Lupine Trail, Crested Butte, December 1st

Once again, the weather has been absolutely beautiful if you love mountain biking. Don't get me wrong, I love skiing and have yet to miss a day since Crested Butte Mountain Resort opened. It is tough to keep in shape in the winter. You have less motivation, the days are shorter, and you have fewer options. So when biking is still an option in the valley, I'm going to take advantage of it. I decided to ride the Lupine Trail, as the motivation factor was very low. So I started from the mountain where my bike was since my last time on the saddle, which happened to be on CBMR Trails. I made my way to the Saddle Ridge Road and up to the Lupine Trailhead. 

Once I made my way to the trail I was delighted to see nothing but beautiful singletrack. The Lupine Trail is very exposed to the sun keeping it ride able in times like these.

Peanut Lake is all frozen over, and Axtel Mountain looks snow filled.  I can only assume the ice and snow are very thin.

 

Whetstone Mountain looks over the Town of Crested Butte.

 This says it well, dead grass, leaf-less trees, and snow-less hills. There is some sort of beauty to it though.

Looking back at the first part of the Lupine Trail, the downhill is very short but very fun. There was one berm filled with snow, but that was it.

The new(ish) part of the Lupine starts the assent up double track, a short little climb before it brings you back to sweet singletrack.

More grass

 Happy Chutes. Usually a popular backcountry ski option close to town, not quiet ready yet.

This was the extent of the snow on the trail, life is so tough.

The beginning of the second section of singletrack, full of some amazing, twisty, burmy sweetness!

Not much snow has melted off East and North-East facing slopes.

On to Slate River Road where my short ride would soon end. 

Looking back up Slate River Road

Mount CB in the distance, just looks like a regular fall day. Soon enough it will be a snow covered Butte (no pun intended.)

A look down valley, I could not ask for a more beautiful day upper 40s and mostly sunny!

Soon enough this will be un-rideable, so why not take advantage of it while you can! 

Check out 2pedal.com for all your mountain biking trail maps and guide books.

Oh, and Pray for snow!