We started the morning off early with a drive from Fort Collins to Denver for our third member. Once properly caffeinated we headed to Waterton to drop of the pick up vehicle.
After the short drive up 285 to the Wellington Lake Rd TH we hopped on the trail and were greeted with some excellent dirt as this trip took place shortly after the deluge of May in Colorado’s Front Range.
The singletrack on section 3 was fast and fun. The trails were in great shape and had excellent traction. Add some great Colorado weather to our day and things were looking quite nice. Some rain rolled in at the end of the section but we were able to find shelter and it passed quickly. If you don’t like the weather in Colorado, just wait five minutes…
As we rolled into section 2, I was excited to have these guys enjoy some of my favorite fast sections of the CT. I have been able to ride this section quite a bit in the last few years and was excited not to have to climb Top of the World, but just to descend it.
We finished the section and set up camp just beyond the South Platte, about a quarter mile up the first climb. It was crucial to stop at the South Platte to fill bottles and bladders and to make sure some of our important guests could cool down…
I caught a few Iris on the lower part of the climb as well, impressive to see them so colorful in the wild.
We found a previously used site with a fire ring and enjoy the cold brews. Despite the weight I always enjoy a cold brew after hours in the saddle, a wonderful treat at the end of the day. It was a great end to a fun day.
The next day started out with sunny skies and dry trails. I love the climb out of the South Platte on section 1, challenging but quite manageable to pedal all of it with some luck.
A fun ride through the woods until we reached Lenny’s Rest where we stopped for a bit. The boys were quite pleased that it was downhill to the car.
A nice spin down the canyon and we were back to the cars. It was great to share the fun with some first timers and enjoy some of the CT. I would highly recommend these sections for folks looking for a first night out, just don’t forget a can of something delicious, Cheers!!
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