This ride follows part the Old Spanish Trail. In the early 1600's Spanish Explores utilized old Ute Indian hunting and trade trails to contribute to the forging of a 1200 mile route connecting Santa Fe, New Mexico to Los Angeles ,California. It was most frequently used from 1830-1850 by the fur trappers and then the wagon trains and now mountainbikers.Wonder what they would have thought about us us?From the parking area follow the signs for The Spanish Trail that direct you through the neighborhood. Follow the dirt rood a short distance,cross through an open gate designed to keep motor vehicles out.As you pass the last ranch house take the doubletrack up the hill to a county road. From here you can ride the loop in either direction,but on the Gunnison River Bluffs Trail someone has removed or shot some of the signs to pieces. I found it easiest to follow the Spanish Trail . The trail here is probabally the same now as it was when the wagon trains came through. An ugly wagon road. It must have been rough. The soil is a hard crust and hard to ride through.It's more like plains than desert here. After a few miles the trail takes you down to the river You will see some more signs for Gunnison River Bluffs Trail,cross a gully follow the Old Spanih Trail to the left and climb out of the river bottom. Follow the wagon road to the trailhead parking area.This is where the Gunnison River Bluffs Trail takes off and climbs up and down the bluffs along the Gunnison river. There are a few old roads and atv tracks that make it a little confusing, but the trail is well marked here.Follow the trail until you reach the river cross back over the gully you crossed earlier. Insted of going up the Spanish Trail take the singletrack that climbs steeply to the left. It will bring you out on the ridge and you can see the Spanish Trail .Stay left and continue climbing up a considerable hill. And finally some DH although short but fun. Some more up and down. When you come out at the river [nice view] someone has bown the sign to bits!I put the sign together the best I could as to figure out what direction to go.Up the ravine was the geuss. After a short distance I came to a fire pit with beer ca**pred about. These must have been the bums that blew the sign to bits. A little further and there was a trail that took off steeply to the left and at last a sign indicating Gunnison River Bluffs Trail.From here the trail is obvious and the the county road will take you back to th Spanish Trail and on to your vehicle.Although not a great ride it is a good one that takes you back in time.It's also a good place to get away from the crowds of riders that flock to the Bookcliffs and Loma
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