Motorcycle Used: XR400R plated Type of roads/trails: Single track, gnarly jeep roads Difficulty: Some easy to moderate singletrack, then fairly difficult terrain over Pearl Pass, and coming down the south side of Taylor Pass. Rode this with Pablo83, Mountain Eagle, and Mommer from West Fest camp this year- Buena Vista and back, but this track starts at the Taylor Park store, follows easy gravel roads for awhile, dives into singletrack including Brush Creek, then it gets fun. Pearl Pass is a difficult pass on two wheels. Best suited for trail bikes- I wouldn't take my 950 on it. The most spectacular pass I've ever seen, though, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! After Pearl, we headed to Ashcroft, then back south over Taylor Pass. Taylor is easy on the North side, but the south side is very rocky, and one section is litterally in the Taylor River streambed, with basketball sixed rocks under a foot plus of swift water. The track ends where we hit the main gravel road...and my battery died.
Not sure, Paul. Uploading has been sketchy lately. Are you sure you have all the extraneous waypoints deleted, etc.?
Fuck if I know. What'a an extraneous waypoint? I deleted all the waypoints. The file is 444 KB. It's not a big deal, it would just be nice to know what the hell I'm doing wrong.
Hey Heyduke, that stinkin' pearl pass has turned me back at least 3 times----always very deep snow--now I'm too old to try----shit Here was one attempt----it was near the top then I hit some 8 ft. snow drifts. Yes that is one mean mutha--coming from the North it was the toughest place I'd ever been on a dirt bike---I was on a DRZ400 in this picture--years ago. I may be blowing thru your area soon---I'll try to stop and say hi.
Might just be a server issue, then. It's been a bit wonky. try again! Mark- it'd be good to see you again! Pearl is open now, btw.
I rode over Moquito, Weston, Tincup, Taylor and Pearl last year to get from Leadville to Crested Butte. Ended up doing Taylor and Pearl in the dark, and it took a while. Some fairly gnarly stuff in there. Great route Duke!
I rode over Pearl a couple of years ago on what was supposed to be a dual sport ride, going from Crested Butte to Leadville. Later on we joked that it was more like a cruel sport ride. I wouldn't mind doing again though, using your tracks. I will be out there around Labor Day. I'll stop by and see you. Don't know if you remember but I stopped by last year while doing the TAT with my two riding buddies Dick (Dickosaurous) and Ken (Rufus)
Wow, I thought Pearl was tough pass. The nice part was the amazing scenery. Doing it at night sounds brutal, and cold.
I'm not buying it Mark. The day I took this picture of my LC4 at the top, one of our group was 70 years young. Seriously, the key to riding Pearl is just pacing yourself. In most cases no one's handing out a trophy anyway. JimR
The difficulty is not what stopped me each time---it was 4 ft. and deeper snow. I know there have been years that the pass never opens up at all.
Yeah, I know ...... I was just giving you a hard time because of your comment that you are too old. To steal some words from Malcolm Smith, ya don't get too old to ride ya get too old to crash.
This looks like a nice loop trail opportunity around Taylor Park and then back to Buena. May try it in early September but it might kill off me and my flatlander buddies.
Anyone know if this track is open? I was going to check it out next weekend when I am up visiting from Kansas
Let me know what you find out as I'll be going up in that area for a week on Saturday (7-23) after riding around Lake City next week.
Lol!!! My sister & brother-in-law have been up in Lake City for two weeks already. She said there's a lot more snow on the mountain tops than the last two years.
I was just in the area (Spring Creek) last week. The lower elevation trails just opened up in the past two weeks. Most of Taylor is open, but I can't imagine there's any way Pearl Pass is open.
