Reviewed by: JBSmtbiker ,  Cross Country Rider , from Bentonville, AR

Summary:
The best mtb ride of my life. Period. I rode this with Chip, owner of Mountain Bike Adventures and a life-long Durango resident. Most of the ride is above the tree line and much of it is very exposed, so the scenery is awe-inspiring. The day we rode, rain fell in the mountains to the north and south, but never on us. Foul weather clothing is still mandatory, as is plenty of food, water and energy slimes. A camera is a good idea, too.
This trail is all single track, with many nasty drainage crossings in the high country. Although the whole trail is theoretically rideable (ie, for Hans Rey), you will want to get off and hike the hairier sections where the slightest mistake will result in death or worse.
I ride alone most of the time, but I would never ride this trail alone. We were up there in late August; after we left the trailhead we saw no one for the next 25 or so miles.
This ride took us 5 hours, with 3+ hours of climbing, an hour or so of rolling single track and finishing with a 6-7 mile descent(!) Can you say 'switchback'?
If you can only ride one trail in the Durango area, make it this one.

Recommended Route:
Park at Durango Mt. Resort (nee Purgatory) and take a shuttle to Molas Pass. Follow the generally well-marked (and maintained) Colorado Trail (about 18 miles) to the Engineer Mt. Trail. This will lead to the best descent in Durango, dumping you out on 550 followed by two easy miles of peddling back to the resort.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Hermosa Creek; Horse Gulch and Logging Chutes (in town)

Reviewed by: Chris , from Colo Springs

Summary:
You will not experience better scenery or solitude on a bike! I did this solo ride on the July 4th weekend and did not see one other bike and only a handful of day hikers within the first mile of the trailheads. You'll get plenty of spiritual energy as most of this ride is at or above timberline with waterfalls, high alpine lakes, and wildflowers galore. Next time I will go later in the season to avoid the north facing snowfields at the headwaters of Mineral Creek. Returning to Silverton not a shuttle is a bonus.

Recommended Route:
I rode this section as a loop. Start in Silverton and warm up by riding Hwy550 until you reach Molas Lake on your left (not Little Molas Lake further up the pass). Ride along the campground access road until you reach a spur trail on the Southeast side of the lake. This spur trail ends at the Colorado Trail. Head right on the CT. If you head left expect climbing back up 3000ft! Cross Hwy550 at Molas Pass and spin by Little Molas Lake. At the first saddle, drop over and connect to the Mineral Creek Trail. This trail follows the drainage down and connects to a steep jeep road, and then the forest service road. Ride down and head right on Hwy550 into Silverton.

Reviewed by: Will , from Durango

Summary:
My friends and I decided to do this trail a couple of summers ago when it had been raining a bunch, not a good idea.For the most part it is a great ride with a few tough sections and lots of hikers if you ride down to Cola Bank (thus the molas to cascade suggestion). It pretty much wiped us out that day as we got caught in a pretty good hail storm while going over Engineer pass, Start Early! If you run this trail it only gets better.

Recommended Route:
Molas to Cascade

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Teleggraph, CT, Animas Mountain,Jones Creek, Hermosa Creek, Hell, get a map and pick one!

Reviewed by: Vaughn , from Paradise, California

Summary:
Holy Toledo! I may have ridden on nicer trail surface before, actually probably not, but the scenery here is out of your mind. I thought I had seen the best stuff up in Crested Butte, but this is just awesome. Somehow we lucked out on a completely cloudless day. I was worried about the thunderstorms we had been slammed with the previous afternoon on another ride, but high pressure system to the rescue. Uncrowded as well. We were up there on July 4 and saw exactly one biker...and then a bunch of hikers at Coal Bank. The first part of the trail climbs a long exposed above treeline ridge with full 360 degree views. I used up almost a complete roll of film in the first 5 miles of this ride. The point to point is about 18 miles. I can see the point about turning around at the summit of Engineer Pass and riding back to Molas lake, especially if you were originally planning on dropping in at Coal Bank Pass. Like stated previously, the first 12 miles of trail is a net elevation gain to Engineer Pass. The next 2 miles of singletrack is less than glorious. Deeply rutted, steep, and trialsy. It drops you down a marshy hillside, then makes you regain 500-700 feet back before getting to the Coal Bank turnoff. The Coal Bank Pass trail is loaded with hikers going up to amble around the awesome Engineer mountain. After stopping for the 40th hiker right-of-way on an otherwise fun, but short descent to car, I would not be pleased. But then I wouldn't really know about the drop into Coal Bank as we skipped that little section. Don't leave a car at Coal Bank at all, but instead leave it down at Cascade Creek. This gives you probably 2000 more feet of descent and adds another 4 or 5 plus miles...and on mostly primo singletrack. Runs through deep wooded hills with tight twisty loam. A few blowdowns at the bottom weren't a big deal, by then I was so tired I wanted to get off my bike anyway. Bear right at the bottom, right before the dirt road and the little pond. You'll see a sign for Cascade Creek pointing right, but you won't see the trail until you pick your way along the fence for a few feet. The trail finally brings you out to a double track by a raging water flume and promptly drops to the highway at Cascade Creek. Cascade Creek is just 2 miles up the highway from the Purgatory ski resort. It is the first major highway switchback as you drive up to Coal Bank Pass. Plenty of parking on both sides of the road.

Recommended Route:
Molas Pass to Coal Bank cutoff, but skip the cutoff and descend the Cascade Creek Trail to Upper Purgatory