Epic in Breckenridge
Fellow team member Ian Nelson and I are on 12 day trip to explore some of Colorado’s best all-mountain riding with Ride Guide TV. Breckenridge was our first stop, followed by Durango, Salida, Gunnison, and Crested Butte. This is how our first destination played out. Stay tuned for the low down on the rest of the trip.
Breckenridge
Ian and I flew into Denver Sunday and met up with Cory Horton, full time field producer/cameraman (and Part Time Lover) for Ride Guide TV. Together we set out to our first destination of Breckenridge, Colorado. We arrived in town late Sunday night and got settled in to our pimp condo supplied by the Tourism Board of Breckenridge.
Ian and I looking our finest in Breckenridge. Photo: Carl Scofield
Breckenridge was incorporated in 1880, sits at 9,600 feet, and has a rich mining and railway history. Regardless of where you are riding in Breckenridge you are bound to find an abandoned mine, railway remains, some dilapidated mining equipment, or signs of the environmental impact of dredging or Hydraulic mining.
Ian throwing down the hurt to the Breckenridge dirt. Photo: Carl Scofield
Coming from Vancouver, which is basically at sea level, Ian and I were hit hard with a serious dose of altitude sickness. Never before had Ian or I felt the effects of living at a high altitude and hopefully we won’t have to for very long. Hyperventilation, fatigue, and constant headaches were the norm for both of us.
Under pressure. This blew me away when I saw these bags of chips. Ten thousand feet takes its toll. Photo: Eamonn Duignan
Our first day we headed out to an area called French Gulch that has a tonne of rad mining remains, most notable of which would be the dredger that ran aground in 1942. The French Gulch Trail peaks at a heart-stopping elevation of 12,046 feet. The riding was more epic XC than all-mountain with miles and miles of high alpine singletrack, and views that were breath taking…literally.
Tailing surfing. Ian carving the remains of a Breckenridge mine. Photo: Carl Scofield
We also hit a few other trails on our two-day stay, which all had similar epic-XC traits. We had heard that Breckenridge had some killer DH and all mountain stuff that featured gaps over old mining shafts, but unfortunately all that stuff is off the radar and isn’t being promoted by the tourism board. As a result, we didn’t get a chance to sniff them. No worries though, we still got to ride some epic singletrack and see some killer high altitude alpine landscapes.
Some Breckenridge berm action. Photo: Carl Scofield
The remains of a Dredge Boat in French Creek. Dredgers operated from 1898 to 1942. Massive buckets on the dredger took gravel from the riverbeds and extracted gold onboard. The result was massive piles of riverbed rock for miles and miles. Photo: Eamonn Duignan
Easy on the eyes; 0ne of the many views that Breckenridgre offers. Photo: Ian Nelson
Stay tuned for how the rest of our trip went down. Next stop...Durango, Colorado.
Ever ridden in Breckenridge? Seen the 'goods' Eamo was talking about? Love the epics? Chime in here....
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