Steve's Loop on the Kokopelli System
I was first introduced to the joy of a hardtail 29er in Rotorua, New Zealand (a Haro 29er rented from the great guys at Bike Vegas); this year’s annual pilgrimage to the Fruita Fat Tire Festival drastically sharpened the my desire to acquire one. Unfortunately I have no more room for additional bikes so it will have to wait until I secure a garage.
The trip was an astounding success, except that Katie and I failed to pack our sleeping bags. Aside from some cold nights camping at Highline State Park. The park has great open sites, two lakes, and coin operated showers. With the showers, it has been the perfect place to stay when mountain biking; you can get clean and still stay outside drinking beer into the night. There is also a mountain bike trail on side (where 18 Hours of Fruita is held); I wouldn’t pass up riding at 18 mile road (bookcliffs) or the Kokopelli system to ride there but it is still fun if you have extra time.
My new gear was great! The Hutchinson Piranha XC Marathon MRC Tubeless tires seized onto everything and at far lower pressure than I have ever run. Silky. The Ergon GX1 grips took a bit of effort to set the correct angle, but they too were a phenomenal improvement. I had no hand cramps during the entire extended weekend. Both items really helped when I tried to sneak that one last ride in on Joe’s Ridge during the wind/lightning storm; who would have thought a ridgeline would be an unpleasant place. The other rides included the perennial classic Horsethief Bench, Mary’s Loop, Prime Cut, Joe’s Ridge, The Kessel Run (even more fun in the dark with lamps!), and my first trip to Rabbit Valley. Rabbit Valley was a bit troublesome as no one in my group knew the trails; there obviously was a lot yet to explore. For two of the guys I rode with, it was their first time on the Kokopelli system in Fruita. While the views from Steve’s Loop were spectacular they still did not match the awesomeness of the riding. My next trip out I hope to try some of the trails near Grand Junction. Until then, it is fun on the front range!
Related posts:
- Saturday Night Special: Mountain Bike Upgrades What did YOU do on Saturday night? I spent the...
- New Zealand Honeymoon, Part 4: Mountain Biking and Fly Fishing in Rotorua View at Hosking Farm It has been almost half a...
- Marshall Mesa – It Does Have A Use For Mountain Bikers! Dan Corbett has three uses for the Marshall Mesa trails...
- A Sunday in the Corbett Household View from the top of Hall Ranch After bailing on...
- Exploratory Riding: Cheyenne Rim Trail Katie and Dan head out on some exploratory mountain bike...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.