We attempted a family bike-packing adventure from the lower trailhead to Wye Campground. It seemed like it would work but a couple of unforeseen factors thwarted our attempt.

1) Trail surface. My seven year old can ride a solid ten miles on his one speed bike no problem. We intended to do 13 to get to Wye and so we thought we could just take our time and stop along the way to check out creeks and a few geocaches along the way and just make a day of it. Unfortunately the soil in the area is unconsolidated gravelly sand. A lot of the trail/road is covered in deep channels of the stuff, and trying to slog up it at a 3-4% grade is just too much for a kid. I was pulling a two wheeled trailer with our camping gear and didn't have too much trouble, but the gravel-sand sure made things more difficult. By myself on a day ride it would have been fine.

2) First tunnel. It's closed. You have to cross a ridge via a steep and rocky single track to get past the first tunnel. Again, not easy for a seven year old and a real bear with a heavy two wheeled trailer.

Can't say for sure what the upper ten miles are like. We turned back after three. But the views are amazing and if I had been alone or with only other adult riders it would have been a blast. Gonna go back and try it again someday soon.

Want to get away from it all, including annoying traffic? Ride the Gold Camp Road, a wide, gravel "trail" that follows the old narrow gauge tracks from Colorado Springs to Cripple Creek. The only other users will be fellow cyclists or hikers, but not many of either, typically.

When my relatives from Northeast Ohio arrived and wanted a "Colorado" experience, I couldn't think of a better place to get them outdoors and into the heart of the magnificent Pikes Peak country. Most of them limit their outdoor activity to golf, so I needed a safe and simple ride that wouldn't be overly challenging. So, we rented bikes for them, and got volunteer drivers to take us to Cripple Creek up Highway 24 and CO 67, in itself a wonderful drive that almost encircles Pikes Peak from east to southwest. Once in Cripple Creek, we took H-67 to Victor, an easy ride that gave these non-cyclists a chance to work through the gearing. Once in Victor, it was fifteen miles of flat-to-downhill riding. An hour into the ride, we stopped for snacks, liquid, and a moment to soak in the views. Another hour and a half of easy riding, and we reached the trailhead above North Cheyenne Canyon.

If you could only see the smiles on their faces throughout the trip. Well worth the planning! How's that for a genuine CO experience!