Destination: Hartman Rocks, Colorado
- By Eszter Horanyi
- Published Apr. 12, 2012
- Updated Oct. 11, 2012 at 5:27 PM EDT
It was Monday afternoon in April and snow had long since left the Gunnison Valley and the area known as Hartman Rocks had just opened after a brief stint under snow.
With longtime locals calling the cold months of 2011 to 2012 the ‘Weirdest Winter Ever,’ the roads on the BLM land were never groomed for cross country skiing as they were in previous winters and the trails were inaccessible to mountain bikes for a mere two and a half months in one of the coldest places in Colorado.
With temperatures in the 50′s, the small parking lot at the base of Kill Hill was swarming with mountain bikers out for their first ride of the year.
There were looks of disbelief that the trails had melted out so early and the sense of excitement about the local trails was evident.
Located just three miles from downtown Gunnison, the trail system, located on a high mesa, provides for top notch riding ranging from smooth and fast to slow and technical with spectacular sunset viewing on after-work rides.
FILED UNDER: Destinations / MTB / Rocky Mountains TAGS: Colorado / Eszter Horanyi / Gunnison / Gunnison Growler