On even-numbered weekend days, this trail is open only to mountain bikes, whereas on odd-numbered weekend days, it is open only to hikers (and presumably walkers and runners). Humans on horses may use it at anytime, and everyone must share during the week. This is an interesting arrangement; I'm curious about the events and negotiations that led to such rules. I suspect that the nature of the trail contributed: For several miles of its length, the Travois trail is very narrow and traverses frighteningly steep slopes, dropping hundreds of feet into valleys below. Trail user conflicts could conceivably result in long slides or even falls. Was this a factor?
I've figured out how to use my Android app, My Tracks, (again), and I also remembered my extended smartphone battery, so I was successful in logging our route.
Clear here to see our track using Google maps.
I really like being able to pull the raw data from My Tracks and work with it myself:
Did I mention that Centennial Cone Park is just ridiculously beautiful? Huge, expansive views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. My camera battery was dead so I borrowed Abbey's. Hers is not quite as nice as mine, so the pictures aren't as good as usual -- not that my camera is anything other than a cheap point-and-shoot digital, but it seems to have a nicer lens than Abbey's.
That pointy thing with all the trees on it in the picture below is Centennial Cone. Part of the trail is double-track, also visible in the picture.
We saw this girl on a green bike on the trail. She was so cute we brought her home after the ride.
Most of the Travois Trail was smooth and non-technical; the ride was more of an aerobic and physical challenge than it was a technical one. However, there were plenty of tight switch-backs and even some rock steps to negotiate. Many of these were perched above steep drops, which added some intensity to the experience.
Don't overshoot this switch-back!
The girls.
We also ran across this surfer dude riding the back of a tandem. What a nut.
We found this to be one of the most stunningly scenic trails we've ever ridden. It's definitely on the list for trails to experience more than once! We also found it to be a surprisingly challenging 13-mile loop. I'm not sure if it was more challenging than expected due to the steepness of the many climbs or whether we've just gotten out of shape. Maybe the surfer dude was feeling lazy.
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