Thread: TR: Segments 3, 2, and 1 of the Mellowrado Trail

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Feeling ambitious, the Mayor, squatch, bedtime4bonzos and I decided to ride the Colorado ("Mellowrado") Trail from Wellington Lake to Waterton Canyon, thus completing (albeit in reverse) the first three segments of the Colorado Trail.

What followed was a very long ride (we started too late), we didn't get back until after dark, and in sum, its a big ride (42 miles, close to 8,000 feet of climbing (per Motionbased), but 10,500 feet of descending]. Motion based data found here

BUT, the ride does include 36 miles of singletrack.

Loading up the shuttle (thanks again, Leah)


Mellowrado, brah


Looking out towards the Lost Creek Wilderness


The Mayor and squatch at the beginning of a long day




Mellowrado, brah


Pechelman lists his goatee on his organ donor card


con't

The author sampling the t3ch GnAR on the Mellowrado Trail


Gigantopithicus doing the same


More Mellowrado goodness
[img]http://lh6.ggpht.com/Rontele/SCcNBbwFRAI/AAAAAAAAALk/Zo34OXChs7c/s800/Segments%203%2C%202%2C%20and%201%2C%20Mellowrado%2 0Trail%20024.JPG[img]

Got Seatpost?


Sustenance for Gigantopithicus


Thus concluded Segment 3 of the trail. Segment 2 moves onto the burn area of the 1995 Buffalo Creek fire. Given is odd location between the South Platte and Buffalo Creek and its insane elevation gain, its not nearly as ridden as Segment 3.

Buff enough for you, Shirk?




Segment 2 is far rockier


and way FLOWIER


Eventually, the trail leave the burn area and goes back into the forest


And ascends high above the Front Range foothills


Only descend a LONG way down to the Platte


down, back into the burn area


Looking back towards the start of Segment 2 (behind that mountain)


Eventually you descend all the way to the Platte, cross it and begin the big climb of the day (25 miles into the ride)


Rontele and bedtime4bonzos fueling up for the climb


The climb sucked, but the views were great. For reference we started all the way in the back of this photo


After this, it got dark very quickly and the camera went away. We didn't get down to the end of the Waterton Canyon Road until 9, exhausted, but stoked on a great day.

That would have taken me 3 days.

Laugh all you want, but GoFast and Clif Bars are like Popeye's Spinach for me, apparently.

That was a fun day, but having done it once, I'm not sure I would do it again. At least not on that bike.

Originally Posted by squatch

Laugh all you want, but GoFast and Clif Bars are like Popeye's Spinach for me, apparently.

That was a fun day, but having done it once, I'm not sure I would do it again. At least not on that bike.

Why did you bring along Sweet and Salty Nuts if you had Rontele with you?

Originally Posted by JTrue

Why did you bring along Sweet and Salty Nuts if you had Rontele with you?

His nuts aren't sweet, duh.

that looks fun.

I wanna do that. How much longer would you think it would take on a SS?

Originally Posted by jon turner

I wanna do that. How much longer would you think it would take on a SS?

Our moving time was roughly 6 hours and we're slow. I guess it just depends.

Also, I have NO idea how folks do 100 mile races. Mutants.

wow...
Great looking trail. That is for sure my kind of trail!
Thanks so much for the stoke. We are still a few weeks away where I live from doing any higher up rides.

Nice work boys.....looks really nice; that is a long way. How did you work out the shuttle? Did you get the car that night or the next day?

Mellowrado thats a cool name.

I would have only heckled anyone on that buff singletrack on a DH bike riding in full body armour

Looks like a fun day.

Originally Posted by steadieflow

Nice work boys.....looks really nice; that is a long way. How did you work out the shuttle? Did you get the car that night or the next day?

Leah in all of her awesomeness dropped us off (IMHO, the only way to pull a shuttle like off or two of the folks end up driving three hours)

yeah.... looks like a good ride. i was skiing blower pow!

What a big day. Im still feeling a tad tired.

Id definitely do this ride again, but maybe cutting out 1 of the sections. (probably 1)
This ride is really the "monarch crest" of the front range.
Amazing views, long, flowy, some smooth, some techy single track, and just pure awesome.

I dont have much to add in terms of photos, but Ill add a few that didnt end up sucking tonight.

I also do believe that is the first photo of me Ive seen that makes it look like I know how to ride a bike
probably because Im not wearing my roadie helmet

glad SAR wasn't called looks like a fun time on the CO Trail!

Nice!
Smooth flowy singletrack = $$$
36 miles of it = not so much
You're fucking animals

Originally Posted by Rontele

Pechelman lists his goatee on his organ donor card

You slay me.

Nice manpris.

Originally Posted by smmokan

Nice manpris.

David: "Hey guys, since we're doing this ride for the internetz, I need to make sure I look good."

Squatch: you are the only person I will ever say this to.

You NEED a 29er

Thanks for the pics guys.

why stop there?

Originally Posted by Rontele

Motion based data found here

thank you.

That is... long, very long... good work.

I just got a message from dobish asking if I had seen Rontele becuase he was missing. I guess this was what you were doing Looks like you guys had a great ride. We were busy discovering an area of Grand Junction we'll likely be going back to quite often Take what you did and imagine a trail the exact opposite and that's it.