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Road to Leadville Part 5: MONARCH CREST

Dave Wiens gives his thoughts and tips leading to this years Leadville 100 MTB Race.

by Dave Wiens

Friday July 16, 2010 – My only obligation for the day was an 8am meeting in Salida. For those of you that don’t know, the drive from Gunni to Salida is on US Highway 50 over the Continental Divide at Monarch Pass. That just happens to be the start of the world renowned Monarch Crest ride. I didn’t want to end up back in Salida, which is the classic way this is ridden, but I did want to get in about 4 hour of riding at high elevation.

My plan was to simply ride the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) south for about 2 hours, turn around, and come back. The CDT crosses Highway 50 at Monarch Pass and the typical Crest Trail ride starts on the CDT on top of Monarch Pass. Early on, the Colorado Trail (CT) joins the CDT from the eastern side and, now as one, they continue south across Marshal Pass finally intersecting the Silver Creek Trail. Silver Creek is the Crest ride and drops back down east toward Salida.

At this intersection, I stayed straight on the CDT/CT combination. It was decent trail for a few more miles – some steep, loose climbing – but then it topped out and started a rocky, eroded plunge. I continued on, hoping for a respite in the rate of descent and an increase in the quality of the trail. I knew I’d be pushing my bike back up this and when it only continued to plummet, I finally made the call to turn around. I was only at about an hour and a half into the ride so I knew I’d need to supplement somehow to get to four hours.

The CDT/CT straightup sucks in this area and I’ve heard from Colorado Trail Race (CTR) veterans that the Cochetopa Hills area, which I was just getting into to, is one of the most brutal of the race. Isolated as hell, rocky and steep up and down as the same, and only about half way to Durango.

Needless to say, many a rider with CTR ambitions ends up pulling the plug once they get through this section and to Colorado Highway 114. Quitting the CTR here means you’re only 40 miles of paved headwind from civilization and McDonald’s in Gunnison. I couldn’t help but think about Jefe, Kerkove and the rest who would be on this same section of trail with much heavier bikes and legs in a couple of weeks. Good luck fellas (and ladies, if any are up for it. Not sure if a woman has completed the CTR?)

On the way back, I turned down Silver Creek but only went about a half mile before turning around and returning to the CDT/CT. As I mentioned, that’s the classic ride and supposedly one of the best descents around as it heads down toward Salida. I have never done it. I live in Gunnison and a ride that ends in Salida creates some issues, mainly that have to do with time. I have done our version of the Crest ride a bunch of time, Agate Creek, but I’m sure it pales in quality compared to the classic Crest Trail ride.

The trail rides great back to the north with some punchy climbs. Since it was a weekday, I encountered few riders. I would not recommend riding the Crest in this direction on a weekend. Can you say MTB traffic jam? I got back to the top of Monarch at about three and a half hours and 4,500 vertical feet of climbing.

I really wanted closer to four hours and 5,000 feet of climbing so I crossed 50 and rode the CDT north to Old Monarch Pass and back. Done.

It was 215pm and not a thunderhead in sight, which is very rare for this time of year. I battled back to Gunni with RV’s and a small group of ding-dong motorcyclists that couldn’t decide if they wanted to ride at 65mph or 45 mph (in a 65mph zone). Much danger!

Killer fresh coleslaw (cabbage, carrots, onions, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, Serrano peppers, cauliflower, broccoli and radishes), gnocchi and designer sausages for dinner with the boys and a patio campfire.

Not a clue what ‘s in store for my weekend riding but I’m feeling the need to get out on the road bike at least one day. When is my wife coming home?