Keystone, CO, Bike Report: Never Ending Trails That Make You Feel Great

Full disclosure, I’m not an expert downhill biker. I like to frame myself as a beginner-intermediate – someone who loves downhill biking more as an excuse to spend more time at a ski resort come summer than to pursue flying off jumps and charging hard downhill. Perhaps that is because the first time I ever tried it almost a decade ago, I broke my collarbone, but that is a story for a different time.

Needless to say, Keystone was unlike any other bike park I’ve been to. As someone who has ridden the biggest bike parks of the East (Mont-Sainte-Anne, Killington, etc.) but just recently moved to Colorado, I really didn’t have any experience with biking in the Rockies. So when I rolled up to Keystone for the first time ever this summer and stared up at the chairlift that went up the mountain and out of sight, I was pretty intimidated. Sure, I knew there was a nice beginner green from the top that winds its way down the mountain, but you still have to commit to a 2,360′-foot vertical drop. That number may not ever cross my mind in the winter, but come summer, it’s no joke.

Keystone Bike Facts & History

• Date Opened:
• Multi-Destination Pass: Epic Pass (free scenic lift rides, discounts on summer activities)
• Number of Trails: 28
• Trail Types: Flow, Tech, Jump Lines
• Vertical Drop: 2,360 feet
• Base Elevation: 9,280 feet
• Summit Elevation (for biking): 11,640 feet
• Terrain Breakdown:
  • Beginner: 32%
  • Intermediate: 14%
  • Advanced: 54%
• Number of Lifts: 2 (for biking)
• Other Activities:
  • Scenic Lift Rides
  • Hiking
  • Golfing

Regardless of my nerves, I got on the lift instead of the gondola (which bikers are only allowed to ride up to the mid-station on) and booked it straight to the top. As the lift passed over expert trails such as Sanitarium, Paid-In-Full, and Motorhead, my nerves started to really kick in. I felt like I was alone with a ton of riders who were way better than me. I was simply hoping I didn’t get in their way.

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When I reached the top, I headed for Girl Scouts, the single beginner option from the summit. As I got moving, my nerves began to subside, and the distractions of the stunning views of the Rockies, staying on the trail, and the surprising amount of wildlife kept easing my mind. I was here on a Sunday, and my assumption was that the trails would be significantly busier, but it felt like I had the entire mountain to myself.

After finishing Girl Scouts, I continued the beginner track down the mountain to Suz’s Cruise. I felt myself drifting away from all of the running lifts and other activities on the mountain to a place that only this trail went. The largest fox I have ever seen in my life darted along the trail in front of me. Just a couple of minutes later, I saw a deer peacefully grazing on an open trail. Yes, I was enjoying the biking, but there was so much more to this ride.

I finally hit Let It Ride, the green trail that would take me back to the base. The trail had such incredible flow, helping build my confidence and not get me overly tired on this 2,360-foot vertical descent. I’d been riding for what to me felt like forever when I came across a trail marker that said, “Let It Ride – 1/4 Way Down.”

1/4 of the way down? How is that possible? My best reminder of the day that I am still not used to being in mountains this big.

I continued the rest of the way down the trail, loving every minute of it. When I finally got to the bottom, after no joke 45 minutes since I initially got on the chairlift, all I wanted to do was get back up there and do it again. On the surface, Keystone’s bike park may not look that huge. For beginners, there is only one route down from the summit (broken up into three separate trails). For intermediates, there are only two options. And even for advanced riders, there are only five main trails from the summit. The 28 trails in the entire park total may not seem like a lot, but the sheer length of these trails is the thing that is difficult to convey on a trail map.

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So as some unexpected thunderstorms rolled in around 1, I had only done two laps that day. As the lifts closed because of thunder rumbling overhead, I stood under the cover in front of a store in the River Run Village and thought my day had been a failure. I drove all the way up from Golden to do two laps at this bike park. But then I checked my Strava, which showed I had ridden 18 miles in those two laps. With that perspective, it was a win in my books.

Due to thunder and lightning, the lifts never ended up reopening that day. So while I didn’t have enough time to ride around the mountain to give a full, honest review of Keystone’s bike park, I definitely understand why people believe Keystone’s bike park is in the upper echelons of the North American downhill scene. Its trails flow so naturally, are meticulously maintained, and offer the challenge and diversity for every skill level, making it the perfect place to push your riding to the next level.

I’ll certainly be back to Keystone, whether that is for biking or for skiing, sometime soon.

Photos

For more information, visit Keystone’s website.