Its not often i'm genuinely excited to go to a far away trail system. With former hidden gem spots like Moab and Fuita now turning into tourist traps for old age group hacks and there single speed rigids, and with such good riding right out of my doorstep, what reason do I have to leave? That was my thinking until I heard through the grapevine that a new trail network in Canon City was being developed. If this were "the next big thing" being built in some yuppy mountain town like Vail, I wouldn't give two shits... BUT THIS IS CANON CITY PEOPLE. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Canon city, let me enlighten you. Canon is a very small town about 130 miles southwest of Denver. Up to this point in history, its most notable fun facts have been that its home to not one, but two maximum security prisons. One of those two prisons is the ADX Florence, the only prison in the Unites States with the "Administrative Maximum" designation. This places houses the likes of the Unabomber, the Shoe Bomber, and most recently the Aurora Theater shooter.
The sheer fact of all that history is that trail infrastructure this good flat out shouldn't exist in this location... And thats exactly why I needed to get down there as soon as possible to ride it for myself.
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While I had only owned my "almost new" Niner WFO for the better part of a year, the bike always seemed to have some funny quirks about it since its inception. With a very high front end and an overly long wheelbase, playful was never a word I would use to describe it. I was just longing for something that was a little more playful, akin to the famed Santa Cruz 5010 but with a bit more travel. Thus, the seed was planted. Like the movie inception, all it takes is an idea, and that idea soon manifests itself into a full fledged longing for a new bike...
Having taken a 2 year hiatus from mountain bike racing, I was a bit nervous when my brother convinced me to sign up for this years Rocky Mountain Endurance series. My eating habits have gotten horrible, I'm overweight, and I hadn't lifted a finger to train for this event... But I digress. It was time to turn over a new leaf, and get back into the type of riding that initially sparked my love for mountain biking in the first place.
Over the past coupleof years, my brother and I have made it a ritual to come down to vacation in Mexico at the beginning of every April. More specifically, the town of San Jose Del Cabo, which is located at the very bottom tip of Baja Peninsula. Now don’t get confused, this is not the Cabo that every 19 year old spring breaker withunder aged drinking dreams goes to. That Cabo is another 20 miles west of this one… and quite frankly, it’s a shithole. The Cabo that I speak of is a much quieter, less touristy Mexican town that lends itself better to outdoor adventurers such as myself. And over the course of our week stay, there were many adventures to be had…
Living in Colorado, there is definitely no shortage of awesome single track to explore. That being said, it always seems like all of the small mountain towns (Salida, Vail, Winter park) get the attention for having the must ride single track... While these trails are great in there own right, I think there is much better riding to be had, much closer to home. Because of this, I decided I would dedicate this blog post to showcasing some of my favorite riding areas that are hugely underrated, but nonetheless impressive...
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