i don’t get paid enough for shots like this…my fifth attempt to self-shoot while clawing my fat ass up the 6% gravel road climb to the Log Chutes Trailhead…this and all shots by ilg from my little camera-phone with Sanghic Love, wishing you were riding and running beside me!
located a glorious 7 miles and a thousand-plus feet higher than my riverfront home lies a special – if not hallowed – yes, c(om)e to TAF it…it IS hallowed – training ground…i’ve known it since a kid borrowing Lorie Worthan’s automatic clutch, 3-speed Honda trail bike, upon which i swear to Lord Shiva, i’d take up to these trails among the wild Turkey, Coyote, Fox, Deer, Elk, and Bear Beings and strip my ass butt naked, and motor around on these trails fast as i could…pressing my little scrotum against the wide, sweaty vinyl seat seeking new dizzying heights of pre-orgasmic bliss…flash forward to me today, 40-odd years later; same trails, same nearly orgasmic sensations…the only difference? i ain’t naked (though i’d like to be), and i’m either running or mountain biking…or, like earlier today? i’m doing both…c’mon; welcome to The Logchute Trail System!
mtb/run/mtb transition; elevation 7,650′, location; Log Chute Trailhead, 7 miles and a thousand feet higher than the WF Temple H(om)e…setting up shop for another day at the ilg office…a common site around Durango in June when i begin attempting to run again…Asea Sacred Water, Saucony Mirage zero-support shoes, MTB shoes, and the WF Track Pack…my duathlon morning workout today: mtb 7 miles/mt. run 6.4 miles/mtb 14 miles. what a way to glow for a few hours or so!
Trailhead Location: 5.7 miles west of Durango on 25th street off Main which turns into Junction Creek Road (where i grew up) which turns to gravel at mile 3.5.
Length: there are two loops a “short loop” of 4.8 miles and a full loop of 6.4 miles. the short is labeled “Easiest”…oh yeah, and my PROP 101 Workout is ‘easiest’ too…don’t buy it. the full Loop is labeled “More Difficult”…it is. it’s also far more aesthetically and kinesthetically rewarding.
Salient Features: why do this ride when you visit Durango? well, jeez, i just told you that i used to motor dirt bike this as a naked kid! shouldn’t that be enough? oh, and the fact that the downhill section after mile 4used to be host to the Nationals (which WF Student Penny Davidson won, thank you very much!) and now hosts a mind-blowing BMXy alternative to the old DH Race Course, and that it’s absolutely scintillating, serene, and quixotic in just the right low, high country ways. oh, and that this is my go-to mountain-duathlon training hallowed ground! i still don’t know if i like it better as a run or a ride…yet another Blessed Durango Conundrum!
the first two miles of Log Chutes begins on upward doubletrack, ideal for sub-alpine intoxication via aerobic indulgence…i’ve seen Fox and in the old days, wild Turkey used to run rampant here. the Forest Service has selectively thinned this area these days in an attempt to decrease major forest fire risk.
sub-alpine nirvana…you can spot the singletrack photo left…what have we in the foreground? some Heartleaf Arnica dancing with the Lupines and the Alpine Parsley, perhaps? show me a mountain runner or rider with iPods, and i’ll show you someone else who knows not the names or chi of the wildflowers swinging their praises beside their sweat…remember, the i in iPod stands for “ignorance” as in Avidya…spiritual ignorance
just look at you…you low-lying Snake in the grass!
you know, you think you’re tired…you’ve been running uphill now for like 40 minutes, your ego is just riding a crescent wave of self-pity and entropic gravitational proportions…then, well, you look down and realize you’re about to step on (or ride over) one of these guys…amazing how FAST the ego shuts down and the INTUITIVE BIOLOGIC ENERGY TO SURVIVE kicks in!
not tired anymore!!!
looking UP a part of the scintillating Log Chute Downhill…a former National Course from the bygone era…trust me; your braking fingers will get a workout on this one! the technical grading of the downhill is 4 out of 5 in a local guidebook. it’s why we wear helmets and put our chain on the upper front chainring (because not doing so exposes the sharp teeth of the upper teeth of the chainring that has been known to shark attack mountain cyclists when they crash…just look closely at my right calf sometime…thanks that to uh, Rocky Ridge Trail in Flag).
here is how old your ol’ el’ coaché is; i actually remember when this old corral was still active! Nowadays? When you come sizzling past this corral it means you are only 3/4 mile from the trailhead home!
i trust you enjoyed this as much as did i trusting it through sweat to you!
c’mon out for a Wholistic Fitness™ Adventure for you or…you AND your family! we accommodate ALL Levels of those who love to sweat within Sacred Peaks!
your loving coach
These teachings are the "Rasas" or "sap" of Wholistic Fitness. You’ll find insights to ponder, student chi to keep your own chi topped off, and plenty of proven training techniques to test on your own body, mind, and spirit! Also, you’ll find my very popular Race Reports, and news of our Sangha’s (community’s) latest transpersonal fitness adventures!