Distance (mi ) 17.32Moving Time (h:m:s) 1:29:27 at 7:02 pace
Moving Speed (mph) 8.5 avg. with 25.1 max.
Elevation Gain (ft) +1,160 / -1,481
Temperature (°F) 39.8°F avg. and 42.8°F high
Wind Speed ( mph) SSE 9.6 avg. and SSE 11.5 max
Link: Trail Information
Photos: Images of Trail
GPS Map: High Plains - Doudy Draw
This past weekend I felt as though I needed a ride. The temperature was kinda cold for my thin blood, but unfortunately my road bike is currently out of commission, which meant I wasn't able to ride my trainer. My mountain bike needs a lot of work and I've made a decision that before I ride that bike again I need to put some money and elbow grease into it. This meant my single speed would be my steed for the day.
Riding my single speed proved to be a good choice. A recent snow storm had left the Front Range trails covered with snow or mud, which were not ideal conditions for a bike with gears. However, a couple Boulder County trails recently opened to mountain biking stood the best chance of being clear. High Plains Trail and Doudy Draw Trail both cut through the meadows of the Boulder County land mote.
I started my ride on the High Plains Trail and headed west towards the Green Belt Plateau trail head. This single track is a joy to ride, complete with rolling meadow terrain. The only challenging part of the trail was convincing the occasional cow to move off the trail so I could keep riding.
Once I reached the next trail head I crossed Highway 93. This was a safe crossing since there is a light at the intersection. Once I crossed the road, I opened up a fence and a wide section of trail connected me to the Doudy Draw Trail.
At first I was a little disappointed with Doudy Draw Trail. It was a wide dirt road. Sure the views were nice, but I was curious why it had been closed to mountain bikers. I thought if it was only a dirt road then what damage could we cause?
Well, about a mile later I got to a fence and a small patch of trees. From this point on the Doudy Draw Trail turned into a single track descent. The descent was on a north face and packed with snow. As I got further down the hill the trail got muddier and muddier.
On a side note, I wouldn't want to ride this trail any time this week as the snow is melting and turns into mud. The trail isn't hard packed dirt and where it is muddy there is a good chance it is deep mud, which could do a bit of damage to the trail if not careful.
After the descent I reconnected with the Community Ditch Trail and rode that back to Highway 93, were I took my life in my own hands and crossed the road. That road scares the hell out of me! People drive so fast on it and I felt like Frogger as I leaped across the road, dodging speeding vehicles.
I safely made it across the road, continued on Community Ditch Trail to the connector trail, which connects Community Ditch and Green Belt Plateau. I connected with Green Belt Plateau Trail, and rode the dirt road back to High Plains Trail. I then rode the High Plains Trail back to my vehicle at the trail head.
All in all I got 17.32 miles of riding on two new Boulder County trails. Both trails were very enjoyable and I'm certain that both trails will be part of my regular training. Even when most of the other Front Range trails were covered in snow these two trails were relatively dry and ready to be ridden. The only thing I would do differently next time would be to ride the Doudy Draw trail in a counter-clockwise direction. Doing it in this direction would put a single track ascent into the ride, which is far more fun than the short descent it offers if ridden clockwise.
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