MTB in Boulder

[Mustonen]

Have a day in Boulder on Sunday, staying the night Sat and Sun night. Driving back from a bike trip to Moab. Did the whole enchilada and slick rock and got rained out today.

Any good trails we can hit on Sunday? Easy fun half day ride?

[Danno]

What do you like to ride? There's good riding in Nederland but it's gonna be chilly, more in the mountains. Betasso is an easy (intermediate) fun 90-120 minute ride, very close to Boulder. Hall Ranch is a little further, fun and intermediate if you avoid Bitterbrush (or you can go up Antelope and do Bitterbrush down, starting from the town of Lyons).

[Mustonen]

Wife is along. I like to ride trails that have at least something I nope out of, and she’s a good sport about that. But something fast and flowy would be nice after TWE. Maybe see some views.

[Danno]

Hall Ranch (Nelson loop up top) has some great views. Park in town (there is parking at the trailhead but for maybe 8 cars, riding from town only adds a little bit), ride up Antelope (a medium grunt climb but not technical) and then take a right up to the Nelson loop (I prefer clockwise when you get to it). Coming down, you can go the same way but if you're feeling bold, ride down Bitterbrush. It's pretty cool but very technical.

Betasso has some nice views and is shorter and only a small handful of challenging sections, definitely flowy (directional loops so easier to go faster). To ride this, I usually don't go to the "main" trailhead and instead go to a more secret trailhead up 4 mile canyon. Can provide more details if you want to do this one.

That's just my opinion, others here may have others.

[Mustonen]

Hall Ranch (Nelson loop up top) has some great views. Park in town (there is parking at the trailhead but for maybe 8 cars, riding from town only adds a little bit), ride up Antelope (a medium grunt climb but not technical) and then take a right up to the Nelson loop (I prefer clockwise when you get to it). Coming down, you can go the same way but if you're feeling bold, ride down Bitterbrush. It's pretty cool but very technical.

Betasso has some nice views and is shorter and only a small handful of challenging sections, definitely flowy (directional loops so easier to go faster). To ride this, I usually don't go to the "main" trailhead and instead go to a more secret trailhead up 4 mile canyon. Can provide more details if you want to do this one.

That's just my opinion, others here may have others.

How do you get from bitterbrush back to antelope or town? Just ride the road?

[Danno]

Bitterbrush to town is a quick couple of miles downhill on pavement, super easy.

[Danno]

A beer and food at Oskar Blues after the ride is kinda standard: https://www.oskarbluesfooderies.com/lyons

[North]

Hall is good. I park at bitterbrush and ride out to Nelson loop as a lollipop. If I want to ride antelope i out and back it on my way back to bitterbrush. If you’ve been riding the whole enchilada recently bitterbrush is in your wheelhouse as a descent no prob. It’s grunty as a climb.

I like Walker Ranch too. I ride it clockwise. You’ll see more hikers on this than hall.

Left hand has the highest concentration of steep trails in the area. It is the best riding IMO, but typically pretty steep and technical. Totally different character there because they are not legally built, but ok to ride for now. Bon Scott and 842 are the most approachable if you’ve never ridden there before. The whole area is on Trailforks.

[Danno]

"easy fun" and "fast and flowy" don't describe Walker or Left Hand, lol, at least not for me

[Mustonen]

Looks like we’ll chase down Hall Ranch. Thanks for the reco!

[smmokan]

FWIW, my favorite Hall Ranch route:

Park in town, tons of parking available.
Ride up Hwy 36 for 1/2 a mile, left onto Apple Valley and head up to the Antelope TH.
Up Antelope, right on Bitterbrush up to the Nelson Loop. 1-2 CW loops, they're 15-20 min each.
Down Bitterbrush all the way to the bottom TH. Turn left onto Hwy 7, ride 1.5 miles back into town.
Hit Oskar Blues for a post-ride beer and food.

If you do one loop on Nelson, it's just under 12 miles start to finish. Two loops is right around 14 miles.

[Mustonen]

Exactly what we were planning. Though not to that detail. Super helpful, thanks!

[scrublover]

FWIW, my favorite Hall Ranch route:

Park in town, tons of parking available.
Ride up Hwy 36 for 1/2 a mile, left onto Apple Valley and head up to the Antelope TH.
Up Antelope, right on Bitterbrush up to the Nelson Loop. 1-2 CW loops, they're 15-20 min each.
Down Bitterbrush all the way to the bottom TH. Turn left onto Hwy 7, ride 1.5 miles back into town.
Hit Oskar Blues for a post-ride beer and food.

If you do one loop on Nelson, it's just under 12 miles start to finish. Two loops is right around 14 miles.

That was my preferred way way back when living in Longmont.

[scrublover]

FWIW, my favorite Hall Ranch route:

Park in town, tons of parking available.
Ride up Hwy 36 for 1/2 a mile, left onto Apple Valley and head up to the Antelope TH.
Up Antelope, right on Bitterbrush up to the Nelson Loop. 1-2 CW loops, they're 15-20 min each.
Down Bitterbrush all the way to the bottom TH. Turn left onto Hwy 7, ride 1.5 miles back into town.
Hit Oskar Blues for a post-ride beer and food.

If you do one loop on Nelson, it's just under 12 miles start to finish. Two loops is right around 14 miles.

That was my preferred way way back when living in Longmont.

[Mustonen]

Excellent ride. Lower bitterbrush is super fun. Oskar Blues is the right finisher.