Our new boondocking home for the next couple weeks in Poncha Springs, Colorado is coincidentally the exact same spot we stayed in last year. It’s nice and quiet with good views of the mountains.
We wasted no time in picking our first ride in the area. Last year there was way more snow and a couple of rides we wanted to do do were still snowed in, Canyon Creek being one of them. This 19.8 mile loop was a beast with 3,695′ of climbing. That’s a lot. The ride is remote and the reward is the views at the top. Wow!
We started by climbing up the gravel road almost to the top of Tomichi Pass. This is a manageable climb, though incredibly steep in places, and pretty rough. Just when you think you can’t keep going it flattens a tiny bit and you can catch your breath. A left turn onto Canyon Creek Trail is where the shit hits the fan. The first part is rideable and then for the next mile we were hiking up insanely steep, rocky, loose singletrack up to 12,551′! The plus side is the views are some of the best I’ve seen on a ride. Sure, we rode sections here and there, but mostly we hiked. Oof.
At the top we enjoyed our energy bar as we basked in glorious sunlight, fresh air, and extreme views. I mean, really, the views from the top were pretty special. Then we hopped on our bikes and descended forever. The downhill starts off pretty technical with lots of rocks and steep pitches. We had to stop and rest a few times on this long 10 mile descent to rest our arms. It’s a fun trail but I’m not sure it was worth the 45 minute hike.
We took a few fun pictures I hope you enjoy.
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