Golden Glow: Breckenridge wins for trails and scenery (Artville)
While Fruita might be the original other Moab, Breckenridge, Colorado, could be the up-and-coming Fruita. Confused? It's simple: More than 100 miles of trails in some 8,000 acres, that, for now, only locals really ride. Simply replace Fruita's desert with Breck's alpine forests and 13,000-foot peaks, and voila, you've got a Fruita that's fun in summer.
Breckenridge is more famously known for its ski resort, the most heavily visited ski area in the country (1.4 million people annually), where runs dive into Colorado's largest historical district: Breckenridge the town. But when the snow melts this summer you can expect to find a maze of trails running along Gold-Rush-era flumes that miners once used to divert water to blast away cliffs and find the precious metal. The town, Summit County, and the United States Forest Service are kicking in $9 million to purchase 1,800 acres of rollicking singletrack now owned by the B&B Mine. When the deal goes through any day now, riders will be able to legally cast off in the Golden Horseshoe area on nameless trails that will take you past ruins of old towns. The greatest density of these trails, which often roll on the tops of the mini-ridge-like flumes, are located northeast of town. There are so many trails here that locals refer to them more by topographical landmarks. "You can get lost back in there," says one city official. Keep French Gulch on the south, Swan River drainage on the north, and Highway 9 on the west, and you'll find the network. Best to pick up a map at Great Adventure Sports (970-435-0333, www.greatadventuresports.com) in the City Market Complex at 400 N. Park Ave., also on the north end of town.
The town council also allocates upwards of $200,000 a year to keep trails maintained, establish signs and maps, and build new runs within the town itself. All in all 18 miles of rocky singletrack runs within city limits. Dubbed the Flume Trail System, the tracks mostly follow the contours of the surrounding foothills. Drive out Valley Brook Road to find the Breckenridge Recreation Center on the north end of town. You can park there, look at a map of the area, and plot a loop on the Upper, Middle, and Lower Flume Trails, roughly ten miles-worth on packed dirt and rocks. The flume trails are moderate, with some technical sections. Another trail, Mike's Trail, connects the three.
But the fun doesn't stop there. You can join the Flume Trails by tackling what locals call "The Toxic Forest," which takes riders up a climb to the Jumbo Mine. From there, you can access that 100 miles of trails in the Golden Horseshoe. But stop to take in all ten peaks of Breck's 10 Mile Range first.
Other major trail networks in the area include the Colorado Trail, a 500-mile route that runs all the way from Denver to Durango. Drive four miles north out of town to the Gold Hill Trailhead. Go east and you'll eventually hit the trails around Keystone Ranch and options for longer half- to full-day tours. Go west and you can join up with Miners Creek Trail that will take you up and over the 10 Mile Range, from where you can then drop into Copper Mountain and even Vail. A whole other network of trails awaits there. But best to save them until your stomach can handle a CamelBak filled with Gu.
