Pearl Pass, 12,705ft

As Stage 3 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge was getting underway, Jay, Gene and I were sitting at 12,705ft eating our snacks and watching the clouds rolling across the 14,000 foot peaks of the Elk Mountain range.  We were living the good life with the journey we had ahead of us.  Lloyd, of the movie Dumb and Dumber, described our destination best when he said, “A place where the beer flows like wine. Where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. I’m talking about a little place called Aspen.”  With our belly’s full of goodies we hopped back on our mountain bikes for the 18 miles/4,800ft of descent into Aspen with the goal of watching the finish of Stage 3 live!

Jay flying down Pearl Pass towards Aspen.

 Tom Danielson, taking the Stage 3 win in Aspen. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Stage 2 finish the day before at Mt. Crested Butte.  An exciting head-to-head finish between Tejay Van Garderen (red) and Christian Vanderveld (blue). (Photo by CBMG Guide, Kyle Mattingly)

The day prior to our big ride, Aug 22, we had enjoyed the festivities and watched in-person as the pro racers battled for the uphill finish of Stage 2 at Mt Crested Butte.  Then we prepared to Chase the Race.  The next day, Aug 23,  we grabbed our mountain bikes and peddled our way from Crested Butte, over historic Pearl Pass and down to that little place called Aspen in an effort to Chase the Race!   Once we arrived in Aspen where with met up with CBMG guide, Patrick Erley, who had driven our shuttle vehicle over from Crested Butte to meet us, complete with our clean clothes and flip-flops.  We spent the next couple hours being entertained by the USA Pro Challenge  festivities as we waited for the pro cyclists to come flying into the finish line.  After the exciment of the finish was over we jumped into our CBMG shuttle vehicle and headed back to Crested Butte to seek out our comfy beds that were waiting for us.

Our day ended up being awesome and makes me wonder why anyone would choose to simply be a spectator of the race when they could get out on their own bikes and actually chase it!  Check out some of our images below and get exited to join us for another Chase the Race adventure in 2013!

 Jay turns onto Pearl Pass Road and starts climbing.

 Jay and Gene stop for some veiws of Teocalli Peak (13.208ft).

Veiw of Castle Peak (14,278ft) during our acsent of Pearl Pass.

Another example of the stunning landscape along the ride. 

Jay way above Crested Butte in the distance.

Looking to the summit of Pearl Pass from the Crested Butte side. 

Jay nearing the summit of Pearl Pass with Star Peak (13,521) in the background on the left. 

Pearl Pass summit (12,705ft).

Checking out the summit markers of Pearl Pass. 

Jay and Gene psoing in front of Castle Peak (14,278ft). 

Thanks to Jay and Gene for an incredible day of riding!  The 2012 USA Pro Cycling Challenge will wrap up with Stage 7 in Denver, CO on Sunday, Aug 26th.   If you missed out on any of the action this year we encourage you to mark your calendars now for the 2013 USA Pro Cycling Challenge  (dates are still TBD) and if taking it a step beyond just spectating sounds exciting consider this your invitation to to join us for the CBMG’s Chase the Race  (stay tuned for dates) in 2013!

-Evan Ross (CBMG Guide)

Morning light illuminating the Elks Range from the summit of Precarious Peak (13,380′)

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut in our lives. It’s easy to slip into the known and the comfortable, no matter how ‘extreme’ we make ourselves out to be. Even the most motivated of us, still has room for daily ‘comfortable and easy’, because it’s too much work to break the mold and do something new.

The real work in doing NEW things, is less in the actual doing of them, and more in the vision, planning, and execution of something out of the ordinary. That takes real work….something a longtime guest of Crested Butte Mountain Guides, and recent ‘Honorary Guide’, Tom Scoville, knows a thing or two about.

Early morning rays illuminating Upper Rustlers Gulch

At 68 years young today, Tom has become a bit of a regular around the Crested Butte mountaineering & hiking community. Scaling all sorts of random and obscure peaks that he has the drive and motivation to seek out and attempt. Some guided, but many not, just with friends or even solo trips. Impressive in and of itself for the work involved, but made downright inspirational by the fact that Tom does all this after enduring 21+ surgeries to rebuild and treat certain joints caused by a genetic form of osteoarthritis. Knees…replaced. Hips…..replaced. Spine…..fused. Shoulders….yup, those too.

Tom Scoville in his element

So, you get the picture, and to be a bit understated….Tom is passionate about being in the mountains. Enough so that it is infectious, and can even rub off on us ‘been there, done that’ seasoned veterans and mountain guides as well. I came upon the good fortune to get to know Tom at Crested Butte Mountain Guides just 7 short years ago, when he was looking for help to complete a few of his last remaining climbs of Colorado’s famed 14ers….for the second time around !

Precarious Peak (13,380′), with SW Ridge in profile. Photo courtesy: Tom Scoville

So, this weekend, inspired by Tom and his vision to think outside the box and his current frustration at recent complications to a recent surgery (again), I would go and walk in his footsteps, so to speak, on something that is close to his heart….to show respect for someone that embodies motivation, determination, passion for the mountains, and has zero regard for being comfortable and easy in his life. I would repeat a route he studied, tried, tried again, and finally succeeded on, and one that possibly may have been overlooked by everyone until Tom’s vision prevailed.

The ‘Scoville – SW Face Direct Route’ ???

Precarious Peak is aptly named. It is a sheer and imposing 13,000′+ mountain, that seems to only be held together more by imagination then actual geologic structure. To be honest…it is a crumbling choss pile of talus and scree. Steep, remote, rugged, committing, and scary loose, it is arguably one of the hardest summits in Colorado’s Elk Mountains, a range famous for it’s towering but loose and dangerous mountains (think Maroon Bells). So of course, Tom Scoville, would have the drive and motivation to actually spend the time and energy potentially pioneering a new route up its SW Buttress that would allow him safer and quicker passage to the summit.

Up close and personal on the route

Was it an actual ‘first ascent’? Who really knows. There have been a lot of people climbing mountains in Colorado for a long time. But as far as I can tell in the local community around right now, no one else seems to recall seeing or hearing of anyone climbing this particular line, especially in summer. I certainly haven’t. So, off I went to repeat this route, and show him some respect for the inspiration and determination he has shown us younger generation of guides, mountaineers, and hikers in the Crested Butte area.

Looking back down from the ridgecrest….actually a pretty reasonable route

What I found was an awesome day alone, up high in the mountains that are my backyard. I watched the sunrise light up the mountains while on a morning trail run, stood on the summit of a semi-obscure, hard, and aesthetic peak in our local mountains, got a few great photos, and saw not another soul around, while having mostly perfect weather.

BUT…..what I really found, was a new perspective. The reminder that the hard work of having to think outside the box, and make yourself break the mold of comfortable and easy is always, always, worthwhile and rewarding. Even if the outcome doesn’t come to fruition. Fortunately, Tom’s eventually did.

Obligatory summit photo

So, on a rare day off in the summer guiding season, I left the rockclimbing gear for Taylor Canyon in the garage, let the mountain bike continue to gather dust, turned the cell phone off, grabbed my camera, some water, and running shoes, and followed the lead and inspiration of another. So thanks Tom, for helping me think outside the box, see our local mountains in a slightly different way, and at least follow in your footsteps….as lord knows I am definitely not tough or determined enough to literally walk in your shoes. This was a day when the teacher truly did become the student.

-Jayson Simons-Jones (CBMG Owner/Guide)

For anyone who might be skeptical, Brian Fox did come to Crested Butte, CO to mountain bike for his bachelor party.  Seriously.  We’ve got the photos to prove it.   As far as we know, he did not manage to sneak off to Vegas at any point during the trip (at least not on my watch).

The trip Brain and his faithful crew of comrades selected was one of CBMG’s newest offerings, vehicle supported overnight mountain biking. For those unfamiliar with the concept, the trip basically links the best single-track trails Crested Butte has to offer  with the most scenic and spectacular camping spots in the area over the course of multiple days (generally 2 to 5).

Each morning, after enjoying a prepared breakfast, riders leave camp with only what they require for the ride that day and head out to explore one of the trails that CB is famous for. Each evening riders arrive at a new (already set-up) camp, complete with appetizers, tents, camp chairs and ice cold “beverages”.  All our guests have to do upon arriving at camp is sit back, relax, and wait for dinner.

Another stunning evening in the Elk Mountain Range.

Every vehicle supported mountain biking trip we do is a little different.  For this trip we chose an itinerary that essentially circumnavigated Mount Crested Butte, starting and finishing in the town of Crested Butte.

Day 1:

After meeting the guys at the CBMG office, located in downtown Crested Butte, we headed out, directly from town, and made our way to the much-loved Strand Hill Trail by way of Tony’s Trail/Upper Loop/Whetstone Vista.  After the long Strand Hill climb we were rewarded by some of the best downhill single track in the area.

Not many towns have this kind of close proximity to sweet single track … gotta love Crested Butte! 

Heading into the dense Aspen forest on the Upper Loop.

Did I mention the dense Aspen forest?  

We arrived at camp where Evan Ross, CBMG guide, was waiting with bacon wrapped dates stuffed with cream cheese (mmm, bacon).  While waiting for dinner the guys kept busy and cleaned up a bit by swimming in the cool waters of the nearby Brush Creek.

Camp #1 was all set-up and ready when the group arrived from their first day of riding.

Day 2:

After a filling breakfast scramble we headed out to ride Deer Creek Trail for the day.  The ride led us to our new camp in the East River valley which boasted breathtaking views of Baldy Peak, Avery Peak and Gothic Mountain.  Once the afternoon showers arrived we stayed dry beneath our EZ-UP tent and enjoyed some of those cold “beverages” I mentioned before.

 Deer Creek Trail “art” and scenery.

 The crew is all smiles (they must not know about the uphill section that awaits them).

Showing off some mad trail skills. 

The guys take refuge from the late afternoon drizzle under the EZ-UP while I prepare some tasty burrito fixins for dinner. 

Day 3:

After a night of steady rain we woke to a great view of low clouds with the mountains poking through.  We downed another large breakfast then loaded up the bikes and drove to the top of Schofield pass to ride the legendary 401 Trail.  After making quick work of the single-track climb we took a long break at the top to soak in the views, and prepare the bikes for a long fast downhill. The previous night’s moisture created an ideal tacky trail surface that made for great traction and excellent cornering. Once we hit Rustler’s Gulch the guys, psyched from the descent and realizing this was their last chance to get after it on the bikes opted to add on the Lower 401 section from Rustler’s to Judd Falls before calling it a day.

 Morning clouds after a night of steady rain.

Cooking up breakfast with an awesome view.

 The trusty CBMG shuttle vehicle getting loaded up for the day.

 Starting the day at 10,700 feet … impressive considering they all came to CB from nearly sea level!

 Crusin’ the 401 Trail. 

More good fun to be had on the Lower 401 Trail. 

In the end, the bachelor party was a great success. There were certainly some antics and shenanigans, but that’s always to be expected when long-time firneds gather.  Don’t worry guys, we’ll never tell. What happens in Crested Butte stays in Crested Butte. Best of luck and congrats to Brian as he prepares for the most epic adventure of all … marriage!

Thanks for a great trip guys.  Hope to see you all again!

- Scott (CBMG Guide)