Alright! Got to ride again today! I was pretty tired, but it’s supposed to thunderstorm on Sunday, so we’ll rest then. So today, kind of easy, we take a concrete trail that goes up to Mount Crested Butte, but just before we get there, we’ll turn off to the left to hit the Lupine Trail, which will meet up with the one we rode yesterday. NO – we will not try going up to Gunsight Pass.

The easy ride out of town is harder than it should be – we’re tired – but we find the trail, and head on out. It’s a bit tougher than the Lower Trail, but the views are spectacular. Here’s Crested Butte from the start of the trail:

And it just gets better from here!

Here’s a pano of that same shot. We ride on, climbing more than we want, but hey, it’s how you get in shape! A bit further on, the trail reminds me of the Womble Trail in Arkansas, where you have mountain on one side, a foot-wide trail with maybe half a foot of shoulder on each side, and then a steep drop-off on the other side. It’s a bit tough for me (I  H-A-T-E  heights), but I know it’s not for very far, so I go on. Here’s a pano from there:

The reason you see nothing in front of me for maybe 300 or more feet? BECAUSE THERE’S NOTHING THERE! But it is beautiful, I’ll give it that! Would I ride it again? Yes, I would.

Toward the end of the ride, you can see the bridge across the river, that takes you to Gunsight Pass Road:

Yeah, beautiful! The ride back is uneventful, but just as much fun as yesterday, except the big hill that is bigger than I remember, and I go anaerobic close to the top. Don’t EVER go anaerobic when you’re at altitude! It hurts! And it feels like you’re never going to catch your breath – very scary. But I survived. On the ride back, saw a really cool bike stand, made from cask staves:

Cool!

After the ride, we needed to get some more stuff for the trailer, so we had to go in to Gunnison (there’s not much in Crested Butte besides restaurants, banks, realtors and doctors – including dentists). First, of course – the local bike shop!

Super nice and very helpful guy there (Phil, I think), so we buy a book, get some free mags, and he throws in a couple of stickers – Great! Pick up most of what I need, see something you never see in Dallas (thank god!):

though it will see plenty of use here very soon, and it’s time to eat! Phil recommended The Gunnisack, so we go there and have some pretty awesome panko-crusted fried catfish:

And it was nice to know that I made them very happy:

I’ll let you figure out which it was … oh, ok, it wasn’t because I left!

After that, drive home. Tomorrow we ride some more, but it will be pretty easy. We will ride the concrete trail to Mount Crested Butte, but the rest of the riding will be up on the ski lift, then down on the bike. Several times, I hope!