Information & Conditions: Upper Loop / Tony’s Trail / Whetstone Vista

Updated 6/22/10

Status: Good to Go!

Detailed Description:

A lot of recent trail-building activity has vastly improved the accessibility and variety of this network of trails along the base of Mt. Crested Butte.

There are many ways to ride these trails, either as connectors to Brush Creek rides, or as high quality rides in themselves.

We’ll describe the "traditional" Upper Loop ride, which consists of a pleasantly paved climb up to Mt. Crested Butte, and the Upper Loop ridden in the downhill direction, with the Upper Upper Loop and Whetstone Vista as options to extend the ride.

Before 2001, this ride started out on Gothic Road, breathing car exhaust. But no more: a peaceful ride out of town on the Mt. Crested Butte Rec Path, a paved track away from all the cars, gets you most of the way to the singletrack.

Ride west out of town on Teocalli Avenue to connect to the Rec Path. This gravel path crosses Brush Creek and then becomes paved, and heads up to the town of Mt. Crested Butte, meeting Gothic Road at the entrance to town. Cross Gothic Road on the crosswalk, and keep following the Rec Path until you see Hunter Hill Road on your right. (You could ride this bit on the road ... but why?) Turn right on Hunter Hill Road, and right again at the next intersection again on Hunter Hill. Go down, then up past The Overlook turnoff. The singletrack starts at the first hard left switchback, where there’s a parking area and a trail sign.

This is the beginning of Upper Loop. You’ll climb a little more on rocky singletrack before you reach the top. The trail is distinct and easy to follow as it traverses private land and weaves and bobs along the side of Crested Butte Mountain. Recent trail rerouting by the CBMBA have turned a pair of erosion-prone steep downhills into interesting, technical switchbacks. After you get out of the trees, you’ll be zooming gentle downhill though the sagebrush. Try bunny-hopping all the rocky bumps!

After a half mile or so of riding in the open, you’ll meet up with Tony’s Trail, which winds up from town to join the Upper Loop. If you’re just out for a short spin, you can take a right and be back in Crested Butte after a few minutes of fun downhill.

Continue riding another half mile or so and you’ll come to the intersection of Upper Upper Loop. You can bail out here as well, and turn right on a short downhill to finish Upper Loop near the Country Club.

Your other option is to ride the Upper Upper Loop. This trail is a technical challenge, with lots of rocky whoop-de-dos, and two short, but steep and technical climbs.

After a couple of miles of increasingly challenging terrain, Whetstone Vista trail branches off on your right. This trail is a bumpy downhill that joins up with Brush Creek Road. This cut-off was built so that bikers wouldn’t be stuck carrying their bikes over the very rocky and steep portions at the end of Upper Upper Loop. Most riders choose this trail to continue on. This is also a good point to turn around if you’re feeling about done.

If you want to see what this ride was like "in the old days", keep going straight on Upper Upper Loop for a killer uphill (cleaning this one qualifies you as an excellent rider), and some very, very rocky terrain before a steep descent to Brush Creek Road.

When you get to Brush Creek Road via the Upper Upper Loop or Whetstone Vista Trail, you have a couple of choices. Left takes you out Brush Creek Road and lots more riding. You can also turn around and go back the way you came, perhaps taking Tony’s Trail back to town.

Or, go back to town an easier way by turning right, then right again at the Skyland gate. Follow the road into Skyland and turn Left on Country Club Drive. Ride past the Country Club and downhill to the end of the road. Here, you rejoin the end of Upper Loop. Climb a little bit to the intersection of Upper Upper Loop. From here, you can ride the whole Upper Loop in the uphill direction, or turn left after a half mile and take Tony’s Trail back to town.

If you continued on The Upper Upper Trail to its end on Brush Creek Road, another fun option is to turn right and go about a mile and turn left on the Whetstone Vista Trail for a challenging climb back to the Upper Upper, where you will turn left and descend back to the intersection with the Upper Loop. Here turn right and head back to Tony’s Trail for a smooth descent to town.