One day of riding in golden, co?

Yeah yeah yeah search function JONG... I know. I'm on a phone and honestly don't have the time to read or patience to read like 10 pages of bickering on a 3 inch screen.

I have never ridden outside of new England before. I have all day Monday to ride. I have a car but would prefer not to drive super far.

I like all types of riding. I'll do anything from DH to super buff XC as long as it is good.

I'm looking to do about 15-20 miles and have no problem climbing 4000+ feet of elevation.

So... What say you?!

white ranch.

park at the bottom. pedal all the way up belcher hill to "sawmill" and turn right. follow that to the lower of the uper 2 lots. ride up the road to belcher hill trail (at the upper of the upper 2 lots) and turn left. climb to the top of belcher hill, and stay on that trail (do not take mustang here). descend to sawmill and now turn right. follow that around to mustang and turn left (down). shred the awesomeness that is mustang back to belcher hill. climb back up about 5 minutes and turn right on maverick. enjoy the ultra fun maverick bit to longhorn, and follow longhorn all the way down (do not take the short horn cheater turn-off). climb out longhorn to whippletree and head back to belcher and your car.

about 2.5-3 hours for that ride. 3000-3500 total vert i would guess, maybe 15 miles.

without question the best descending and trail riding in golden.

http://jeffco.us/jeffco/openspace_uploads/whitemp.pdf


there will also be maps at the trailhead you can grab and use as well.


i should add this is NOT buff singletrack.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by marshalolson

white ranch.

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x2

I used to ride there in college. Awesome riding, probably some of the best in the front range. I wish I had gotten out there more often.

:yourock: outstanding ride. Longhorn was definitely one of the most fun downhills i have ever done.

Not going to lie, the climb up belcher hill trail sucked major ass, but it was all worth it right when I got on mustang.

Anyway, thanks a ton for the route suggestion. You saved my ass from a whole lot of suffering and shitty downhills.

By the way... Do you guys actually make all these climbs? I hate getting off my bike and always feel like a clown when i do. But some of these climbs are just so loose and filled with water bars. Console me and tell me that i don't suck by having to get off my bike. :wink:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by awf170

Not going to lie, the climb up belcher hill trail sucked major ass, but it was all worth it right when I got on mustang.

By the way... Do you guys actually make all these climbs? I hate getting off my bike and always feel like a clown when i do. But some of these climbs are just so loose and filled with water bars. Console me and tell me that i don't suck by having to get off my bike. :wink:

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Sorry, you suck:) Yes, Belcher does suck major ass and it gets worse throughout the year as it gets more blown out, meaning you hit it about as bad as it gets. But, you also get used to the altitude and suffering and the climb is within reach.

Stoked you got to ride one of our best trails...in November!

Is shorthorn cheater? I love the shorthorn downhill. Dakotas pretty rad too.

(To be sure, short trail is the one that has the sign saying caution steep and ends in a small valley that you ride/hike out of?)

Reserved space for small pov of White Ranch when I finally get it off of the camera.

That's longhorn you're thinking of.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PowderSpectral

Is shorthorn cheater? I love the shorthorn downhill. Dakotas pretty rad too.

(To be sure, short trail is the one that has the sign saying caution steep and ends in a small valley that you ride/hike out of?)

Reserved space for small pov of White Ranch when I finally get it off of the camera.

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yeah man, you are thinking of longhorn.

and awf170, belcher hill is alot better when you have ridden it 20 times and know every section and can mentally pace it, where you are, etc. otherwise, its just a reletless slog. but if i told you that, you might not have gone ;)

The traverse across shorthorn is some dope-ass trail. The dh on the southern portion of longhorn is not quite as dope as the north, but there are a few awesome spots, and a whole lot less poison ivy.

awf170, belcher hill still makes me whine like a baby, so don't feel bad. I just enjoy the punishment more now.

I'm with Flowtron, Longhorn rocks, but Shorthorn is also super fun once you get your line down. Can't go wrong either way, IMHO.

Is there anything out Rawhide way worth riding? I rode something over there last spring that was seemingly endless water bars and a distinct lack of fun, if I remember correctly. Just trying to expand the loop, might head out there on Weds. if the weather holds out.

I've ridden that Rawhide side once. I remember it sucking more than I can describe.

A decent alternative to Belcher is taking Belcher - Shorthorn - Longhorn to the Top. A lot of great, challenging single track with only one spot I've yet to clear. More singletrack, less loose rocky Belcher.

Marshal has it right...if you had the whole front range at your discretion I'd advise elsewhere but for just Golden, White Ranch is the call. Just go get lost out there...

Super impressed with the route suggestion, Marshall. That's pretty much exactly what I would've suggested for WR, 'cept I would pussy out and take a left on Sawmill to Mustang rather than climbing all the way to the top. I'll have to try that one, though, as I've only descended the Belcher singletrack section at the top once. Sounds way better than the horsy ridearound wooden thingamabobs.

That whole figure 8 around Rawhide is just filler if you want to get a longer ride in. Not really worth it.

I actually haven't ridden WR since much earlier this summer for whatever reason. Is Maverick riding decently again? Jeffco really did a number on it earlier this year and since it's not a side-hill like 90% of the Jeffco trails I wonder if it was going to recover.