Name: Lewis Creek Trail #1331
Rating: 3.8

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E-Bikes Unknown

Closed during winter months since it goes through private property. There is a trecherous cattle guard and gate off of the highway, but you may pass through it. Remember to CLOSE THE GATE behind you!

Need to Know

This is five miles of 500 miles of moto ATV and 4x4 trails in this area. As such the trail maintainers are streched thin so deadfall on the trail is a very real danger! If you start at the top please be aware. The high speeds and loose surfaces could result in a serious injury if riding blind, and help is far away!

Description

Acessed from Hwy-96 for an out-and-back, or shuttled via Hwy-96 to CR-271 then CR-274. Another excellently underutalized trail in the Wet Mountains. Like most trails in the area it is made for moto but don't let that bother you. From top down you get five different trail zones none like the others.

First is a normal-ish Colorado type descent with granite baby heads, scree fields, and roots in small doses and lathered in undulations and light berms. Expect both high speeds down mixed with flat sections and short climbs. Suddenly a 90 degree turn right and your out in a grassy meadow that is overgrowing the trail making it hard to see.

The third section is an altidutde burning, fast, loose, wild, white knuckled, series of 10 or so switchbacks with exposure. Stay sharp! The upper part has some srcub oak brushing your arms and bars. The scrub oak does obscure the trail and right when it ends the trail jogs left offering some free flying lessons to any takers. This level of exposure and grade will continue for a while, so enjoy the thrill and challenge.

If your hands aren't tired yet they will be soon as the fourth and most challenging section remaigns. Now the grade eases quite a bit but that matters little as a long, very techy forest ride lies ahead. With many line choices, some good, some bad, some VERY ugly a great deal of fun is to be had. This is the most sessionable portion of the trail. Loaded with natural hucks, jumps, drops, roots, and many, many, many, loose rocks of all sizes. This is a tech lovers happy place. All too quickly though this will taper off to some fun flow with great banked turns, very little tech, one last little climb, and some flow to the exit of the trail. Five miles and 3100 feet of almost all descent!