Hugh Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 Has anyone ridden this? I'm going to Durango this summer and wondering if it's worth a side trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chongo Loco Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 Has anyone ridden this? I'm going to Durango this summer and wondering if it's worth a side trip.Definitely worth it. And it’s not much more of a drive than driving up to Hermosa Creek. Go check out Mesa Verde NP too. You drive right by the entrance. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cxagent Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 I second what Chongo said. Phil's World is worth the trip. I spent the day there and had a blast. Make sure you ride Rib Cage. If you ride it once, I predict you will ride it several more times. I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted February 25, 2019 Author Share Posted February 25, 2019 34 minutes ago, Chongo Loco said: Definitely worth it. And it’s not much more of a drive than driving up to Hermosa Creek. Go check out Mesa Verde NP too. You drive right by the entrance. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk In Durango I'll be on a guided trip and the first day is Hermosa. My plan is hitting up Cortez for Mesa Verde and Phil's World but was curious about local experience there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chongo Loco Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 Honestly, I don’t know what hermosa is going to look like after the big fire there. It used to be a beautiful ride, but it’s one long down followed by one long climb back out.Phil’s is a lot of zig zagging all around a mesa that is open pinion pine country. The last section is roller coaster fun! If I had to rate “ride” I’d do Phil’s over hermosa, but Hermosa is a lot different than the Horse Gulch area in town in Durango. Squeak it all in, each of the 3 is different and worth it!Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anita Handle Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 I have no desire to ride Hermosa after doing it once. It was really wet and the wetness wasn't redeemed by the ride.Phil's world over Hermosa any day, for me.But Kennebec was one of my best days in a bike ever. So good Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridenfool Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 (edited) Phil's World is a hoot, and from there you can see a Sleeping Ute. Definitely worth the stop if you are in Cortez. The Rib Cage increases in fun factor on each subsequent pass. Edited February 25, 2019 by Ridenfool 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhoAmI Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 Of course, hit up Ska Brewery among others in Durango. And as others have said, yes, Phil's World is worth the trip. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridenfool Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, WhoAmI said: Of course, hit up Ska Brewery among others in Durango. And as others have said, yes, Phil's World is worth the trip. Ska's Steel Toe Milk Stout is my fave. I always bring back a few cases whenever I pass through. I have one can left and once it is gone I have to plan another trip. Edited February 25, 2019 by Ridenfool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olddbrider Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 +infinity for Phil's World. I only got to spend an afternoon there, but it was the highlight of my trip to the Durango area a couple of years ago. When (not if) I go back there, I'll devote an entire day to it. Hermosa Creek was beautiful, but not great riding in my opinion. Very little flow, lots of awkward rocky sections, and the climb at the end is not worth the effort (again, in my opinion). As stated in an earlier post, I thought this area was heavily damaged by last summer's fires. I supposed if you are hiring a guide they wouldn't take you if it's unrideable, but I won't be heading back to Hermosa Creek on my next trip to Durango either way... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cxagent Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 Hmmm. These posts are not encouraging me to ride the Durango area trails. In all of the time I have driven thru there going to/from Moab I have yet to get to ride Durango. The weather seems to think I should not ride there. So we sight see a little and drive on. Fruita has always worked and so has Summit County. But not Durango. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St.Bernardo Posted February 25, 2019 Share Posted February 25, 2019 Phil's World is worth it. Plus Cotez has a good bike shop and a beer/burger bar downtown. If driving up through NM and need a little side piece, White Mesa outside of Zia Pueblo is an entertaining ride. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chongo Loco Posted February 26, 2019 Share Posted February 26, 2019 Hmmm. These posts are not encouraging me to ride the Durango area trails. In all of the time I have driven thru there going to/from Moab I have yet to get to ride Durango. The weather seems to think I should not ride there. So we sight see a little and drive on. Fruita has always worked and so has Summit County. But not Durango.Hermosa is above Purgatory ski resort, not really in Durango. The horse gulch system in town is a blast, and the test track area across from downtown is pretty fun too. There’s a downhill that takes the pucker factor to 11 if you know how to find it! You can also do a great ride up the end of the Colorado trail in town past Gudy’s rest and back down to Lightner creek road via the dry fork trail. Hermosa WAS for the view only and i heard most of that area burnt last year. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhoAmI Posted February 26, 2019 Share Posted February 26, 2019 3 hours ago, cxagent said: Hmmm. These posts are not encouraging me to ride the Durango area trails. In all of the time I have driven thru there going to/from Moab I have yet to get to ride Durango. The weather seems to think I should not ride there. So we sight see a little and drive on. Fruita has always worked and so has Summit County. But not Durango. I spend four months building and maintaining trails in Durango in 2015. Horse Gulch has some great riding and can be accessed without having to drive to the main trail head. Admittedly, the jeep road climb up sucks but is a good warm up. I like the South Rim trails for good flow and the trails on the mountains for tech. Overend Park is one I would hit if I had more than three or four days to ride but wouldn't choose it as my only ride. I'd put Twin Buttes before Overend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anita Handle Posted February 26, 2019 Share Posted February 26, 2019 Hmmm. These posts are not encouraging me to ride the Durango area trails. In all of the time I have driven thru there going to/from Moab I have yet to get to ride Durango. The weather seems to think I should not ride there. So we sight see a little and drive on. Fruita has always worked and so has Summit County. But not Durango.Only one trail was panned. Like I said, Kennebec Pass was one of my best experiences ever on a bike, and that's our of Durango. Shuttled with Hermosa tours. Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridenfool Posted February 26, 2019 Share Posted February 26, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, St.Bernardo said: If driving up through NM and need a little side piece, White Mesa outside of Zia Pueblo is an entertaining ride. Except for that washboard road to the trailhead. It will rattle a car apart. Those sinkholes are something to ponder, and the ones you ride over that haven't broken through. The trail on top of that ridge is pretty cool. Not a destination, but anyone passing by with a little time to kill should pick this one up. Went over to MTBProject and found this video of White Mesa, enjoy! and for good measure, here's one at Phil's World on Rib Cage Edited February 26, 2019 by Ridenfool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
June Bug Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 The last few times either coming or going from Durango/Cortez area, we used New Mexico Hwy 550 from Bernalillo to Aztec. Nice wide highway and super fast, even though NM speed limits are on the lower side. Hwy 550 goes right by the turn off to the White Mesa trails; as you go through Aztec, you can hit the Alien Run trails. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurronnicane Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 I thought Hermosa was okay but the most epic ride we did in the area was Engineer Mountain. Thumbs up for Alien Run. There is also some fun stuff in Farmington. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
June Bug Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 Couple of things about Phil's World. Later in the summer, it gets brain-fry hot by the afternoon; early mornings are better. Some of those soils have super high clay content when even a little wet, but everything dries out fast. Kokopelli Bike and Board's website has a trail conditions page and shows current conditions at Phil's World: https://www.kokopellibike.com/trail-conditions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted March 2, 2019 Author Share Posted March 2, 2019 June Bug, even hot by Austin standards? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cxagent Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 I'm not June Bug but, Yes, even by Austin standards. That area is in the high desert. high temperature and low humidity. Temperatures get higher because humidity does not moderate the temperature. The sun feels hotter. And the biggest problem is I cannot carry enough water. I get dehydrated very quickly. And it is sneaky. I don't feel too bad until the headache starts. Then I start getting weak. And then I know I am in trouble. Since that is the point I turn back - it is usually big trouble. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
June Bug Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 Yes, High desert hot. Keep in mind the elevation is about 6,200'. As cxagent noted, that combo of heat, super low humidity and elevation can really suck the moisture out of you. But, high desert can be pleasant in the very early mornings, even on the hottest days. There is also the Boggy Draw riding area up above Dolores. Zero tech, flowy trails in the Ponderosa pines and a favorite for locals in the summer because it's much cooler. And speaking of flowy trails and Ponderosa pines, we really like the riding in the Zuni Mtns, up above Fort Wingate, not too far east of Gallup. Hilso Trailhead (parking area, map, bathroom) is very close to the Forest Service's Quaking Aspen Campground. Link for info here. Boggy Draw and the Hilso Trailhead trails are great if you have people in your group who are not so much into the tech and prefer cruising around. The Zuni Mtns may be an interesting area to watch; they are in the planning process of putting in many more miles of trails. If you go to Gallup via I-40, you just head due north on Hwy 491 and you end up in Cortez. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.