We drove up to Sun Valley, Idaho today for a 4-day vacation of mostly mountain biking.
Arriving in Hailey around 2 PM we checked into the Bed & Breakfast, changed into cycling clothes and headed for the first ride: Greenhorn Gulch.
We'd heard Greenhorn Gulch was good, it did not disappoint. Here's how the trail started:
And after only 50 yards when I stopped to ask Jolene something she spotted this wildflower stunner (Watcher, have you seen this one before?):
At a trail split we went up Mahone Gulch (lots of gulches around here). It is a nice climb in a lovely alpine draw.
At another fork we chose Lodgepole Gulch. It was steeper and may not have been the best choice for a day 1 warm-up ride, but it was a fun trail and the scenery was surreal.
After gaining the saddle we dropped down and past another trail heading to Greenhorn Gulch.
Then climbed again to gain a higher saddle, but now it was all down hill. We thought about taking Imperial Gulch, as it's reported to be a fantastic downhill, but there was another significant climb to get to it and we decided to just go down Greenhorn. Which was very fun and put smiles on our faces. 15.5 miles of amazingly good mountain single-track.
Went back to the B&B, showered, had a good dinner and now I'm sleepy and ready for bed.
Tomorrow will probably be Potato Mountain loop.
The End
2 years ago
4 comments:
Lucky you- a great ride and a Red Columbine on your first day in SV!
Your flower is Western Red Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis, a real beauty. I've encountered them in California, but not (yet) here. I'll keep an eye out when I'm up that way next week.
The guidebooks say it occurs in Utah as well, in the Northernmost counties.
Looks awesome! Maybe I can drive up and join you for a day or two? J/K - Enjoy your time together. I can only dream of such freedom!
If you get a chance drive up to Galena Lodge. Talk to Erin and they will point you to the trails. The Galena Grinder has been a favorite of mine for years.
Blackdog - I wrote down the info you gave, but we didn't have time to stop at the lodge. Looks like a nice area for riding. Thanks for the info.
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