A Closer Look: Our 2025 Fall Trips
We know that Fall ’25 is a long ways away… but we also know that it takes time to plan a vacation, which is why we’re putting together the latest edition of “A Closer Look”. Next fall we have three trips on the schedule, and we want you to have all the information available when you decide to pull the trigger. So take a look below at our breakdown of the trips to Crested Butte, Sun Valley and Brevard, and hopefully we’ll see you next year!
Crested Butte: September 20-24, 2025
Technical Level: Intermediate+
Fitness Level: Advanced
Summary: One of our most popular trips every year, Crested Butte in the fall is absolutely magical. Cooler temps, perfect trail conditions, and changing aspens… this is a 5-day trip you won’t soon forget. Don’t underestimate what’s needed to have fun in CB though: make sure you put in lots of training miles beforehand, as you’ll need them. This trip has BIG climbs above 11,000 feet and big days in the saddle- but don’t worry, it’s all worth it because descents like Teocalli, 403, and Doctor Park are world-class.
Outside of the big climbs and hard riding, we’ll work in a few shuttles to maximize the trail connections and put together rides you’ll never do on your own. We know the trails here like the back of our hand because our guides helped design and build them, and we always put together a unique and amazing itinerary. There are definitely some tough technical sections on trails like the ones mentioned above, so make sure you can handle some high-speed chunk and the occasional steep line. We’re already dreaming about late September in Crested Butte, we can’t wait.
Expected Itinerary
Ride Day One: We’ll head just south of town to the Cement Creek trails for one of our newer (and favorite) loops including Farris Creek, Point Lookout, and the new Middle Cement trails. You’ll get some longer, grunty climbs mixed in with some absolutely amazing singletrack… we can’t wait to show off this route! This ride will cover about 20 miles with ~3000 feet of climbing, with an end-of-ride option to add 3-4 miles as well!
Day Two: This ride is a Chasing Epic original, combining some of the best trails in the world like no one else can. We’ll hit some of the best upper Cement Creek-area trails for a “warmup” in the morning for around 10-12 miles. Once we hit the bottom of the second big descent, we’ll grab lunch and then begin the second half of our day on Doctor Park: one of the best trails you’ll ever ride, promise. All told today we’ll knock off about 25 miles with just under 3000 feet of climbing, but almost 6,000 descending thanks to a morning shuttle!
Day Three: Another combo ride here, and this one’s been in the Chasing Epic arsenal for years… Teocalli and Strand Hill. Combining these two incredible trails gives us one big climb, one epic descent, one smaller climb, and another epic descent. In the fall, you can expect perfect dirt, golden aspens, and incredible riding on both trails. All told, expect about 20 miles and 3400′ of climbing today.
Day Four: We always like to finish up our trips on a high-note, so today we’re putting together our “804” ride, which combines the world-famous 403 and 401 trails. We’ll start off with a shuttle up to the 403 trailhead, followed by a short mile-long climb before we hit the goods down 403. Once we hit the bottom, it’s a steady climb to Schofield Pass and beyond, to the top of 401. Once we reach the top of 401, you’ve got 5+ miles of sweet, flowy singletrack all the way down to the vehicles. Today’s ride is about 14 miles and 2,200 vertical.
Expected Weather: Crested Butte in the fall can be a mixed bag… but on average, expect highs in the 60’s and low’s in the 30’s (or lower) during the mornings and evenings. We’ve seen everything from snow to 80* and sunny on our fall trips here! We’ll do our best to make sure you’re prepared for whatever Mother Nature has in store for us; the changing weather is always part of the experience!
Final Word: We can’t say enough about our late-September trip to Crested Butte each year. It’s challenging, but the rides and downhills are so rewarding. There’s a chance you’ll push yourself harder and farther than before, but there’s also a good chance you’ll ride some of the best trails of your life. All in an environment that’s mind-blowing, and you’ll get to share it with a group of other riders having just as much fun as you are.
Sun Valley, ID: October 1-5, 2025
Technical Level: Intermediate
Fitness Level: Intermediate +
Summary: This year we visited Sun Valley in the fall for the first time in four years, and it reminded us how incredible the riding is… which is why we’re going back in ’25! Typically we’ll find perfect weather (highs in the 50-60s) along with tacky trails and non-existent crowds. This trip is all about big rides in the backcountry, and we’ve put some killer point-to-point routes together to show you the best of what’s on tap.
What should you expect in Sun Valley? Big rides, and loooong flowy descents with views that go on forever. That said, you should definitely put in lots of training miles before joining us. Even though the terrain in Sun Valley is on the “more mellow” side in terms of tech, the rides here always have a way of beating you down over the course of a long day. We’ll mix things up with a couple of shuttles, point to points, loops, and maybe even finish at a couple of our favorite bars in town for post-ride beers.
Expected Itinerary
Ride Day 1: Oregon Gulch P2P w/ Shuttle. We’ll start our trip with a shuttle about 15 miles north of town to a drop point at the bottom of Oregon Gulch, where we’ll gradually head back to town via a series of loops and connector trails. This is the perfect first-day ride with some gradually longer climbs (but never too steep) and some killer descents to get you used to the bikes and the terrain. We’ll even let you pick the post-ride bar at the end of the day… Lefty’s or Grumpy’s?
Day 2: Castle Creek to Red Warrior to Warm Springs. Yep, another shuttle… today’s ride is a true backcountry experience where we’ll hit a long 7+ mile downhill that few people ride. The route starts with a 20-25 minute climb on Osberg Ridge before heading over to Castle Creek, which is one of our favorite raw, rugged descents anywhere. Once we hit Warm Springs Road, we have our biggest climb of the day up to the top of Red Warrior (about 5 miles), but it’s totally worth the effort since RW is always a customer fave: 5 miles and over 2000′ of ripping tech and flow! All told we’ll knock out about 21-22 miles with 2500′ of climbing and another 5000’+ of descent.
Day 3: We’re going to start with another shuttle ride, and this one is to the start of Osberg Ridge. Osberg’s is typically ridden all the way back to town, but we like the quality of riding when we connect it to Oregon Gulch, which ends the ride with 6 miles of incredible downhill. Expect long climbs, huge views, incredible singletrack, and some rugged backcountry riding. Today’s ride will clock in around 23 miles and around 2800′ of climbing (and 5500′ of descending).
Day 4: We’re going to treat you to one of our favorite “short loops” anywhere… just south of town in Greenhorn Gulch. Greenhorn-Imperial is an incredible 11 mile, 2000′ loop that is the perfect topper for an incredible trip. If you’re feeling good on today’s ride and want a little more, we’re happy to add some climbing and descending to make it closer to 15 miles with 3000′ of climbing/descending.
Expected Weather: Sun Valley in late fall is absolutely perfect, with highs in the 50-60s and typically minimal chances for rain. Occasionally there will be a random shower or snow squall up higher, but those are pretty rare; worst case, we’ll have a chilly start to the day and have to bundle up a bit.
Final Word: To us, Sun Valley is the epitome of “high country epic” riding. You’ll be wiped out at the end of each day, but honestly- we can’t think of many places we’d rather spend all day in the mountains. The rides will be big and long, but the descents are truly epic and we’ll have the trails to ourselves. Make sure you train for this one, as we’ll be in the saddle for 20+ miles every day with options to lengthen rides and push even harder.. and farther into the rugged backcountry of the Idaho mountains.
Brevard, NC: October 11-15, 2025
Technical Level: Intermediate +
Physical Level: Intermediate +
Summary: To us, Brevard in the fall is very similar to Crested Butte. With the changing leaves and peekaboo views, it’s quite magical in its own right! Pisgah National Forest sits just below the world-famous Blue Ridge Parkway, and has many similar traits with amazing forest riding and a beautiful landscape… but don’t be fooled, because hidden under the canopy of trees is some of the most technical riding on the east coast!
The key word when it comes to the riding in Brevard is “rowdy”, as we’re focusing all our energy on getting the best of Pisgah NF on this trip. In Pisgah National Forest, just a few minutes north of town, you’ll see what east coast technical riding is all about: from the uber-tech trails like Black Mountain and Bennett Gap to the intermediate-level stuff like Daniel Ridge and Sycamore Cove. The climbs are typically on steady logging roads with a bit of steep singletrack mixed in, and the descents are long, rooty, rocky and damn fun. This is our favorite place to ride east of the Rockies; join us, and you’ll see why.
Expected Itinerary
Ride Day One: Just east of town is Mills River, home of some of the best Pisgah trails we’ve ridden. Today we’ll link together a “triple loop” combining Trace Ridge, Spencer Gap, Fletcher Creek and a couple other bonuses- the perfect mix of trails if you ask us. Expect some old school tech on Trace Ridge, along with “new school” man made features on Spencer Gap to give you the perfect Pisgah experience. Lunch at the trucks halfway through the ride will give you a good chance to refuel and take a break! Expect about 20-22 miles with over 3,000′ of climbing and descending today.
Day Two: We’ll start with a quick shuttle up one of the many National Forest service roads to knock off some climbing, but don’t be fooled- we’ll still put in some big vertical. The climbing in Pisgah is typically done on fire roads, and the descents come in the form of super technical, rooty and rocky trails. Today we’ll combine the tough trails like Bennett Gap, Avery Creek, and Black Mountain – expect some bumps and bruises, even for the best of us. Expect about 18-20 miles with a solid 2500-3000 feet of climbing but even more descending. There’s an option at the end of the ride to add another 4-5 miles and 800′ for anyone that has the legs!
Day Three: Today’s ride is going to combine a few of the more off-the-grid trails with a point-to-point shuttle ride. We’ll start by driving about 15 minutes northeast of Brevard to drop off near Mills River, where we’ll start the day with a mellow climb up Cantrell before hitting Squirrel Gap: the definition of Brevard chunk. From there, we’ll get a few shorter DHs and climbs before entering in the Black Mountain area, where we’ll get a couple huge descents before ending our day at the Hub for a post-ride beer!
Day Four: Last day of the trip, but it doesn’t mean that we’re going to take it easy on you. That said, we’re heading over to Dupont State Recreation Area to sample some of the tech and slickrock on the south side of the area with trails like Cedar Rock and Burnt Mountain. You can expect around 10-12 miles with 1500′ of climbing, the perfect end to four days of riding!
Expected Weather: Generally, early October in Brevard is absolutely perfect with temperatures in the 70s and lower chances of rain. That said, Pisgah National Forest is a temperate rain forest, so there’s always a chance for showers and wet conditions!
Final Word: If you couldn’t tell by now, Brevard is all about classic east coast chunk. Advanced (or above) riders will absolutely love it here, and we think intermediate riders will too… although there are certainly some sections you’ll walk. But it’s all about progression and having fun, and Brevard delivers that in spades! Adding another layer of awesomeness is the timing of this trip, as the leaves will be changing and the trails should be in perfect condition.
