That being said- there are a lot of blind corners out there, so keep an ear open for motos- you can almost always hear them before you see them. They are extremely diligent with cutting fallen trees every Spring, and I didn’t have to dismount once to climb over deadfall. They will almost always yield the trail to other users when they’re able (most of the ones I encountered on my ride pulled over and turned off, too). These are some of the nicest and most conscientious trail users you’ll encounter anywhere. It is maintained almost completely by the Central Colorado Mountain Riders.
Once you get to Bear Creek, you should filter enough water at the Bear Creek trailhead to get you all the way to Silver Creek (there are a couple of small water crossings between Hwy 285 and Silver Creek, but Silver Creek at the end is going to be the year-round reliable source following Bear Creek). There are multiple creek crossings between Hayden Pass and Bear Creek. As the melt-off progresses and tapers in the summer, the creeks will still flow, but the smaller springs and unnamed flows on the map will be dry. In the Spring, anything labeled on the map as a creek will have flowing water, and most smaller drainages on the map will be flowing. In a “normal” snow year, the highest section of trail over Poncha Mountain melts off sometime after mid-May. If you can time your ride within the 24 hours after a soaking rain, the trail is significantly more ride-able because the powdery dirt and gravel mixture that covers much of it becomes temporarily consolidated. How much? That depends heavily on rain and moto traffic within the past 24 hours. It is steep, loose, and rugged with ample hike-a-bike. Here is the public route page on Gaia: North Rainbow FKT Loop Standard FKT/Solo/Support rules apply (here’s a link on the Tour Divide site, but these are the commonly accepted ethics of these sorts of things)- you’re welcome to do this ride with other people, but your time will be recorded as so, and not eligible for individual men’s/women’s records. You can email me- andrea at brickhouseracing dot com. I’ll timekeep here, and I can post links to whatever ride report and/or photos you have. If you’re going to go for an FKT, let me know ahead of time. As long as travel into and out of the area is legal, this is an excellent challenge for social distance (the bike path in Salida proper can get a little busy, but it’s ~1 mile of 83). The start/finish is at a BLM area with dispersed camping (there is no water there, so bring it with you), and the length of the route is short enough that you can carry all the food you need. I’ve designed this route to be do-able in a totally unsupported, touch-free manner. It’s a tough time for everyone right now, and athletes have the added layer of trying to keep themselves occupied and motivated while racing is mostly canceled.
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