![\"Walker](\"https:\/\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Walker-Ranch-Loop-River-Bridge-1024x768.jpg\")
The end of the first forgettable downhill section at Walker Ranch is a bridge over some rapids.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
Walker Ranch Loop is Not the Same<\/h2>\n
Of all my favorite Boulder mountain biking trails — Heil Ranch, Betasso, Hall Ranch, and Picture Rock — the profile is all roughly the same:<\/p>\n
Climb 1,500 ft.; do a couple miles of flat, fast flowing single track; and then descend 1,500 ft. at 25 miles per hour over several miles.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Walker Ranch Loop is not like that.<\/p>\n
Yes, you still climb and descend 1,500 ft., but it’s split up in more than just one section of each.<\/p>\n
Just Keep Climbing<\/h2>\n
From what I remember, you climb what feels like forever over non-technical, kind of boring terrain. Then you rip down some technical single track, but it’s so short and such a direct descent, you barely even remember it happened. Then you get to the hike a bike section where you literally cannot ride and carry your bike on your shoulder over several sets of switchbacks. This was the first time I uttered, “Fuck this place.”<\/p>\n
Carrying your bike over this terrain and steep, narrow, switchback stairs in bike shoes was a bad time.<\/p><\/div>\n
Just when you think you’re done climbing (while carrying your bike) and can start riding again, you keep climbing and climbing and climbing some more. This was the first time in a long time I’ve actually had to stop and take a breather. Which is fine if it’s fun and technical, but it was just a long slog. This was the second time I uttered, “Fuck this place.”<\/p>\n
Forgettable Downhill WHEEEEEE!!!!<\/h2>\n
I don’t remember any details about this downhill section either. That’s part of the problem.<\/p>\n
With all the other trails I mentioned, you get 1,500 feet of vertical descent that’s usually spread out over several miles. This little section (and the one I mentioned before) was really short. Short, and not sweet. Completely forgettable.<\/p>\n
The view was always nice.<\/p><\/div>\n
More Climbing because Why Not?<\/h2>\n
Just when you think you’re going to get that fast flowing single track to finish out the ride, your soul is crushed, and you’re blessed with\u00a0more mundane climbing all the way to the car. This was the third time I said, “Fuck this place.”<\/p>\n
I do it for the Downhill<\/h2>\n
The downhill and flat sections are what make the uphills bearable. I’m not a young buck that gets off on climbing and climbing and climbing anymore like I used to be. So\u00a0if I\u00a0can’t remember how fun the downhill is, or how fast I can carve through the flats, and only remember how terrible the uphill felt, that really makes me not want to come back.<\/p>\n
I might not like Walker Ranch Loop, but I’d take a house right in the middle of this valley.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I haven’t ridden every single mountain biking trail in Boulder yet, much less the entire front range, but I have ridden quite a few. And several of them multiple times. While I’m not a front range expert, I can say that I don’t really want to return to Walker Ranch Loop.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5678,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[9,258],"tags":[157,301,296,297,299,300],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Walker-Ranch-Loop-Valley.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1tPL2-1tv","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1807,"url":"https:\/\/lowgravityascents.com\/weekend-adventure-ideas-for-boulder\/","url_meta":{"origin":5673,"position":0},"title":"Weekend Adventure Ideas for Boulder","author":"David Sandel","date":"January 23, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Ok, Boulder and similarly adventurous locale dwellers, I need some ideas here. The better half is gone this weekend, and I cannot just sit on my keester. The way I figur (please read that phonetically, as it's spelled), I have a couple of options: Convince a friend to take me\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Random"","block_context":{"text":"Random","link":"https:\/\/lowgravityascents.com\/category\/random\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3439,"url":"https:\/\/lowgravityascents.com\/saying-no-to-tryingstuff\/","url_meta":{"origin":5673,"position":1},"title":"Saying ‘No’ to #TryingStuff","author":"David Sandel","date":"March 31, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Ahhhh, gotchya, didn't I?!?! I'm so tricky. The title is accurate, but it's only half finished. Let me go ahead and complete that for you so you can stop guessing. Saying 'No' to #TryingStuff is the absolute best way to ensure a boring life. Over the past four weeks, I've\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Lifestyle"","block_context":{"text":"Lifestyle","link":"https:\/\/lowgravityascents.com\/category\/lifestyle\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mountain Biking Slick Rock Trail","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/IMG_5772.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/IMG_5772.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/IMG_5772.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/IMG_5772.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5646,"url":"https:\/\/lowgravityascents.com\/2016-specialized-stumpjumper-fsr-comp-6fattie-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":5673,"position":2},"title":"2016 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Comp 6Fattie – Initial Thoughts","author":"David Sandel","date":"November 15, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I've always claimed that mountain biking was my 3rd favorite outdoor sport, but I don't know, man. My new\u00a02016 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Comp 6Fattie might be changing that. My previous bike, a Giant Anthem-X 29'er, was stolen a few weeks ago, and while I loved that bike too, the Stumpy\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/lowgravityascents.com\/category\/gear-and-location-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Comp 6Fattie","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Specialized-Stumpjumper-FSR-Comp-6Fattie.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Specialized-Stumpjumper-FSR-Comp-6Fattie.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Specialized-Stumpjumper-FSR-Comp-6Fattie.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Specialized-Stumpjumper-FSR-Comp-6Fattie.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4231,"url":"https:\/\/lowgravityascents.com\/zeal-optics-brewer-sunglasses-outdoor-lifestyle\/","url_meta":{"origin":5673,"position":3},"title":"Zeal Optics Brewer Sunglasses – Perfect for the Outdoor Lifestyle","author":"David Sandel","date":"July 15, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I met with Zeal Optics this spring because let's face it, who doesn't like meeting with reps from top of the line companies? It was just slightly more convenient since Zeal is also based out of Boulder, and he suggested we meet at a Biergarten. Ok, fine. After our beer,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Lifestyle"","block_context":{"text":"Lifestyle","link":"https:\/\/lowgravityascents.com\/category\/lifestyle\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/IMG_7542.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/IMG_7542.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/IMG_7542.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/IMG_7542.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5749,"url":"https:\/\/lowgravityascents.com\/win-laundry-detergent-product-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":5673,"position":4},"title":"Product Review: WIN Laundry Detergent","author":"David Sandel","date":"January 24, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I don't particularly pay that much attention to my laundry detergent, but one thing I do notice is when the sweat stank doesn't really leave my clothes. I was pretty excited when I got to try WIN detergent and found that I no longer have this issue! WIN Laundry Detergent\u00a0Really\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/lowgravityascents.com\/category\/gear-and-location-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"WIN Laundry Detergent","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/WIN-Laundry-Detergent.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/WIN-Laundry-Detergent.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/WIN-Laundry-Detergent.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/WIN-Laundry-Detergent.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4640,"url":"https:\/\/lowgravityascents.com\/home-who-im-with\/","url_meta":{"origin":5673,"position":5},"title":"Home is Who I’m With","author":"David Sandel","date":"January 30, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Recently, the idea of\u00a0home has been on my mind again. I still don't know what it is about that word. I like to think everyone has at least one happy memory of what it feels like to be home. 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![\"Walker](\"https:\/\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Walker-Ranch-Loop-Hike-a-bike-1024x768.jpg\")
![\"Walker](\"https:\/\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Walker-Ranch-Loop-Rapids-768x1024.jpg\")
![\"Walker](\"https:\/\/lowgravityascents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Walker-Ranch-Loop-Valley-1024x464.jpg\")