Your Choice: Short vs Long Route on Every Trip
ICYMI, last week we announced a new trip format beginning in 2027, what we call “Choose Your Own Adventure”. Essentially, on every trip in 2027 we’ll have multiple ride options each day – one longer, one shorter – that will allow you to customize the trip exactly how you want. We’ve had quite a bit of excitement along with some questions, so we thought it would be a good idea to follow up the announcement with some real world examples; comparing ride options that you’ll find on a variety of our trips. Each example below will explain the routes and the main differences, along with an elevation profile and mileage.
As always, feel free to reach out if you have additional questions!
Example 1: Crested Butte
Typically on Day 2 or 3 in Crested Butte, our ride will be a “Chasing Epic Special”, a route that we introduced several years ago and one that’s almost always a rider favorite. Both options on this day start with a shuttle drop to maximize our climbing effort, with the longer ride option being dropped off ever-so-slightly higher to begin with. As you’ll see from the elevation profiles, the main difference here is at the start of the ride – the longer ride includes an additional descent (Flag Creek, sometimes Rosebud)) and 900′ climb (Bear Creek) that essentially brings you back to the starting point of the shorter ride.
Both options include the killer DHs of Bear Creek and Doctor Park, which is obviously the big ticket trail of the day! All told the shorter ride option is 14 miles with almost 1500′ of climbing and 4100′ of descent, while the longer option is 25 miles, 2500′ of climbing and around 5300′ of epic downhill.
Example 2: Sun Valley
One of the classic Sun Valley rides is Osberg Ridge, which is a pretty big day for most riders. That said, we’ve introduced a shorter option that maximizes fun (Alden Creek) while still getting the epic views when the ride tops out. The longer option on this day will either be the Osberg Ridge epic seen below, or Osberg Ridge to Oregon Gulch, which provides a lot more bang for the buck vs the standard ride but cuts about 500-800′ of climbing. Alden Creek, the main descent on our shorter route today, is always a crowd favorite as it’s essentially a bike park-quality flow trail built in the middle of nowhere – truly awesome, especially if you manage epic conditions!
All told, the shorter ride option on this day is 15 miles with 2000′ of climbing and just over 3000′ of descent, while the longer ride adds another 60-90 minutes of riding and comes in at 24 miles with 3000′ of climbing and 4200′ of descent.
Example 3: Fruita / Moab
We’re sure you’ve heard of it: The Whole Enchilada. It’s been on every mountain biker’s bucket list for years, and for good reason. With a huge shuttle lift (typically to either Kokopelli or Hazard County in the spring), you’re looking at 20+ miles of epic riding through multiple ecosystems and different trail types. Over the last five years, the good folks in Moab have also built out a separate option that drops off the bottom of UPS (Upper Porcupine Singletrack) called the Raptor Route, which is quite a contrast to the standard ride that includes Porcupine Road and Porc Singletrack.
One glance of the elevation profiles below and you’ll see the two options today are quite similar in distance and vertical – the big difference is the style and difficulty of trail once you reach the bottom of UPS. The standard “Whole Enchilada” route continues down LPS and Porcupine, offering a much rockier, rowdier, and more technical ride for the last 10-12 miles. If you opt for the “shorter” ride you’ll descend on the Raptor Route, which is a purpose-built series of mountain bike trails with “Moab Flow”. That is, still rocky but much faster and flowier in relation to most of what you’ll find in Moab. Which is best? Honestly, it always changes and it truly depends on the style of ride you’re looking for! (top graphic is the Raptor Route, second graphic is the standard route).
