Colorado Creek Trail
White Mountains National Recreation Area

This is a great ride if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. The trailhead is at mile 57 Elliott Hwy., and there is a big pullout with a nice outhouse. For the first few miles the trail crosses a couple of open areas and starts gently rolling as you slowly gain elevation. There are lots of little drop-offs that can provide a few laughs and test your winter biking skills. Although you are steadily gaining elevation it is all mid-ring climbing, which is perfect for winter biking. Biking when the temperature is around or below 0o F calls for a steady pace to help control your body temperature. The trail follows the south side of the Tolovana River valley for four or five miles and then goes up the Duncan Creek drainage. From the trailhead at 612 ft. elevation to mile 11 you gain about 500-600 ft. From here, you climb a saddle to crest on a ridgeline at 1,625 ft. This is a gain of about 500 ft. in three miles and is “the climb” of the ride. It is bikable with good trail conditions. With a soft trail, it affords a chance to walk the bike up the steeper sections and give your ass a break and can help prevent overheating. As you crest the top, you could pick up some wind as you’re at the head of a bowl that drops down to the Colorado Creek cabin.

Keep an eye on the weather, as up to this point, the trail goes through forest and is protected from the wind. From here, as the trail opens up, it could be hard to follow in case of wind, snow, fog, darkness or a combination of any of these. On this crest you are getting close to the White Mountains, which are known for bad weather, and conditions can change quickly, so take caution. Dropping down toward the trail junction (left nine miles to Beaver Creek, straight a half mile to Colorado Creek cabin) the trail usually gets punchy, but firms up as you get closer to the cabin. The cabin is a 12’ by 16’ log cabin sitting on the west side of a small lake. It is very comfortable with a Coleman lamp and stove, good wood stove and a loft with mattresses.

When I rode in here a couple of years ago and spent two nights at the Colorado Creek cabin, I biked the rest of the Colorado Creek trail, which goes on nine miles to Beaver Creek and provides some fantastic views of a very rugged section of the White Mountains. This trail was ok but expect soft conditions in the open areas, and the trail can be hard to follow in those areas. You slowly drop a couple of hundred feet on the nine miles to Beaver Creek. A mile before Beaver Creek the Fossil Gap trail heads off to the right (south). Stay to the left and drop down to the creek crossing. The trail goes on the creek for a little bit, then you should see a sign for the Windy Creek trail. Wolf Run cabin is 1 1/2 miles after the creek crossing. This is a nice day trip from Colorado Creek cabin, about 18-19 miles round trip. The ride out from Colorado Creek cabin offers some great downhill runs as you drop off the ridge above the cabin. The work you did on the climb in pays off as you scoot back down the trail.

On a day trip in and out to the Colorado Creek cabin (30 miles round trip) a couple of years ago, I made it in to the cabin in an hour and fifty minutes and back out in an hour and ten minutes. This was with great trail conditions. On the ride out I was in the big ring about half the time, plus it was 20o above, so pushing myself and working up a good sweat was ok. On this last trip, the trail had only been broken by a couple of snowmachines and had a little fresh snow on top. The trail didn’t seem bad, in fact it was great—but I was really surprised at how long it took. I left the trailhead at 10 am and didn’t get back until 4:30 pm. This includes about an hour at the cabin. My watch ran slow because of the cold (it was about 0o F) and I thought I was making better time than I actually was. I thought I left the cabin at 1pm, which would have gotten me back to the truck before dark. As it turned out, it must have been closer to 2 or 2:30, so it was getting pretty dark by the time I got back. On these short winter days knowing approximate travel times on trails can be critical, so keep track of your trail times and keep your watch warm.

Before you head out to any of the White Mountain trails, call BLM and check on trail conditions.at 474-2372. They do a great job setting these trails after most snowfalls. The cabins are available for rent, $20 per night, Friday and Saturday and a very reasonable $15 Sunday through Thursday. You must reserve these in advance. Remember, for winter biking, choose trails that don’t have a lot of climbing unless you are used to cold weather and know how to dress for hard workouts. Also keep in mind that sometimes a trail that is fun to ride down can be extremely difficult if not impossible to ride up, so check before you drop 10 miles into some creek bottom. As mentioned previously, the White Mountains are notorious for bad weather so check forecasts and keep an eye out for changing conditions. For more information and current trail conditions, check out the BLM’s web site at aurora.ak.blm.gov/WhiteMtns/

Hope to see you out on the trails