Red and White Mountain
We ran this trail on the way home from a busy weekend in Eagle County. We were exhausted after a long Saturday, but we were still ready for more on Sunday. Finding the trailhead proved to be difficult due to bad GPS routing, but we eventually found it and headed down the trail.
It was extremely dusty, right from the start. Everyone spread out, trying to breathe through the dirt in the air. It was toasty, too. We saw a few joggers and people out walking their dogs. The trail was very close to a residential area.
We started heading up the switchbacks and passed our first vehicle. When we got to where the trail was very narrow we came across two big trucks coming down. We managed to get around one of them in a wider spot, but the second one had to back up a long way before finding a spot he could use to let us around. It was definitely difficult to pass, and we hoped it was the last time we'd have to do it.
We climbed the switchbacks and we kept getting higher and higher in elevation. The weather cooled off considerably as we climbed. We came up to a huge converted Hummer holding a big tour group, and they pulled off to let us by. We kept seeing people on this trail.
We got to the spur for the overlook and took it. The hill to it was dusty again, but it was worth it. The views were amazing! We talked to some dirt bikers who were off trail and asked them to stay on the trail, and then we set up for lunch. It was another fantastic lunch, though the flies were pretty thick. We enjoyed the views of the ski areas and the town below us.
We continued on the trail, passing along the middle of Red and White Mountain. You don't get anywhere near the top, but the views from where we were were spectacular.
We passed through trees, then out into meadows. We enjoyed chatting on the CB as we went, noting that there was hardly any mud. We'd had enough mud for one weekend.
We came to a spot in the trail where we could see the Gore Mountain Range, so we got out to stretch our legs and take pictures. It really was an amazing view.
The trail meandered through trees some more, and soon we were at the end. We accidentally turned left at first, heading for Piney Lake. We realized it right away and turned around, heading south and into Vail.
We headed through Vail and under the highway to the other side of town to do Mill Creek Road. It was already a great day of wheeling.
