50 climbing/descending, even though our GPSs indicated otherwise. Continuing south on the CDT, COT, Monarch Crest trail you will be back on the climbing for a while. About Us | Finally, head left onto the Silver Creek trail and follow this baby all the way down to a forest service road. Just got back from a few days riding the Sargents and Pitkin areas. A lot of the climbing is short bursts of uphill sprinting, so it's not totally unbearable. Three trails combined into one famed ride: The Monarch Crest Trail (14 miles), which follows a portion of the Continental Divide Trail, then turns north/left/down onto Silver Creek Trail (4.5 miles), and runs right into a portion of the Rainbow Trail (10 miles). One of the Best Trails I've ridden. After wanting to ride this for a decade, it went beyond my expectations. At Monarch Pass, climb past the gondola and onto the Monarch Crest Trail. Silver Creek Road/Rainbow Trail Loop – SNOW. The tread is fairly smooth with a few roots. SALIDA, CO – 30 Minute Special Edition: Mountain Biking The Monarch Crest IMBA Epic. Absolute Bikes. Monarch Crest/Agate Loop. Marshall Pass – Poncha Creek Road loop – SNOW. View all posts by Montana Post navigation ‹ Previous Colorado Trail Race. Explore the Salida Monarch Crest Trail; Explore the Salida Monarch Crest Trail. ). Overall, there isn't a lot of technical terrain. The descent which required advanced riding skills included everything from fast dirt trail through forest to chunky scree.. One of the all time classics! • reply. The Monarch Crest starts on the east side of Monarch Pass. The Salida Trail is a paved bike path that leads through several sections of town and offers a ride suitable for nearly anyone on any type of bike. MONARCH CREST TRAIL . Whether you're looking for a mountain bike rental for the Monarch Crest Trail or just looking for a cruiser bike rental to get around town on, we have a full line of new Specialized, Santa Cruz, Transition, Salsa, and Juliana. Bike: 2012 Ktm 250 XCW. Once up top you're back in the traditional dry Colorado forest. It's not clear what brings this on - perhaps it's an Easy Rider sort of nostalgia thing, albeit using a more mundane and less ostentatious form of transport. SGL56 Adventurer. From the parking lot at the Monarch Crest store, look for a dirt road that travel east from behind the gondola building for the Monarch Tramway. The trails off of Monarch Crest are some of the best I know and the race last year was one of the best of the season for me. BIKES WE LIKE. High Valley Bike Shuttle 6250 US Hwy 285 P.O. Beautiful views, thin air. Ride it for an introduction to the community’s neighborhoods and history. Box 8 Poncha Springs, CO 81242 1-719-581-2702 Monarch Crest and Children of the Crest. Not technical except for a couple of places. Hope you can make it next year. Ride up the dirt road behind the tram building and climb a bit before finding the start of the Monarch Crest Trail on the right. We went down Starvation Creek and ended up on hwy 285 which we took back towards Salida. Colorado Mountain Biking. I do a ton of riding on the front range on trails with more vert but I was definitely feeling it in this one. MONARCH CREST TRAIL SYSTEM. And we aren’t alone in thinking so. The trail climbs through several variances in the biome of the area and allows for challenge in your climbing skills. The best thing about the Monarch Crest is the diversity of the rides down from the Crest itself. Rather than one trail, The Crest is really a collection of trails that descend from the summit of Monarch Pass to the towns of Poncha Springs and Salida. Gina (wife) and I arrived on Wednesday night. Absolute Bikes is THE bike shop for the Salida and Monarch Crest area. This is the drop-off point for shuttle vehicles. GOODS. Box 8 Poncha Springs, CO 81242 1-719-581-2702 The easiest route follows Marshall Pass Road, a dirt two-lane historic railroad grade. Monarch Crest features singletrack connected by some fire road sections to make a mostly downhill run from theMonarch Passtrailhead back over to Highway 285. My USFS office has been stingy about handing out quad-slashie stickers to keep our single track single. The first part of the ride is above treeline and is not technical in any way. The downhill to Marshall Pass is a blast. The section of the Continental Divide Trail that travels south from Monarch Pass is known as the Monarch Crest Trail or Crest Trail. Rode it in July and still had to push through a couple snow patches. This incredibly scenic, high-altitude route utilizes two historic rail grades and ties in some of Colorado’s finest singletrack via the Colorado Trail, Monarch Crest, and Starvation Creek as it passes over high passes and through historic mining settlements. I imagine this ride has sealed the deal on a few marriages, and broken some up. This ride is most often done as a shuttle, and there are more than half a dozen options for riding back down to Salida. An arduous long climb brings you to some amazing views of all the surrounding area and bevy of fourteeners that surround this spot. The Monarch Crest Trail is one of the finest mountain bike rides in the state with elevation gains up to 12,000 feet and extreme views of the Sawatch, Uncom-pahgres and San Juan Mountain Ranges. Best Bike Trails | Shuttle services are available, check the internet for more information. If you do the Silver Cr / Rainbow version, be prepared for 5 hrs or more out on the trail, and a surprising amount of stiff climbing. Ride up the dirt road behind the tram building and climb a bit before finding the start of the Monarch Crest Trail on the right. Marshall Pass – Poncha Creek Road loop – SNOW. Monarch Honda Powerhouse is a powersports dealership located in Orem, UT. The Monarch Crest Enduro, put on by Chocolate Bunny Productions, hosted by Absolute bike and River Front restaurant in Salida, Colorado worked incredibly hard to … The Silver Creek trail is pretty technical with some large scree fields, switchbacks, and some rough sections of trail. Not wet but not dry, moisture in soil. The single-track is a generally wide trail through aspen and pine. with soft bags. Buena Vista and Salida, Colorado are legendary in Colorado for their mountain bike trails. St. Elmo and the Alpine Tunnel Trail offer a glimpse into the area’s mining and rail history. Ride the Crest past the wooden shelter at the top of Green's Creek. Mountainbiking the Monarch Crest Trail Epic in Colorado. There are several variations of the trail that you can take that will allow you to ride up 36 miles of high altitude singletrack if you’d like. Don't be fooled by the specs of this ride. The Arkansas Hills Trail System (S-Mountain) are the closest trails to downtown Salida, just across the river on F Street bridge. Forum on Apr 11, 2016 Trail riding hardtail or full suspension? Monarch Crest Trail. The Monarch Crest Trail is best ridden as a shuttle and begins at the very top of Monarch Pass just outside of Salida or Poncha Springs, Colorado on highway U.S. 50. But man, what views. So if you want to get dropped off at Monarch Pass he’s your guy. As a shuttle ride you'll climb about 2,300 feet (much of it above 11,000 feet) and you'll descent about 6,000 feet total. 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