Add a difficult twist to Telluride singletrack: This 16.2-mile clockwise loop climbs more than 2,000 feet up Deep Creek to a breathtaking traverse above town. This challenging loop warms up with a 3-mile ride on the paved bike path heading east from downtown Telluride. The first climb (400 feet) begins on Airport Road which transitions from pavement to dirt before the singletrack begins at the Deep Creek Trailhead at mile 6. This route climbs to a water-road and traverses north to the Deep Creek Trail where it begins a super-steep ascent. Expect to hike-a-bike as much as a mile to the beginning of the eastbound traverse below Iron Mountain and Campbell Peak. The trail dips into hillside folds, climbs ridges, and crosses several creeks as it cuts trhough aspen, pine forests and alpine meadows. Look south for views of the Wilson Peak and the mountains above Telluride—the last 2 miles of trail offer birds-eye views of town itself. This route bypasses the Eider Creek, Mill Creek, and the Sneffles Highline trails but joins the Jud Wiebe trail for the last stretch of downhill back to downtown Telluride. The more common—but still challenging—approach to the Deep Creek Trail begins on the Jud Wiebe Trail and heads west. Either way, expect a breathtakingly beautif