{"id":795258,"date":"2019-04-27T18:16:01","date_gmt":"2019-04-28T00:16:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/scott-mercier-heading-west-for-some-desert-riding\/"},"modified":"2019-04-27T18:16:01","modified_gmt":"2019-04-28T00:16:01","slug":"scott-mercier-heading-west-for-some-desert-riding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/local-news\/scott-mercier-heading-west-for-some-desert-riding\/","title":{"rendered":"Scott Mercier: Heading west for some desert riding"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery\" readability=\"6.6702898550725\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-365108-264\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/cyclingcolumn-atd-042619-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/cyclingcolumn-atd-042619-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Courtesy photo | Scott Mercier and his son took to the trails around Grand Junction for some mountain biking this spring.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"6.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/cyclingcolumn-atd-042619-1.jpg\" alt=\"Scott Mercier and his son took to the trails around Grand Junction for some mountain biking this spring.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Scott Mercier and his son took to the trails around Grand Junction for some mountain biking this spring.<\/strong><br \/>Courtesy photo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/cyclingcolumn-atd-042619-1-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/cyclingcolumn-atd-042619-1-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Courtesy photo | Scott Mercier and his son took to the trails around Grand Junction for some mountain biking this spring.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"6.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/cyclingcolumn-atd-042619-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"Scott Mercier and his son took to the trails around Grand Junction for some mountain biking this spring.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Scott Mercier and his son took to the trails around Grand Junction for some mountain biking this spring.<\/strong><br \/>Courtesy photo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/cyclingcolumn-atd-042619-1-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/cyclingcolumn-atd-042619-1-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Courtesy photo | Scott Mercier and his son took to the trails around Grand Junction for some mountain biking this spring.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"6.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/cyclingcolumn-atd-042619-1-2.jpg\" alt=\"Scott Mercier and his son took to the trails around Grand Junction for some mountain biking this spring.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Scott Mercier and his son took to the trails around Grand Junction for some mountain biking this spring.<\/strong><br \/>Courtesy photo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/cyclingcolumn-atd-042619-1-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/cyclingcolumn-atd-042619-1-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Courtesy photo | Scott Mercier and his son took to the trails around Grand Junction for some mountain biking this spring.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"6.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/cyclingcolumn-atd-042619-1-3.jpg\" alt=\"Scott Mercier and his son took to the trails around Grand Junction for some mountain biking this spring.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Scott Mercier and his son took to the trails around Grand Junction for some mountain biking this spring.<\/strong><br \/>Courtesy photo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/cyclingcolumn-atd-042619-1-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/cyclingcolumn-atd-042619-1-4.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Anna Stonehouse\/The Aspen Times | Scott Mercier\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"6\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/cyclingcolumn-atd-042619-1-4.jpg\" alt=\"Scott Mercier\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7\">\n<p><strong>Scott Mercier<\/strong><br \/>Anna Stonehouse\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/sports\/scott-mercier-heading-west-for-some-desert-riding\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/sports\/scott-mercier-heading-west-for-some-desert-riding\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">I know. This was an \u201cepic\u201d winter and the Roaring Fork Valley is dominated by all things involving snow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">But, if you\u2019re like me, you\u2019re ready to ride the trails. There are only so many days I can hit the slopes. And, despite growing up in Telluride, it\u2019s nowhere near 100!<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The problem with hitting the trails is that most of them are still deeply buried under feet of snow and the ones in the lower valley are still closed for elk migration.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">A road trip to the Grand Valley is the perfect solution. It\u2019s a two-hour drive, is blessed with abundant sunshine and hundreds of miles of desert trails. The trail system is broken into three primary areas: The Lunch Loops, Kokopelli and Bookcliff. COPMOBA.org has great maps of the trail systems.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The Lunch Loops trail system starts just outside Grand Junction near the base of the Colorado National Monument. These trails are well-marked and almost exclusively single track. Be warned, however, the Lunch Loop trails are technical. They\u2019re ridable with a hard tail, but your internal organs will let you know for days that a hard tail is a bad idea on these trails. And don\u2019t be arrogant and get fooled by the rating system. The trails in red are not for us; it\u2019s not like the proverbial \u201cdouble black diamond\u201d that pretty much anyone can ski. The trails in red have huge drops and you\u2019ll be walking a lot. In fact, my motto for most trails in the Lunch Loops is: \u201cI\u2019m not afraid to walk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">From the Lunch Loop trailhead, you\u2019ll have myriad options, from several quick one-hour loops to all day affairs. The three classics are The Ribbon, Gunny Loop and Holy Cross. They\u2019re mostly ridable and a lot of fun. The Ribbon has a huge stretch of slickrock that is an absolute blast. It can be done as an out-and-back or a loop. The loop, however, involves riding up Little Park Road for a few miles. Expect a three-plus hour ride for the Ribbon. Gunny loop is one of the classic Junction trails and it takes about two hours. Holy Cross is the go-to ride for many locals who only have an hour to ride.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The Kokopelli Trail system, just west of Fruita, is along the Colorado River and has stunning views. It\u2019s also the start of the infamous Kokopelli Trail, a 146-mile jaunt from Fruita to Moab. Almost everything on this trail system is ridable, with the exception of Moore Fun. Moore Fun is not fun at all; it\u2019s terrifying. The same rule applies to these trails; if it\u2019s marked in red, it\u2019s not for us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The classic ride in this system is a combination of Mary\u2019s and Lion\u2019s loop, with an addition on Horse Thief Bench. If you ride all three, expect about 2\u00bd hours, but I\u2019d add another half hour for view stops and photos. The majesty of nature is on full display on this ride. These trails are a combination of desert single track, old Jeep roads and slickrock. The trails aren\u2019t flat, but the climbs are not long and not too steep. They\u2019re technical enough to be challenging, but not frightening. You\u2019re bound to have a smile on your face with these rides.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">You\u2019ll also get an idea of what I mean about the trails in red when you walk down the portage to Horse Thief Bench. You\u2019ll think to yourself, \u201cThis is not rideable.\u201d And you\u2019re right, but some freaks ride it anyway. Don\u2019t skip the \u201cbench\u201d however, it\u2019s a great addition to the ride and gets you really close to the river.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The Bookcliff trails are just north of Fruita on 18 Road. These trails are the least technical of the offerings in the Grand Valley. They\u2019re a great introduction to desert-style riding, but also fun for experienced riders. It\u2019s the desert version of flow trails, with banked turns and small jumps. The trails are also very popular. Last weekend my son and I rode a few of them, and there must have been 1,000 people. It was packed, but still fun.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Regardless of your riding ability, the Grand Valley has a mountain biking option for you.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Good riding!<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\">Scott Mercier represented Team USA at the 1992 Olympic Games and had a five-year professional career with Saturn Cycling and The U.S. Postal Services teams. He currently works as a senior financial adviser in Aspen and can be reached at <a href=\"mailto:scottmercier24@gmail.com\">scottmercier24@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/sports\/scott-mercier-heading-west-for-some-desert-riding\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Summit Daily<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Scott Mercier and his son took to the trails around Grand Junction for some mountain biking this spring.Courtesy photo Scott Mercier and his son took to the trails around Grand Junction for some mountain biking this spring.Courtesy photo Scott Mercier and his son took to the trails around Grand Junction for some mountain biking this [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-795258","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-15 01:11:55","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSMT The Mountain","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/795258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=795258"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/795258\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=795258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=795258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=795258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}