The drive from Denver to Crested Butte is not a short one, and I was lucky enough to be off of work last Friday, allowing a leisurely start to the drive after a lengthy period of drinking good coffee and talking bikes with the fine folks at Salvagetti. Lauren and I arrived a few hours before sundown, plenty early to secure a camp site for ourselves and the other eight who would be joining us later.

Five more would join us at 9pm. The final two (for the night – one more arrived Saturday night) decided to ride from Marble via Schofield Pass after work, and didn’t make it to camp until nearly midnight. Saturday morning came pretty quickly, and we all got ready for a close ride (Strand Hill).

After a couple creek crossings (both cold, one challenging) we were off and riding. Andrew on a rocky section:

This weekend was Lauren’s first time really mountain biking, and she handled it like a champ.

The wildflowers were going off.

The weather was perfect, and there were smiles all around.

The scenery was absolutely amazing. I skied so much this spring and summer that I forgot how nice summer can be.

The downhill was fast, flowy, and smile-inducing.

Though it wasn’t without some challenging technical portions.

All too soon we were back at the water crossings.

It wasn’t long before the rain started, so it was off to town for dinner and drinks. The next morning we packed up camp and headed for Doctor Park. We were able to shuttle it, shaving off seven miles of riding up a road. After a water crossing (only one this time), we started up a fun two-mile climb.

A mile or two of flattish, muddy trail through the trees and we got ready for the long downhill ahead.

The trail was a blast – a fun mix of fast smooth singletrack and a few more technical sections. I’m sure I’ll ride this again on a future visit.

All in all, a great trip. I can’t wait to go back.