The Devil's Backbone is a very unique rock formation, especially considering its location on the Front Range of Northern Colorado. It is quite stunning. The trail goes along beside the rock, offering beautiful views of it while near it, and then rises up onto the nearby hogback formations which are more typical of the geology for this area. The trail is extremely rough and challenging, due to the nature of the rock, which is slabbed and layered, flat ironed if you will, creating a very bumpy ride. When riding uphill, the trail constantly fights you and tries to reject you. Even when riding downhill, it is trying to buck the rider off the bike.
The Devil's Backbone Trail starts just west of Loveland, goes northwards and connects with the Blue Sky Trail, which connects with Horsetooth Mountain Park, which connects into Lory State Park. It makes for a trail system that delivers way more milage than I ever want on any one ride.
Here is a portion of the Devil's Backbone.
Another view.
I have been riding with a couple of buddies, Darcy and Tim. Here is a shot of Darcy. At this point, the trail is very easy and pleasant, with a great view of the Backbone. It soon gets technical: steep and rocky.
A shot of Darcy that she might like better, at a pause overlooking the Backbone. I have known Darcy for about 10 years, meeting her at a bookgroup.
Up on top of the hogback formations, the trail builders had to create several "bridges" because the west side of the ridge is so steep. This is Tim, negotiating a steep switchback at one of the structures.
Tim is a very, very, very strong mountain bike rider. He has strength, endurance, and awesome technical ability. But, today and here, Tim was struggling. He had fallen earlier on the ride and damaged the front shock of his bike, making things quite difficult. Never the less and as usual, he was riding out ahead of Darcy and myself and then turning around and coming back to us. He usually rides about 50 percent farther than I do.
Below, Darcy is on a portion of the trail that illustrates what some people call the "flat irons" nature of the rock. It is hard to tell, but she is riding uphill. This makes for very interesting riding, never mind if you are going uphill or downhill. The rider had better be concentrating!
Here is yours truly, descending down to the Backbone. Once you are down alongside the Backbone the trail is a gentle descent, with fun, flowing curves. It makes for a mad, mad, crazy mad ride back to the parking lot: top gear, cranking has fast as you can and the three of us wheel to wheel hooting and hollering. Well, okay, Tim, just Darcy and I.
One last shot, from atop the hogback, camera looking east over Loveland.
