Photo Essay: Deep Summer in the Durango High Country
Mid-summer is pretty special in the Colorado high country, especially in the San Juans above Durango: cool temps, incredible views, perfect trails, moody weather and just about everything else that combines to make the perfect ride. Last week we wrapped up an incredible trip with a great crew, with four days of epic rides that kept getting better each day. Durango is all about backcountry exploration with killer descents, and this trip delivered in spades. Take a look below for a daily ride summary, stats, and some photos so you know what to expect when you book for 2026! 😉
Day 1: Pass Creek, Colorado Trail to Graysill Creek
22 miles, 2600′ up and 4400′ down. Starting with a fairly stiff climb up Pass Creek is a tough way to get things going for the trip, but pacing and a few key breaks made things a bit easier for the group. The traverse on Engineer and White Creek over to the CT is one of the most scenic sections of trail in Colorado. Coming down White Creek and the CT are a hoot with mostly fast flow, and juuuuust enough tech to keep you on your toes. The descent down Graysill Creek is about 2,000′ and regularly ranks among our riders’ favorites. To finish things off, we headed down Cascade Creek West, which is a fun rip if you can keep momentum and aren’t totally spent from the first 15 miles today. Don’t let the elevation gain fool you, despite being under 3,000′ this is a tough ride!
Day 2: Celebration Lake, Blackhawk Pass to Stagecoach
17 miles, 2100′ up and 4500′ down. Another shuttle drop today, this time behind Purgatory Ski Resort and WAY up to the Colorado Trail, not far from where we were the day before. The highlight of this ride was Blackhawk Pass, which sits just under 12,000′ and definitely requires some effort to reach. The first 1/3 of the ride is the effort to get up to Blackhawk, but then we get about 4,000′ of descending between two big downhills, split up by a 300′ climb on the CT. The final descent, Stagecoach, is a rippin’ fast singletrack that never lets up, but never asks too much to keep your speed.
Day 3: Molas Pass, Colorado Trail to Engine Creek
21 miles, 2500′ up and 4500′ down. For this ride we started at Molas Pass, which is the last place the Colorado Trail crosses any semblance of civilization (Hwy 550) with a shuttle drop. From here the trail climbs gently for about 700′ over the first 3-4 miles before becoming “traversy” for the next hour or so. The trail will keep you on your toes, but the views will make your jaw drop. Our main stiff climb of the day was about 8 miles in and took about an hour with a bit of hiking involved, topping out around 12,200′. We get a bunch of sweet DHs over the second half of the ride, including the top section of Engineer and then Engine Creek: likely the most technical of the week with some pretty rowdy lines that pushed tech skills. We timed the day perfectly, as the skies opened up just as we hit the exit trail (Cascade Creek) and the rain didn’t negatively affect any of our descents.
Day 4: Pass Creek to Engineer Mtn Trail
10 miles, 1200′ up and 3000′ down. A fairly short ride overall, but after four big days between 10-12k’ altitude, the crew was ready for an easy ripper! Towards the end of the climb up Pass Creek the views start opening up and you’ll reap the rewards, as we turn onto Engineer Mountain trail. Engineer drops almost 3000′ in six miles, and is one of the best descents you’ll ride in Colorado. It’s a perfect mix of fast tech, flow, and views that never get old. In our opinion, a hell of a way to end a nearly-perfect trip! Only one (cell phone) picture from today, as we were too busy ripping Engineer from top to bottom!
