City Creek: West & East

For my lunch ride today I decided to return to City Creek and give the west side trail another go. The mud I encountered last Friday was gone and I was able to ride almost to the top where, in the same location as 2 weeks ago, I again hit snow/mud and turned around. Assuming no new valley snow I'd think this will be clear in another week. It wouldn't be a big deal to hike, but I hate getting dirty and given the choice between walking my bike and riding my bike I'll choose the latter every time.

Here's the trail at the point I flipped a U-turn:



I was surprised at how loose the trail was to this point compared to the last time I rode it. In fact, I had to put a foot down navigating around the last left-hand switchback due to all of the loose rock.

I love the views as you begin the descent into City Creek Canyon:



After I finished descending I thought I'd scout out the trail to the east. It was dry (with the exception of one or two short, damp sections shaded by trees) all the way to the top of Terrace Hills where I dropped into the neighborhood on the doubletrack. It is, however, heavily rutted in sections due to people riding it when muddy. Given the firm base and heavy traffic this section of trail receives I'm guessing it won't take too long to smooth out.

Here's a view of the city from the trail just above Terrace Hills: