Sipping Air Through a Straw

The Colorado Trail never dissapoints. #followcamfriday with fellow Yeti athlete Tom Sampson on Miners Creek.

Miners Creek is definitely my favorite trail to ride at home when I am not traveling around the globe, trying to win bike races. I have never met a section of the Colorado Trail that I didn't like, but this section is particularly  mind-blowing. 

We started on Breckenridge ski area and climbed up peak 9 to the junction with Wheeler Trail. Wheeler takes you over the Ten Mile range and descends towards Copper until intersecting the CT. This is a nice little bonus piece to ride if you start in Breck. 

The top of Wheeler basically feels like the moon. Full wind, eyes watering, pinned on the rutted singletrack, into the abyss. No place I would rather be. This can be ridden all the way to Copper as a descent but I prefer to go back up and over to Frisco. 

Once gaining the alpine again, the views are unrivaled. The 4+ miles of alpine singletrack will take your breath away, literally. This one tops out at 12,510ft above the ocean. 

Once your heart rate and breathing have returned to normal, have a snack and enjoy the views. Yes Tom, I can see Breckenridge.... 

Now all that remains is a rock-strewn descent, all the way to Frisco. This makes up over 3000ft of descending, ending on the Peaks Trail, in a crowd of tourists on the holiday weekend. Enjoy the isolation while you can. 

Tom getting distracted by those lake views in the distance on one of the most stunning sections of trail in the world. 

Riding through this section of burnt trees offers an interesting contrast to the alpine above. This fire occurred last summer  and due to the current dry conditions, will be the norm for years to come. As scary as this is, the forest needs to burn and start over. This area will be glowing green in no time.  

Hope you had a happy 4th and didn't light too much on fire or loose any digits. #followcamfriday is headed to Canada for some racing and filming. Keep it locked right here!