Fruita, Colorado: Wild Wild West Baby
„The Pursuit of Happiness“ is a fundamental part of the American declaration of independence. We took this to heart as we set off without fanfare, heading westwards through the icy Rocky Mountains.
Snowy mountain passes and lengthy queues accompanied our truck along Highway 70 on our way to Fruita, Colorado, the promised land. It doesn‘t just sound fertile, it is. In earlier times arable farming and fruit cultivation was the order of the day. Today trails are shaped and the perfect framework for mountainbiking has been born.” width=”810″ height=”540″ class=”size-medium wp-image-3429″ /> Snowy mountain passes and lengthy queues accompanied our truck along Highway 70 on our way to Fruita, Colorado, the promised land. It doesn‘t just sound fertile, it is. In earlier times arable farming and fruit cultivation was the order of the day. Today trails are shaped and the perfect framework for mountainbiking has been born.
So far so good — the only catch on this trip was that I was on my own. Our US editor Daniel Dunn, whom I‘d been visiting in Breckenridge, had to cancel at short notice; my planning was on the ropes.
As I started unloading my e-mountainbike out of the truck, after a quick odyssey driving around Fruita I was greeted with sceptical looks: ‘What the hell?!“ ‘You must be kidding!“ Others appeared to be more curious “WOW. That’s sick! Does it work?“
A few seconds later the entire troupe was racing up and down the dirt road. “That’s amazing, I can’t believe it!“ “Dude, that’s awesome!“ Wide grins and squeals aside, I felt like a missionary who turns a heathen devil into a converted saviour…all just down the road from the land of the Mormons. (Any irony?)
Just as ironic, it‘s only now that I discover that we‘re camping out here in the desert. “Why not?” I think….what with the warm daytime temperatures I had no concept of how cold it gets at night.
We rounded off the evening with a tasty barbeque around the campfire. Tech- and trail talk, as well as endless philosophising about the question of which is the world’s best beer. As a German, it should be noted that every here beer breaks our famous purity laws, yet the sheer variety and experimentation of the local brewers is not to be denied. So every new beer brings familiar and totally foreign taste sensations, and of course new discussions. A spontaneous night ride with borrowed lamps adds extra excitement, and afterwards the campfire session continues. What a cool day!
But it got even better.
7:00 on the dot, slightly hung-over, but still alive, the day starts with our first bike ride. A strong black coffee and we‘re ready to go. I can‘t resist the request of the young, blond, and above all cool female host and let her ride the Haibike XDURO AMT Pro, or rather let her drop me and everyone else. On the climbs none of us can keep up as she sprints up the trail assisted with 250 watts of electric power. Heading downhill the situation is no less dramatic for most of us. With the very best biking skills and 150mm of suspension travel she curves along the twisty trail with ease: Fruita is flow! Pump, push, pedal, and jump. These trails put a big smile on your face, regardless of what bike you‘re on.
Whilst the some bikers here use pickups to shuttle them to the top of the climbs, Liz remains completely unperturbed and shoots back up the mountain on the e-mountainbike. Pure freedom!
After a morning filled with descending, we return to the campground for an extensive brunch. Nachos, chocolate cake, nuts, and cold drinks. Dylan even gets his guitar out and shows us a perfect symbiosis of new world and old tradition. The finest country classics warble from his acoustic guitar as he reads the notes from an iPad. Wild west romanticism, box ticked
In the afternoon we leave the 18 Road trails and head to the Kokopelli Area Trails. This time it was Dylan, not Liz, who got his fun dropping me on the Haibike whilst I wheezed away on his Kona. If you‘ve ridden these trails you can count yourself lucky. With a view over the Colorado River, our American dream comes true: happiness found!
Text & Foto: Robin Schmitt
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