Anyone from Salida here?

[Roxtar]

Salida is cool for sure. I wouldn't personally say their trail system is 2nd to none, I don't think it scratches the surface of what I have here in CB/Gunny, but it's really good.

I totally love Hartman Rocks but at the risk of heresy I'm going to call the CB trail system overated.
Yeah, I said it.
Couple reasons, IMO, why:
1) Have they built anything new to speak of in the last ten years? Maybe? I don't know but I haven't heard of anything.
2) Probably due to #1, there really isn't an actual trail system of any kind. Everything is splintered and kind of haphazard. No cohesion. The closest thing to a trail network would be the stuff off Brush Creek.
3) Piggy-backing on #2, Yes, the classics like 401, Teocali, and Dr Park are awesome but getting to them?! Seriously?!
I get it, they were all made 20 tears ago by moto guys who probably wanted a 5-10 mile slog-from-hell to keep people away. It's working on me.
That's kind of the story with all the trails there. Even fun in-town-ish stuff like Gunsight and Snodgrass require endless miles of peddling meh to get to.
Everything feels like 10 miles of crap to ride 5 miles of good. The phrase, "Is the juice worth the squeeze?" comes to mind.

I'm not saying CB doesn't have good trails. It just feels like they've been living off their reputation for a while and it might be time to get back in the game.

I love the town. Super funky, albeit somewhat full-of-itself, vibe but, IMO, the best trail system in that area is 1/2 hour south.

[Roxtar]

good NY style.

Is that a thing?
In college, I remember being broke and making "pizzas" with tortillas. Kinda seems like the same thing. In fact, don't you even fold it like a taco to eat?

[skaredshtles]

Roxtar likes living dangerously...

[Roxtar]

The closer you fly to the sun, the funner it gets

[North]

I'm not saying CB doesn't have good trails. It just feels like they've been living off their reputation for a while and it might be time to get back in the game.

Disagree on some of your specific points, but agree with this overall. Other regions that are building will surpass it soon or already have. While we're ranking trail systems/regions, Salida is 2nd to many. If "The Sea to Sky Corridor" is an allowable entry, there's very little that compares.

[Roxtar]

Disagree on some of your specific points, but agree with this overall. Other regions that are building will surpass it soon or already have. While we're ranking trail systems/regions, Salida is 2nd to many. If "The Sea to Sky Corridor" is an allowable entry, there's very little that compares.

I'll give you that. In fact, you're right, I was kinda talking out of my ass. There are a lot of trail systems that far surpass Salida; Sedona, Bentonville, Moab, Fruita/GJ/Loma, everything up in BC.
That said...
I'd prefer living in Salida to any of them. Salida's climate and overall lifestyle are unreal. Plus being so centrally located to so much more.
Also a town that "gets it". They probably average one to two new professionally built trails per year.

[muted reborn]

Roxtar likes living dangerously...

Ha! I love CB riding and Hartman Rocks, and I'm not gonna be picky and complain about it - but I was told my a local on my trip last year the best riding around was Monarch pass, which was confusing until I rode Greens.

Salida I've never heard of as a MTB destination but I'm paying attention now. Do they claim Monarch pass as local trails??

[goldenboy]

I totally love Hartman Rocks but at the risk of heresy I'm going to call the CB trail system overated.
Yeah, I said it.
Couple reasons, IMO, why:
<snip>

All good points. In fact, I misspoke, CB and Gunny sucks, nobody should come here Honestly I like Durango better.

Personally I find "systems" kind of meh, whether we're talking S Mountain, Hartmans, Lunch Loops, or anywhere else. I like to just go up for a long ass time and them go down for a long ass time. But it's a fair criticism. Things in CB do link up, just not in standard ways. The trails are a hell of a lot older than motos 20 years ago, most of them were built by the CCC 100 years ago.

Quite a bit of new trails in the past 10 years- much of Signal Peak (which I prefer in some ways to Hartmans), stuff at the ski area, Middle Cement, Fenceline, Baxter to name a few

Edit to add: The marketing department cast a wide net when claiming there is 750+ miles of singletrack in CB and Gunny, but there truly is a shitton of trail here and it goes well beyond 401 and Doctor's.

[Roxtar]

All good points. In fact, I misspoke, CB and Gunny sucks, nobody should come here Honestly I like Durango better.

Personally I find "systems" kind of meh, whether we're talking S Mountain, Hartmans, Lunch Loops, or anywhere else. I like to just go up for a long ass time and them go down for a long ass time. But it's a fair criticism. Things in CB do link up, just not in standard ways. The trails are a hell of a lot older than motos 20 years ago, most of them were built by the CCC 100 years ago.

Quite a bit of new trails in the past 10 years- much of Signal Peak (which I prefer in some ways to Hartmans), stuff at the ski area, Middle Cement, Fenceline, Baxter to name a few

Edit to add: The marketing department cast a wide net when claiming there is 750+ miles of singletrack in CB and Gunny, but there truly is a shitton of trail here and it goes well beyond 401 and Doctor's.

I just seems like every ride has to be an epic just to do it. When you figure in the mileage and effort just to get there and back, and then the actual trail itself...
Sometimes you just want a fun hour and a half ride.

[Danno]

My epic ride IS goldenboy's hour and a half ride!

[smmokan]

Arguing about the best trails is pointless (especially on the internet) - everyone likes different things, and everyone likes living in different places. Your "best" might not even come up on someone else's radar.


Besides, Bentonville is clearly the best, just go there.

[snowaddict91]

^ yup. Comparing something like S Mountain to a CB epic isn't really apples to apples anyways. Personally, I like it all, just depends on the mood I'm in.

I can think of a few 1-2 hour rides in CB, you just have to get creative. You can also do things like a single ride at the ski area (I think they still do this?) or utilize the free town bus to get some extra vert.

[Name Redacted]

Man, the biggest difference between the places being discussed for me is just the temps. No way am I heading to Salida to ride in August. CB is one of the few places that I'll travel to ride in mid summer. Otherwise I'm riding out on our local trails in Summit. CB does have the scenery advantage too. Salida has better beer. I like Salida for early season when I'm out of shape too. But if you are lucky enough to be riding in any of these spots, you are doing it right.

[fastfred]

holy shit

salida has been played out for ten years now every d bag from scummit and every poser from eagle and throw in a couple front range expat punters and you have the stew of gen x losers and washed out boomers that salida has become

fuck that place

oh but did I say the number of hotties is almost on par with boulder? the women down there are the shit I walk around with my tounge hanging out and my wee wee half masted I end up crying myself to sleep at the thought of all those babes that live in salida

and the riding in cb sucks nothing like driving a car to the trailhead thats shitty mountain biking I got trails right out my door man

[jackstraw]

Fred always has an interesting perspective

[grskier]

The thing I do like about CB is that a lot of the wilderness between Aspen and CB is on the Aspen side.. and you can actually ride some alpine over there.. and it's closer than Durango. But yeah, I get a good chuckle out of tourists in most other places we go chatting about how good the riding is and how under the radar it seems because it doesn't feel like Apex or Chimney Gulch on it's busiest day of the week.

[Roxtar]

Fred always has an interesting perspective

That's one (very very kind) way of putting it.

[grskier]

We camped up between Salida and BV this weekend and rode a bit of the CT. I really love the riding in that part of C. CO.

[BFD]

do hippies actually listen to hippie radio?

[Full Trucker]

…throw in a couple front range expat punters and you have the stew of gen x losers and washed out boomers that salida has become

fuck that place

I feel seen. Fred really gets me, man.

[Danno]

lol

[Roxtar]

Best apres ride lunch; Moonlight Pizza slice and beer for $7

That's been my go-to for years, but in the last few months things seem to be deteriorating. They're severely understaffed and the service shows. Things are tough all over in that regard, but it seems to have affected Moonlight more than most. I gave up and walked out day before yesterday after being ignored and seeing most tables had water and nothing else in front of them.

We were there about a month ago and it was good. Hopefully it's more of a hit and miss thing rather than just downward.

Well, happy to say we went there for our usual this past Monday and got great service and some awesome slices. Hopefully, they're back on track.

[North]

I've been working on the Salida side recently - so this is now my restaurant compendium thread

Tony's (Poncha) - Cheap, solid Mexican faire. Not open until 10 or 11, but I bet the breakfast burritos rule.
FlaminGo Food Truck (Poncha) - Breakfast burrito was good but not $13 good.
Benson's - No secret, but one of the few late night food options in Salida proper. Good prices good vibe.
Fritz - Good vibe and every meal I've had there has been great.
Sherpa Cafe - This one's a small chain. Plan B after blowing it on Ramen place's hours. Saag was only aight and I'm not a harsh critic.

Ramen place is next on the list.

[bamboocoreONLY]

After reading the last page of this thread, basically Roxtar, ya sound like a puss. haha

[Full Trucker]

If any of y'all wander through Salida and wanna go for a ride, a ski, or get a beer... feel free to shoot me a PM. I'm right in town and do all of those things on the regular.

Well, happy to say we went there for our usual this past Monday and got great service and some awesome slices. Hopefully, they're back on track.

Moonlight's beer still sucks a million dicks, and their margs give me and everyone else I know a splitting headache. I do like their pizza well enough when I want their style of pie, but my go to move is the meatball sammich and a tequila ginger / Mexican mule, the house brewed ginger beer is better than any of their regular beer.

I've been working on the Salida side recently - so this is now my restaurant compendium thread

Tony's (Poncha) - Cheap, solid Mexican faire. Not open until 10 or 11, but I bet the breakfast burritos rule.
FlaminGo Food Truck (Poncha) - Breakfast burrito was good but not $13 good.
Benson's - No secret, but one of the few late night food options in Salida proper. Good prices good vibe.
Fritz - Good vibe and every meal I've had there has been great.
Sherpa Cafe - This one's a small chain. Plan B after blowing it on Ramen place's hours. Saag was only aight and I'm not a harsh critic.

Ramen place is next on the list.

I tried the FlaminGo breakfast burrito once, and was pretty damn disappointed. Wouldn't even have been good at half the price. Give me a MO breakfast burrito any day over that tasteless turd.