From the F Street parking lot, ride up
Frontside, then continue going up on the easier
Lil Rattler trail. At the intersection with
CR173,
Rusty Lung and
Backbone, go straight up
CR173 for just a bit, then turn left onto
North Backbone.
Halfway up
North Backbone turn right onto
Dude Abides. This is a pretty steep climb, with a few optional lines - stay right for the 'easiest' uphill. At the top, where it connects to
CR173, turn right, then turn sharp left onto
Pauli, which starts as a loose, gravel road climb before the singletrack turns off to the left. Ride this fun, techy trail to the intersection with Uncle Nazty &
Hooligan.
Lower the seat, and turn right, down
Hooligan. This 'black' downhill trail features a number of rock features in the form of jumps, rollers, and some optional tech lines; some with significant exposure and potential to get yourself in trouble (read, get hurt).
After a rough and tumble ride, it connects into
Sand Dunes, which in and of itself is a technical trail. Turn left, stay focussed and ride
Sand Dunes until you get to a four-way intersection. Turn right onto
Backbone, a smooth and easy ride after all the previous tech stuff. It climbs back to the intersection with
Lil Rattler,
Rusty Lung, and
CR173, which you'll recognize from earlier in the right. Turn right and up
CR173, and this time ignore the
North Backbone trail. Keep going up on
CR173, which gets loose and technical in spots. Pass
Sand Dunes on your right, same with
Pauli. Keep going up
CR173, which likely will require a bit of walking, just before you get to the Uncle Nazty trail on your right.
Go down Uncle Nazty, which starts off pretty mellow. Pass
Pauli and
Hooligan. Uncle Nazty turns, well, nastier at this point. Optional lines appear, which might cause a bit of confusion, and 'trying again'. The trail gets progressively harder, increasing the potential to get hurt. Choose your lines wisely. The trail turns easier towards the intersection with
Prospector. Once there, I recommend turning right onto
Prospector. Turning left down to
Cottonwood is another option, but
Prospector is pretty special, as it hugs a steep side slope on the way down, with several sharp but fun turns. It has a bit of old school feel to it.
At the bottom, turn left onto
Sand Dunes, you've been here before, but now go straight at the four-way intersection to continue down
Sand Dunes. This is the shortest and most fun way back to the F Street parking lot; but be aware of hikers and runners going up
Sand Dunes, please.
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