If you’re even thinking about doing the Monarch Crest Trail in Colorado, just go. I finally checked it off my list last month and it was every bit the bucket-list ride people hype it up to be. I did the shuttle drop at Monarch Pass, and from the first mile it was a nonstop reel of high-alpine views, flowy singletrack, and big descents that just kept coming. The climb wasn’t too bad with the shuttle, but the altitude at 12,000 feet is no joke- I was sucking wind in the first stretch.
Silver Creek was pure joy, and the Rainbow Trail at the end was the kind of thing that makes your legs burn and your face hurt from grinning. We ended the ride with burgers and beers in Poncha Springs, which somehow tasted better after 35 miles of riding through thin air. If you only do one backcountry MTB ride in your life, make it this one.
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