Well I never got around to posting up the successful part of my Colorado trip. Life happened as it does… all great things, can’t complain, details at the bottom of this post. So here are some photos from the trips and some words, hopefully they might make you want to go ride a bike in the woods!

Greetings from singletrack heaven

I spent a couple days recovering and then with a frame bag full of tasty foods, left from Silverton, CO to Durango at a more chill pace.

The trail was full of stunning greenery and life. Pollinators swarming plants, huge fronds of plants lining the trails and hillsides, grasses and wild flowers. Sunny trails quickly overtaken by fast passing storm clouds. Nearly half the time I could see rain in the distance or at times smell it in the wind. I somehow always managed to stay just ahead.

My first campsite was at the top of a long climb, in the saddle before it started to descend. I hiked off trail and set my tarp up next to a few green trees. At night I hunkered into my bivy for warmth, with my head poked out to see the stars. In the morning I was awoken, no joke, by a humming bird flying through the tarp and landing on the tree in the shot below. I sat up and she flew out towards the view there and snacking their way up the hill was a herd of elk. Mornings like these…. just add bacon and coffee.

Amazing singletrack descents contrasted lots of hiking uphill due to lots of muddy climbs on narrow trail. Lots of ridge line miles and amazing views. I just settled into some great riding.

Luckily the last significant climbs were just all Talus rock…. below was the first, and by far the easiest of the series of them. It was probably inspiration for Frodo’s final hike into Mordor.

A brief respite at what felt like the top of the world at +12000′, before the descent into Taylor Lake. Up on these peaks it was just me and the marmots. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so small and temporary, but it wasn’t a negative feeling, just realistic.

Two nights and two and a half days of riding and I was in Durango to catch the train back to Silverton and then climb up to my car on Molas Pass. The steam engine train ride winding through the Animas river, rocked on the rail tracks on a steady course back to normal life. This was a great moment to sit, tour the sites from a outdoor wooden train seat, try and put my trips initial failure and ultimate success into the context of what I thought the rest of the year would be like and eat some hotdogs. It’s hard to wax about life on an empty stomach.

As for why the wait on this post…

Life picked up pretty intensely late 2017… prepping for our inbound baby Charlotte, repairing/updating the house ourselves and then she came Jan 5th 2018. Michelle was amazing at the birth, just unstoppable, and I got to catch the Charlotte at the hospital and lay her on Michelle. What a moment and gift. The best moment I have ever shared in. Being a new Dad has been amazing, humbling and so much fun.

Also, on the day we got home from the hospital we were informed my boss was looking to sell the companies where I worked. So Michelle and I spent the next 4 months figuring out partnering up with friends Mark and Maura and taking over Chumba and Wanderlust Gear as a team! It all worked out, we moved the business closer into Austin and we have been really enjoying being able to pour so much heart and soul into our passion project business. Michelle started a new job too… so lots of NEW NEW stuff. All really positive, things are smoothing out into a rhythm now more and more, working hard and enjoying my family time so much. Thanks for catching up with me. – Vince

M and my lil Cheepie Bird: Charlotte