Butte-Full

Starting my Durango mountain bike excursion, I chose to re-ride the only trail I was familiar with; Twin Buttes. It is a fairly easy climb, a beautiful ride along the top of the plateau, and a fun and flowy drop back down to the entrance.

The view from the top – looking south towards New Mexico

I had planned a three-week road trip around the Pacific Northwest for the entire month of July. The persistence of the Covid 19 virus made that an impossibility. Instead of moping around the house for three weeks and driving my Wife crazy, I decided to load the family, the PPE, LOTS of cleaning supplies, and the mountain bikes into the 4Runner and live out part of my trip. Not the whole thing, but its most important and meaningful stop; the mountain town Durango, Colorado.

While visiting this quaint silver-rush era town two years ago on my very first road trip through the western states, I fell in love with its style, architecture, people, and outdoor lifestyle. I returned last year with my Wife, she loved it, so we returned once again with our Son to show him around and also to look at houses! (Who knows, right?)

I wanted to ride every day I was in Durango. Being approximately 7000 feet (over 2000 meters) above sea level, I immediately felt the effects of the oxygen-deprived atmosphere. To that end, I decided to ride the only trail I was already familiar with; Twin Buttes.

Located two miles west of town on highway 160, the Twin Buttes parking area is a basic dirt lot with immediate trail access. It is easy to ride right from the truck and start climbing the switchbacks. 

The Twin Buttes climb consists of three separate trails; East Twin Buttes, Twin Buttes, and Upper Twin Buttes. There is also a short bit of access road along the “BC and F Road“. The 500-foot climb is easy enough, but my lungs felt it! 

Perrins Peak – A Local Landmark

From there, I rode the Cliff Rock Loop which has great views of the local mountains. It’s a fairly easy climb, but it gets rocky in a few spots. The ride back down to the access road is fun and not too fast. After continuing on the Upper Twin Buttes trail, I relaxed at the top of the mountain and prepared for the fun ride down 

The downhill primarily consists of two trails; Upper Ed & Flo, and the main Ed & Flo trail. Both are super-fun flowy trails, but the lower is more of what you might expect if you are used to bermy, fast chutes. There are a few wood features, many small jumps, and some rooty, rocky sections to keep you alert as you enjoy the roller-coaster. Overall, it is an extremely fun ride that is worth the climb.

There is an access road that lands riders back at the parking lot without requiring a ride on the highway. (I messed the entrance, so I got some highway-riding in). 

Watch the video for details, and enjoy the show!