Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MOUNTAIN BIKING FOUR CORNERS
The Four Corners area around Cortez offers some epic mountain-bike trails through woodlands and over the oth-
erworldly 'slickrock' mesa.
With 32 miles of singletrack rolling through piñon-juniper trees,
Phil's World
is the mecca for mountain
bikers, located five miles out of Cortez. It's also apt for all levels. Another local favorite is
Boggy Draw
, located
north of Dolores, with dispersed camping in the ponderosa pines.
If you are still hungry for more,
Sand Canyon
can be fun, though it gets overly hot in summer. The 18-mile
trail starts at the same-named archaeological site west of Cortez. It follows a downhill trail west to Cannonball
Mesa, where there is also dispersed BLM camping, near the state line. If you're looking for a shorter ride, at the
8-mile mark the Burro Point overlook of Yellow Jacket and Burro Canyons is a good place to turn back.
You can also test your skills riding the 27-mile
Stoner Mesa Loop
, a challenging intermediate to expert ride
beginning with 8 miles of paved road along the west fork of the Dolores River. The tough part comes during the
7-mile dirt-road climb (you'll gain nearly 2000ft in elevation) to the top of Stoner Mesa. When (or maybe if) you
reach the top, the views are splendid, and you'll be rewarded with a long, mellow downhill through amazing
forests of aspens and open meadows. The last 2 miles are the most technical, consisting of an endless number of
tight switchbacks and rock and root steps that take you down to the trailhead in a steep descent. Stoner Mesa is
best in fall when temperatures cool and aspens glow.
Pick up a copy of
Mountain and Road Bike Routes for the Cortez-Dolores-Mancos Area,
available at the Col-
orado Welcome Center (
Click here
)
and at local chambers of commerce. It provides maps and profiles for several
road and mountain-bike routes.
Try Kokopelli Bike & Board (
Click here
)
for mountain bike rental and repairs and see their website for good
trail descriptions.
Activities
Kokopelli Bike & Board
BICYCLE RENTAL
( 970-565-4408;
www.kokopellibike.com
; 130 W Main St; front-suspension bike per day $35; 9am-6pm Mon-
Fri, to 5pm Sat)
The friendly staff at this local bike shop are happy to talk trail with riders, and
also rent and repair mountain bikes. The rental price includes helmet, air pump, water
bottle and tools. For some pre-trip planning the shop's website has great trail descriptions.
Come Dance Tonight
BALLROOM DANCING
(
www.comedancetonight.com
;
30 W Main St; drop-in dance lessons $10; evenings, hr vary)
Behind the
trophy-cluttered windows, this nondescript storefront opens onto a surreal world, where
Friday nights find couples cha-cha-cha-ing across the wide wooden floor along to the
buoyant clapping of Denise. A ballroom studio and social club that seems from another
era, this is a truly weird and awesome scene.
