690 Enduro Forum

Adventure! => Story-Time => Topic started by: Alabama Adventurer on October 11, 2014, 11:23:04 pm

Title: Texas Creek Colorado
Post by: Alabama Adventurer on October 11, 2014, 11:23:04 pm
I took a trip to Texas Creek Colorado.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-GqMhw6r5L3s/VDn954BkTCI/AAAAAAAAAWw/1_n1ZgCgcyU/w639-h468-no/CO%2Bmap.jpg)

It was a long ride, 38 miles in five hours.  Some of it easy, and some of it quite difficult.  There is nothing really near Texas Creek, it is between Canon City and Salida on highway 50.

Once you get to the site, it is an OHV area and has parking and restrooms.

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-AvpwhAKNQso/VDn95-9vjoI/AAAAAAAAAWg/b230yY6vFXo/w896-h865-no/Map%2BTexas%2BCreek.jpg)
It is a large trail system, but with the mountains for reference you can keep your bearings.

It starts off up and over a mountain on 4X4 roads which are easy. 

I then took a turn-off that went to an abandoned mine.  There was not an open mine, but I could tell it was a mine by the tailings.
Later I found out it was called the “Devil’s Hole Quarry” (among other names), and operated from 1922-1950.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tf1n7cLd-0I/VDn96BHrLOI/AAAAAAAAAWo/_BUZHkRaQGk/w811-h865-no/Mine.jpg)

There was also a lot of quartz in the tailings, I brought back a nice sized chunk of pink quartz
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8dsw3UIQOYY/VDn97KzFZJI/AAAAAAAAAXI/4EMQkU0Ceik/w779-h865-no/Quartz.png)

Next I tried to go straight north from there, but the trail was really rocky and tight.  I went back down south and then up and up over Table Top Mountain. 
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Dl1ZMcwOTyM/VDn97G4lk0I/AAAAAAAAAXE/mtd4jnMkmIc/w975-h731-no/Steep%2Bhill.jpg)
I know this looks easy; it wasn’t.  Hit a rock wrong and you’re done.  Elevation 9,000 feet (2,743 meters), so you get tired fast.

Once on top, it was easy.
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-LzvIMdbUenY/VDn96acbr8I/AAAAAAAAAWs/c7TUNBxSVeM/w649-h865-no/On%2Btop%2B2.jpg)
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-1qaPLWb3CNY/VDn96T_yOaI/AAAAAAAAAWk/QbNJ1VRZnDg/w649-h865-no/On%2Btop%2B1.jpg)

The view was fantastic!
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JvUdwGLSE38/VDn97M5T4wI/AAAAAAAAAXA/91mpylolLzg/w1598-h778-no/The%2Bview.jpg)

Those are the 14,000 foot (4267 M) Sangre de Cristo Mountains with the snow on top behind me.

The cool part is that I commuted to work on the same bike the next day!
Title: Re: Texas Creek Colorado
Post by: Rockitboy on October 12, 2014, 02:39:30 am
Dam thats some pretty country to ride in.  I'm really really jealous! Nice pics!
Title: Re: Texas Creek Colorado
Post by: Rusty Shovel on October 15, 2014, 07:13:02 am
That truely is God's country out there!  It's cool to search out mines, ghost towns, and such; it turns a 'ride' into a 'quest'!

I'm jealous.   I have to drive 9 hours to reach anything awesome.  The only mountainous thing in Houston are the overpasses.