A "pieces" of trails ride

On Sunday, August 26th., we decided to do a ride that used "pieces" of several local urban or rail trails around the Colorado Springs area. We started at the new Legacy Loop/Fontinero Trailhead, where we parked the van and unloaded the trikes. Headed south down the "west side" of the Pikes Peak Greenway trail to Monument Valley Park, then we took the "Over I-25 Trail Bridge" to a urban trail (which as far as I know, has NO NAME), heading south to hook up to on street Bike Lanes over to pick up the Midland Trail heading west. Rode the Midland Trail up to 28th. Street, to Pikes Peak Ave. and stopped at a Wendy's for lunch., from there we headed to the 31st. Street Bike Lane heading up the Pleasant Valley area to the "back way" into the Garden of the Gods Park. There we turned around and headed back to the van. Sunny, 90F with a decent breeze. It's pieces of the same old trails, done different, had a great time and put in 15 miles RT.! :)

JoLynn heading up the "Over I-25 Trail Bridge", a very steep incline of "3 sections" to the top of the Bridge!

Top of the Bridge, heading for the steep "downhill" sections.

A view of  I-25 through the holes in the safety fence!

The No Name Path, heading south from the bridge.

A slightly faded picture of Pikes Peak from the Midland Trail.

End of the 31st. Bike Lane, it's the back way into the Garden of the Gods Park, which has a "deep sand/gravel trail" but soon will be "concrete" to hook up to the GoG Entryway Road. The Tiny Chapel is a "one room" church on the Rockledge Ranch Section of the GoG Park.

Julie Penrose Fountain with the water falling into the wadding pool at the bottom for the kids at America The Beautiful Park, at the trail junction of the Pikes Peak Greenway and the Midland Trail, down town Colorado Springs, CO. 

Riding what trail there is on the Homestead Trail heading EAST from the Cottonwood and Homestead Junction

A couple of weekends ago we rode the Homestead Trail heading WEST to Overlook and turned around as the trail turns into "slick" gravel on a STEEP downhill with several switchbacks and we just didn't feel safe riding that kinda trail with our standard/non-suspension trikes!!  We decided to try to head EAST on the Homestead Trail to try to make it to the bottom of that Steep/Slick gravel trail. Well we started but riding the Cottonwood Trail north, then turned at the Junction sign with the Homestead Trail. 1st. problem, that was the LAST signage posted for the whole rest of the ride??  Then the trail turned from concrete to asphalt with big cracks and weeds but we kept riding to we ended up at the end of the trail on Templeton Gap Rd. We asked a couple of MTB riders how we could get to the rest of the Homestead Trail, the said we'd have to ride down one busy traffic road, then up another one and then, ride 2-3 miles on "DIRT, Single Track" to pick up the trail at the High Chaparral Open Space but we decided to head back to ride Cottonwood Creek Trail, South. which we did! The Homestead Trail needs Repaired badly but it was still fun to check out a new to us trail!!

Cardondale, CO. to the Emma Trail Access on the Rio Grande Trail

The Rio Grande Trail, is a 42 mile long trail from Glenwood Springs, CO. to Aspen, CO. We rode the Carbondale, CO. to Emma trail access section of this trail.
Due to the HEAT, 95F+ we didn't get to ride on Tues. afternoon from Glenwood Springs to Carbondale so we loaded the Van and took the trikes to Carbondale and rode almost 20 miles out and back on the Rio Grande Trail. It too was HOT, 95F+ but not as bad as we rode a lot of way by the Roaring River so there was a "tiny" bit of cooling breeze. This part of the trail is the "wilder" part, as there have been "bear" sightings and other critters!! Some of the this part is covered both sides by tall bushes and you HEAR running water but don't see it till it opens up to show the river. It's all good asphalt and has good "trail signage" BUT, Some of the major trailheads or parking areas along the trail are HARD to find. One great thing they have RESTROOMS and picnic tables all along the trail, SWEET, wish they'd do that for the trails here in Colorado Springs, CO. where we live!!!!!! We got back and packed the van and went and found a 7-11 for a shared BIG GULP of Root beer and headed back to our "camping cabin" in Glenwood Springs. Sunny, HOT, 95F+ slight breeze, we stayed in a camping cabin in a valley surrounded by tall foot hills. We loaded the van with the trikes and drove 10 miles to Carbondale to start our ride! :)