There’s an unwritten creed among Salida mountain bikers: always take the trail. Never the road.
It’s one we joke about often, but also something we do try to strive for. Sometimes there are good reasons to take road over trail, but usually not.
Waking up with barely a few hundred calories and tired legs? Not at all a good enough reason.
When in Salida, follow the creed.
Rainbow Trail!
Yeah, there are a half dozen stinger climbs, and some beat-em-up rocky stuff, too.
But there are miles and miles of smooth coasting. It really does feel like flying. Silently, smoothly, effortlessly. No tangible connection to the ground. Trees and the world below blurring.
It especially feels like flying when your body is used to being subject to the rocks of Sargents Mesa.
It was a good choice. It led to a bit of hunger and hangries on the always-seems-longer-than-it-should-be ride into town. The headwind didn’t help either.
Yet, Patio Pancake was reached at the still legitimately breakfast hour of 10am. Classic diner breakfast. Yum.
We rolled over to Absolute Bikes to check in with everyone. Great to see so many friendly faces. We’re set up at Shawn’s guesthouse, which we’ve rented out in the past. The laptops are back. Town clothes, too. Rest and work are on the schedule up to the holiday weekend. Then we’ll roll out for more CT/CDT goodness, albeit this time with a much more serious threat of storms. We were lucky to get through what we did before diurnal storms started to be a daily fixture, but so it goes in the Colorado high country.
For now we are so happy to be in one of our favorite towns anywhere! Salida!
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