Robertson Pasture Trail

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Allowed

This has got to be one of the finest trails anywhere in North America.

You'll start by climbing a mile (1.6 km). For most cyclists, parts will be hike-a-bike. The first 0.7 miles (1.1 km) are the hardest.

Top out at 10522 feet (3207m) and begin one of the most exhilarating cross-country descents I've experienced in some 40,000 miles (65,000 km) of mountain biking in the last 23 years.

You start out on switchbacks that comprise what amounts to a superb natural flow trail. You zip in and out of alpine meadows and very dark forest areas, going from the landscapes of Crested Butte to British Columbia to California's Lost Coast and back again in just a couple of miles (3 km). When not in the forested parts, you have views of and beyond Canyonlands National Park that probably extend more than 100 miles (160 km) to the north and west. There are moderately technical rocky parts and moderately steep parts, but an intermediate rider should be OK with a bit of walking.

Then, around 9500 feet elevation (2895m), you traverse Robertson Pasture, a first-class alpine meadow, on pleasant, mellow singletrack. Still descending, you reach aspen stands around 9000 feet (2745m) and you feel like you're in Park City, Utah or the GunnisonCrested Butte area again.

Below that, you reach what feels like the best of Southern California, with rocky desert trails and some stiff power climbs (hike-a-bike for some, but short) and beautiful views into a typical mid-elevation Utah valley.