Here are some pictures Mike and I took when Juan joined us on some sweet MTB on the Tin Mine Trail at Green Mountain... The plan was to climb Cloudy Peak, and take Juan and Randy up with us to camp at Charlia Pass. But the weather was making avalanche conditions extreme in the area we wanted to be, so we had to bail. So I invited Mike and Juan to enjoy a very soggy Tin Mile Trail ride with me at Gold Mountain. Mike brought his aging, but trusty early 90s vintage Rock Hopper, and I loaned Juan my old GT Tempest, both rigids.
I will try to get some pictures of Mike put up, but he has them, I wasn't able to scan them before he took them home. As always - click on the thumbnails to see the enlarged picture...
| Tom Crosses Gold Creek... - The trail starts off the GM-6 road, about a mile up from the Gold Creek parking lot, on the right. Almost immediately, you swoop down and cross Gold Creek. Due to spring run-off, it was running pretty good for us! Mike brought his camera over, and was in full shutter mode, so we got some good ones... Here he catches me as I splash my way across... |
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| Juan
Crossing Gold Creek... - Since
this was Juan's first time mountain biking, I made sure he made it
through or across all of the obstacles. It was great watching
him go for the creek - after Mike and I showed him the
line.
Here, Juan enters, gets a bit off line, and then stalls! That's a mighty infectious smile though... Juan, the fun is just beginning! |
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| The Rocky Road... - The next part of the trail I call the Rocky Road. In the summer, this section is dry, and is nothing but fist sized rocks that require you to keep up your speed, and ride with a loose grip. On this day, there was 3 to 5 inches of running water, complicating the navigation a bit! It was great fun! Here, Mike catches me as I pick my way through. |
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| Juan on the Rocky Road... - Juan was a bit more apprehensive coming up the Rocky Road, but he soon caught on. Here, he skillfully navigates the hidden and slick gotchas. |
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| Tom Riding Out of Tin Mine... - Next on the scenery list was the mine. Both Mike and Juan really got a kick out of it. The water was really running deep out of it on this day though. Here, Mike catches us riding out of the mine on his bike. I'd love to come back with a headlamp and explore, but in the summer, the insects are voracious, so I just ride my bike instead! |
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| Juan Concentrating... - I know Juan had some fun, but mixed in was a bit of exhaustion and apprehension. Here, he concentrates on that obstacle... I need to keep after him and get him into MTB shape. I wish I could have seen it when he hit that tree though! |
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| Tom Approaching a Root... - Mike always has a knack for finding cool shots. Here, after he went ahead, he catches me as I approach a root on the upper trail, before a section I call the Widow Maker. The upper trail is very scenic, and heavily wooded - a great place to ride! Even in a rain, the canopy keeps most of the rain at bay. |
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| Tom Landing of Some Roots... - The trip back down the trail is a hoot. Not steep enough to really worry about speed, there are numerous opportunities to catch small air! Here, Mike catches me as I start to land coming off some roots into Gold Creek. This trail is really a kick for intermediates such as myself, but can still be explored by those just starting out! |
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| Juan Smiling on the Trail... - Although he got tired, had to stop for most obstacles, hit a tree on the way out, and had a flat tire - this smile says it all! I think he's hooked... |
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| Tom On a Roller... - On the road on the way out, the slight downhill allows for a bit of jumping on some rollers on the edges - one of the most fun things about MTB, in my opinion. After the foot bridge, I like to hit this little knob - not much height, but you can get downrange several feet. Mike catches me as I looked for that perfect landing area just after I lift off... |
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| Group Shot... - This is what it's about, good friends having fun... |
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