Building Trail with the ColoRowdies
What a weekend. COSMBA had the honor of hosting over 20 riders from the Denver-based ColoRowdies social MTB group. They reached out to COSMBA with the offer to make Colorado Springs their destination of choice for their annual trail “mission trip” and we jumped at the chance to collaborate with such a skilled group.
Group Ride on Friday in Red Rocks Open Space
Things got started Friday evening with a group ride in Section 16 in Red Rock Open Space. It was a perfect way to set the tone for the days to come. It was also clear right away that these folks can ride—their passion for the sport is obvious.
Saturday was all about the work. After a quick safety meeting at the Pike View Quarry, we all headed up to the new trails taking shape in Blodgett Open Space. The main goal was to push progress on the new black diamond directional trail. For over six hours, the crew was hard at it, moving tons of rock to build out a technical "B line" and clearing the corridor. You can tell this wasn't their first rodeo; the ColoRowdies' trailbuilding skills are the real deal, and it shows in the quality of the rock work.
Tool Talk provided by Colorowdie’s leader, Jeremy
We broke for a well-deserved lunch on the mountain. About an hour in to our restart, we saw a sudden lightning storm rolling in which forced us to call it a day for safety. The work may have ended early, but the day wasn't over. The entire group headed over to the SRAM/RockShox headquarters for a fantastic happy hour and an exclusive tour of their facility—a serious treat for any mountain biker.
Sunday was the reward for all that hard work: an epic ride down Pikes Peak. Fourteen of us shuttled up and started a massive 30-mile, 7,500-foot descent from Elk Park all the way back to town. The recent rain left us with perfect "hero dirt" conditions, which made for an unforgettable ride down the mountain.
Making sure the top of the berm is flat and to specifications
When the ColoRowdies finally packed up for the drive back to Denver, the impact of this collaboration with COSMBA was easy to see. We built around 300 feet of new trail, placed several tons of rock, and cleared a huge stretch of corridor for the next phase. But beyond the numbers, this weekend was about connection. New friendships were made, and the bond between our two front-range MTB communities feels stronger than ever. A huge thank you to the ColoRowdies for their incredible work and partnership.
We can't wait to do it again.
