Breck this, Breck that… blah blah blah. Everyone is rappin about Breckenridge these days. Even Gucci Mane with an ice cream cone and “Brrr” tatted to his cheek named his new album Breckles and Schmeckles.
Rat-a-tat cheek tat what?
So I decided to see what all the hype is about. I was on my way to Steamboat for the 4th of July, and only had one day to ride. With limited time, I was hoping to pedal straight from from town to forego jumping in the car and driving to the trails. Well, heck, that wasn’t hard. I peeped out the rides listed on MTB Project and quickly realized I was surrounded by great opportunities. I chose a ride aptly named the “Classic Breckenridge Route” – claiming to combo the best old and new singletrack trails into one loop. Sweet!! With the track loaded in the app on my phone, I guided my blue dot to the ride start. Note: for more details, stats, and a list of all trails on this ride click on the above link – hoot!
Morning light bathes the TenMile Range on a section of the Lower Flume Trail
Like many towns in Colorado, there is a nice recreation path in town – this one goes all the way from Breckenridge to nearby Frisco, and it keeps you off the bougie Main St. After cruising on the path for a quick beat, I found my way to the Flume Trails (lower, middle, upper). All the trails are well-signed, yet not too obtrusive. It was still nice having the track and ride details on my phone, though – the trail network is massive and it could be easy to get confused. Since I was riding on July 3rd, I also started to see course signs for the Firecracker 50 (their huge 4th of July mtb race) – this made me feel good… you know they’re gonna sprinkle the best dirt into the race 🙂 – Much of what I rode was part of the race course and it had me jonsin’ to come back and race it the next day… until I realized my fitness level is about a 3 on a 10 scale and I’d be in hibernating in the pain cave for way too long…
If the Firecracker 50 Race Route goes here, it must be good – right?
I dug these “Muddy Meters” all over the place. There’s lots of pride in responsible trail use around here.
Anyhoo… After leaving the stellar views of the TenMile range afforded by the Flume Trails, I soon was immersed in the French Gulch. It was gnarly seeing all the mining remains and ruins as well as the destruction that dredging can do to such a gorgeous canyon. Around here, I came across numerous trail runners and hikers, and unlike the normal grumpy encounters, everyone had a smile on their face and almost seemed happy to see me – weirdly awesome. I rode by the defunct Minnie Mine and read up on some trivia before descending down past some ramshackle buildings – word is that hippies took up residence in the old mining structures and made a sort of commune in the 70’s. Peace brah.
Ruins from the Minnie Mine and an informational kiosk offer a good excuse to take a break.
I found this bike memorial on the Side Door Trail – left for someone that passed away recently
After crossing the road, it was time for one more climb up the B&B Trails, V3 to Barney Ford Trail. Then it was some super sweet and fast descending down Barney Flow and Jack’s Cruel Joke, before Sunbeam takes you back to town. I’d love to go back and lap Barney Flow – the berms and bridges would be even better if I wasn’t stuck behind a hesitant dude on an $8k bike.
Taking a moment to enjoy the surrounding aspens on Jack’s Cruel Joke, as a trail runner approaches.
Post-ride libations were handled by Backcountry Brewing in Frisco on our way out of town. I had a Berliner Weisse… a sour that tasted like half beer, half lemonade -yummy!! Like the beer, my first taste of riding in Breck left me wanting another pint – I’ll be back.
A Berliner Weisse at Backcountry Brewery in Frisco was the perfect post-ride beer.
Alan's Mountain Biking Adventures 