Suzee ripping along with the dyke in the background.
The Dyke Trail isn’t the best nor the most renowned ride in the Crested Butte area but it is worthy, especially in the fall. Notorious for a herd of sheep, unpredictable, giant white sheep dogs (sometimes they attack you; sometimes they try to lick you to death) and never a shepherd to be seen, the Dyke Trail is also one of the better rides for experiencing aspens in September. I have been told that the largest stand of quakies is in this area but don’t hold me to that. Sections of this trail define “the glow tube.” It’s also popular with horseback riders and ends right at a major staging area for those who prefer to ride over four legs rather than two wheels.
Looking north from Kebler Pass road into the Raggeds Wilderness, I believe. The dyke is also clearly visible.
Just the other (week)day we saw not a horse, not a sheep and not a sheep dog. We did see glorious skies, awesome peaks, great trail and yes, lots or aspens doing their thing. Suzee had a rare day off of work and after getting the boys to school we jetted up though Crested Butte, waving to the hippies as we went. We parked on the east side of Kebler Pass right at the beginning of the Kebler Wagon Trail and climbed the road toward the old Irwin Lodge and the beginning of the Dyke Trail.
Susan in the "glow tube."
The trail is named after a geologic formation called a dyke. A dyke is a sheet intrusion and this one is of igneous origin. Keep in mind, I’m an armchair geologist but I think what we have here is essentailly a crack or fissure between rock layers that allowed magma to be pushed up into it. At the surface it’s exposed and while the trail crosses the dyke on the north side of Coal Creek high up on the mountainside, the dyke is evident running more of less north-south and can be seen on the other side of the creek, too, and also right next to the Kebler Pass road as you’re climbing back up toward the summit of the pass after riding the trail. Neat!
The good view of the dyke.
The other thing I found neat was riding with my wife here. We did the same ride years ago on a similar bluebird day in the fall and we’d often said we would do it again. It doesn’t seem like it should be that hard to make it happen but the window of aspens in or near their prime is often fleeting. Throw into that weather, kids and busy lives and I guess once every 6 or 7 years is pretty good.
The love of my life chatting up a friend we ran into at the spot where you might get attacked by sheep dogs in the summer.
This ride has also been greatly enhanced by the new Kebler Wagon Road Trail (thanks Kay Peterson!). This trail, while fresh in places, provides singletrack adjacent to but out of the dust of Kebler Pass. We had a tailwind for the lower section of trail and it is buff. Slightly downhill, tailwind and a buff trail? I’ll take that anyday. I’d suggest checking out Doctor Park, too, if you happen to be in the area.
Brilliant ground cover on the Kebler Wagaon Road Trail.
Poser. If you look closely, you can see a small booger hanging out of my nose.
