aspen ride

 

Friday's solo ride on Winsor to soak in all things golden proved an unqualified success in more ways than one.  Aspens were peaking at Aspen Vista trailhead prompting a change in plans to launch the ride.  I opted to explore the upper reaches of Big Tesuque trail, riding first .7miles up Aspen Vista Road to intersect the upper mile of BTT.  

Big Tesuque Trail's upper mile offered up gorgeous aspen groves allright, and the trail proved nice and tacky after Thursday night's rains.  However that mile is choked with downfall, doesn't look like anyone's been thru there with a saw for a coupla seasons.  Just as you got up a good head of steam, popping over smaller trunks, you'd get to an area that demanded a dismount.  Repeat that scene about 4 times in that upper mile, and you're left with something far short of it's potential.

Descending from Hyde Park Road's Big Tesuque trailhead down to Winsor was a total blast, tread is more conducive to speed and flow than the upper coupla miles of Winsor proper.  It proved about 1.5-2 miles from BTT down to Winsor, I'm thinking that just might be my preferred route.

Riding BTT and Winsor solo was simply as much fun as you can have on two wheels!  Without a team to sheperd down the mountain, I was able to keep the brakes off for the most part, weaving in and out of groves & meadows, up and down into drainages footloose and fancy free.  Fun!  I GPS'd the route for future installment of Singletracks!, see I pulled into the lower Big Tesuque Creek parking lot in just over an hour from the start.  Booya! 

yeti, fed