From: rgo@druhi.ATT.COM (Ron Olsen)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.rides
Subject: Commando Run: A Great Colorado MTB Ride
Keywords: great single-track
Date: 10 Sep 92 01:05:42 GMT
Distribution: rec

Here is an article I posted to the net two years ago,
describing one of my all-time favorite mountain bike rides.
I decided to post it again for the benefit of anyone
who missed it the first time.

Enjoy...
	
	Ron Olsen
	Boulder, Colorado
	r.g.olsen@att.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------

One of the best mountain bike rides I have ever done
doesn't appear in any of the bike maps or ride guides -
it's the classic Commando Run or Vail Pass to Vail tour.
Widely regarded as the finest backcountry ski tour in Colorado,
it's also an outstanding mountain bike ride.

With half dirt roads and half single track in its 19-mile length,
Commando Run covers some of Colorado's most spectacular mountain terrain,
staying above 11,000' for much of its length.
The tour traverses the entire 5-mile summit ridge of
the Vail ski area before descending the mountain to Vail Village.

I highly recommend this ride to experienced mountain bikers -
it's right up there with Trail 401 and Teocalli Ridge in Crested Butte
as one of the finest rides I've ever done.

Let me know if you have any questions,
and post your favorite rides as well!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ride: Commando Run - Vail Pass to Vail

Distance: 19 miles
	  Round trip option: return to Vail Pass via paved roads/bike path,
	  add 15 miles and 2,500' climb.

Elevation: start 10,600', finish 8,200'
	   max 11,816', min 8,200'
	   climb 2,800', descend 5,200'

Terrain: Smooth dirt roads and good single track trails.
	 Half-mile hike up steep trail to top of Siberia Peak.
	 Some steep single track on Bowman's Shortcut Trail;
	 some technical single track on lower Berrypicker Trail.

Difficulty: Moderate-to-difficult and strenuous;
	    Difficult if bike round-trip back to Vail Pass.
	    Definitely not a beginner's ride!
	    Map and compass are necessary for part
	    of Bowman's Shortcut Trail.
Summary:
	 This classic ski tour is also a classic bike tour;
	 one of the finest mountain bike rides in Colorado.
	 Fun riding, spectacular position and scenery,
	 much of it above 11,000' elevation.

	 Start at Vail Pass, take Shrine Pass Road and
	 Lime Creek Road to Bowman's Shortcut Trail.
	 Follow this to Two Elk Pass and hike to the top of Siberia Peak.
	 Ride the long summit ridge of the Vail Ski Area
	 all the way from Siberia Peak to Eagle's Nest.
	 Then ride the Berrypicker hiking trail down to Vail Village.

	 Slog back up to Vail Pass on the bike path
	 if you have only one vehicle.

Maps and guides:

	Trails Illustrated Vail Pass topo map #108
		Best map - shows entire ride;
		Bowman's Shortcut Trail and Commando Run
		ski tour are marked.

	Vail Pass, Redcliff, Vail East, Vail West, and Minturn USGS maps
		Redcliff topo shows main part of the ride.

	"The Vail Hiker and Ski Touring Guide",
		by Mary Ellen Gilliland, Alpenrose Press, 1988.
		Good description and maps of Bowman's Shortcut Trail and
		Commando Run ski tour.

	Vail Mountain Hiking and Biking Trails
		Shows Vail ski area summer trails

Getting there:
	Two vehicles are recommended for this ride:
	Drive one to Vail (take I-70 west to exit 176)
	and park near the Vista Bahn lift in Vail Village.
	Drive the other car to the Vail Pass rest area
	(I-70 exit 190, 14 miles east of Vail).

Route description:
	From the Vail Pass rest area, head up Shrine Pass Road;
	you should have seen a large sign for it as you entered
	the rest area.  Follow the dirt road as it climbs 1.9 miles
	to the indistinct summit of Shrine Pass (11,050').  Continue
	along the road as it drops down the back side of the pass,
	down some washboard sections, and pass a Holy Cross
	Mountain viewpoint at 3.7 miles.  Continue another 0.1 miles
	to the Lime Creek Road junction on the right, marked by
	a sign.  Gradually climb up Lime Creek Road for 0.5 miles,
	bear left at a fork, and continue another 0.1 miles
	until you spot a post on the right side of the road
	with "Colorado Trail" written on it.  This is the start
	of Bowman's Shortcut Trail.

	Follow the well-defined single track as it switchbacks
	up the flank of point 11,611'; expect to do some heavy
	breathing and walking on the steep climbing sections.
	Bypass the summit of point 11,611' on the south,
	and eventually gain the ridge line.
	Follow rolling wooded single track W along the ridge
	and eventually enter an open meadow near point 11,710'.
	Shortly after a marker pole the trail peters out; bear right (NW),
	keeping the Gore Range (on the right) in view.
	Do not continue on your original line; it will take you
	too far left and off the ridge.  Soon you'll see 
	a faint trail leading to another pole on
	the other side of the meadow; head for it.
	Enjoy the spectacular Gore Range view as you ride across the meadow.
	At the pole and cairn at the far side of
	the meadow (near point 11,696'), the trail again disappears.
	Head right (N) and downhill a bit to spot the trail as it enters the woods.

	Descend steeply into the woods, then climb sharply to a
	narrow ridge just right of the summit of point 11,618'.
	Descend even more steeply down to a broad saddle
	and Two Elk Pass (11,000' - marked by a cairn and sign) at 8.0 miles.
	Here, if weather is threatening, you can head E down steep Two Elk
	Trail 1.9 miles to the bike path,
	from which you can continue to Vail or head back to Vail Pass.

	If the weather looks good (and you are feeling good),
	continue N along the trail toward Siberia Peak (labelled Red on the maps).
	The trail soon curves W, running along the base of Siberia Peak. 
	Just before the posts and ropes marking the Vail Ski Area boundary,
	take a faint trail angling right and uphill.
	This soon becomes a narrow but well-defined single track
	heading straight up the peak; no weenie switchbacks here!
	Get off your bike and start pushing up trail, which is just
	a few feet right of the ski area boundary.
	Continue the slog up the peak, stopping now and then to catch your breath
	and admire the view.  Near the top, the trail peters out; continue
	across grassy tundra toward the summit.  After half a mile
	of climbing, top out at the Siberia Peak summit (11,816'),
	the high point of the tour.  This is a good spot to stop
	for lunch and sightseeing.  Total distance: about 9 miles.

	Walk over to the precipitous headwall on the E side of the summit
	and soak in the fabulous view.  Look back to the S to see the
	wooded peaks you've ridden to get here.  Look SW to see Mongolia Bowl,
	part of Vail's China Bowl ski area.  Look W to see the summit ridge of
	Vail (where you'll be riding).  Look N to see Mushroom Bowl and
	Mill Creek Road (where the skiers descend). Think what it would
	be like to do what you've just done on cross-country skis!
	If you are tired or the weather is bad, you can ride Mill Creek
	Road for 10 miles all the way down to Vail Village;
	however, it's not nearly as much fun or as scenic
	as the route described below.

	Back on your bike, head N down Mill Creek Road for several
	hundred yards, until you spot a single track heading left (W).
	Ride this single track across the ridge separating
	Mushroom Bowl from China Bowl; it gets narrow in spots with
	some steep drop offs; great position, but not really dangerous.
	Walk your bike down a steep rocky section, and continue
	along the single track almost to the top of the Orient Express
	ski lift.  Here the single track ends at a flat rock slab.
	At a huge cairn on the left, carry your
	bike down a rocky cleft to the dirt road leading to the top of the ski lift.
	Continue along dirt roads to the Far East Shelter,
	and up to the main summit of the Vail ski area;
	three chairlifts meet at this point.  Enjoy the views and the solitude
	at a spot which is quite crowded in mid-winter.

	Continue W on dirt roads
	(the Minturn Mile ski run) with a fast descent and short climb to
	the Wildwood summit.  If you have time, you can explore
	the Ptarmigan Loop hiking trail (see the Vail Mountain trail map)
	which starts a short way down the Lost Boy ski run.

	From Wildwood, follow the Eagle's Nest Ridge dirt road
	(called Kloser's Klimb on the Vail Mountain trail map),
	all the way to the gondola terminal at Eagle's Nest.
	You can also take a single track trail on the left, called Ridge Run,
	instead of the road for most of the way.
	Total distance to Eagle's Nest: about 14.5 miles.

	The wilderness experience ends at Eagle's Nest, with hundreds
	of tourists emerging from the gondola (on a nice summer weekend,
	anyway), some with mountain bikes.  You can have a bite to eat
	at the outdoor restaurant if you get there before 3 pm.
	Stop in the little bike shop tent and pick up a trail map if
	you don't already have one.  Play on the fun mountain bike
	obstacle course.

	Finally, it's time to descend the mountain.  The easy way
	down is the Lion Down dirt road; a more fun route is
	the 4.5-mile Berrypicker hiking trail.
	The Vail Mountain trail map shows separate trails for
	hiking and biking; the bike trails are dirt roads,
	the hiking trails are single tracks.
	Vail allows mountain bikes on the hiking trails;
	just be careful and courteous when you pass hikers.
	From Eagle's Nest, take Lower Fireweed to Berrypicker,
	and continue down fun wooded single track, following green arrows which
	mark the trail.  Meander back and forth across the mountain,
	passing the Minnie's Deck picnic area.  After crossing a road,
	the lower part of Berrypicker gets a lot more technical:
	rocks, roots, bogs, sidehills, and steep switchbacks.  If you're not
	up for it, you might want to take the road down.
	After battling with some very technical single track,
	reach a fork which branches left to Lionshead and right to Vail Village.
	Take the right fork, pass a pond and a maintenance area,
	and come out onto a road near the Vista Bahn ski lift.
	From here, follow the road as it zig-zags down to the base of the
	Vista Bahn lift and Vail Village.
	On a recent summer weekend, Vail Village was also teeming with people.
	Stop for a drink or a sandwich at one of the outdoor cafes
	on Bridge Street, or just relax and people watch.

	If you set up a shuttle, your car shouldn't be too far away.
	If not, prepare for the 15-mile climb back to Vail Pass:
	pump up your tires; it's all pavement from here.
	Head E along the bike path near the base of the Vista Bahn lift,
	past the golf course.  Follow it to Gore Creek Campground at 6 miles.
	Here, a gate blocks the road
	and only bikers and hikers can go beyond this point.
	Continue along the paved road, which is the old road to Vail Pass,
	observing slogans painted on the road from Coors' Classic
	bike races of years gone by ("Knick some butt, Roy" for Roy Knickman;
	"Vail bikers do this all the time" are two that stand out).
	Eventually reach a National Recreation Trail sign
	and turnoff to the right which marks the beginning of the bike path.
	Follow the bike path, which sometimes is right next to I-70,
	past the Black Lakes, all the way to Vail Pass.  It's never very
	steep, especially with mountain bike gearing, but it's really
	tedious and tiring after Commando Run.  Reach Vail Pass at long last,
	and try to stay awake for the drive home!
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.rides