Last week, on Wednesday, I was able to get some afternoon time free and go bike riding with my friend Poacher. He has lived in Steamboat about a year and had not experienced a number of trails, mountainside riding, and cruising by the river. We took a three hour ride around the area, exploring.
This week, Poacher sent me a text early in the morning and we set up time to ride in the early afternoon.
The day is a warm Spring day with blue skies and a slight breeze. The weather brought out a number of locals getting fresh air and moving around. It is a brilliant day in Colorado!
We started uphill on Walton Creek then on to Val d’esere and down to Whistler Park. Along the way we ran into our friend B, who was out working hard on his route. We chatted for a bit and reveled in the warm Spring weather we were having that afternoon.
From Whistler Park, we toured across the lower part of the mountainside area, traveling to Barn Village. Barn Village is set uphill from the famous More Barn of Steamboat marketing fame. It’s the barn you see in many images relating to the resort. The subdivision is well-built with single family homes and duplexes. Their design is mountain contemporary and pleasing to view.
At the top of Barn Village we took a shortcut path from the cul de sac up to Steamboat Boulevard. Steamboat Boulevard is a favorite biking route for me. It rolls quite a bit, and going from mountainside to town, the ride takes a person to Fish Creek Falls Road, which is an awesome downhill. This downhill is also one of the hills I purchased a new bike – one with disc brakes.
At the bottom of the downhill, Poacher and I concurred that the next time we do that really fun ride, we would be wearing helmets. Slight mistake from a casual ride turning in to an adventure.
Both of us were feeling time pressured from taking an uncharted bike ride across Steamboat Springs. We hopped on the Core Trail at Rabbit Ears Motel and took the fast lane to the mountainside. Wrapping up our ride by following Burgess Creek for a couple blocks, we said goodbye and headed to our homes.
Bike riding in Steamboat Springs is usually a great time. Sometimes trails get crowded. Usually we run into a handful of folks and say hello to each of them. The season is now for great road rides, while the snow melts from trails.