Tuesday, May 10, 2011

When all else fails...go to Durango!

Spring fun and camping begin when we make our annual trip to Durango.  This year we headed down Mother's Day weekend, leaving around 1 on Friday.  It was a short trip - almost too short for the harrowing drive over Red Mountain Pass, but it was worth it.  We biked the Telegraph Trail System - the southern end, and stayed at the Junction Creek Campground.  The Telegraph trails are awesome - lots of nice rolling singletrack.  No brutal climbs, nothing super technical... there is a trail head behind the Sonic in town, then about 2 miles further south on Hwy 3 is the Carbon Junction trailhead, then a mile or so further down, behind Wal-Mart on a frontage road (turn off 550 onto Dominguez - left) is Big Canyon Trail head, and finally, at the very end of this frontage road, is the Sale Barn trail head.  That's where we started.

This is a very bad picture of one of the sign post maps on the trail.  Our Saturday route is in orange and Sunday's route is in turquoise.  Both were ridden counter-clockwise.

To get to the campground:  From the north end of town (like you're coming in from Silverton), go south on 550 to 25th street.  There is a sign pointing you towards the Colorado Trail and Junction Creek Campground.  Turn right.  Continue until you reach the campground - about 3 miles.

View of the upper part of the Sale Barn trail

View of the Big Canyon trail

Me on the Cowboy trail Sunday

Our campsite