Review Date
August 2, 2008

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 5 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: AgustinG ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
Good for when you need a short ride, and convenient to get to. It's less than a 10-minute ride from downtown Taos. Great if you like proving what a great climber you are, and the southern side is a technical nightmare. All the rocks are sharp and there is plentiful cactus conveniently located just where you will fall. Nice views over Taos to the west. As an added bonus, any hikers you encounter will think you are a complete stud (or studette) for attempting to ride a bike up this trail.

Recommended Route:
The other descriptions here are fairly accurate, but note that you will encounter steep, rocky hike-a-bike sections before you get to the fork in the trail. Don't give up; you will get to it eventually. The branch to the left puts you on the northern exposure and is fun and pretty much 100% ridable, plus offers plenty of shade. Next time I ride this, I will descend by this route as well. The other branch of the trail stays on the top of the ridge and on the southern exposure. It's not only steep and rocky, but also hot. Descending this side is a challenge, but I wouldn't call it fun. There are numerous tight switchbacks that my bike just wouldn't negotiate, as I found out the hard way (thanx, the bruises have healed). My recommendation: skip the southern side completely. It's hard to grade the aerobic difficulty, because the first section up to the fork is a 5, but it is generally easier after that. Ditto the technical rating; the southern side is a 5, the northern side a 3 or 4. Overall I give it a 4, but only because it is so easy to get to from town.

Review Date
November 3, 2005

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: Jim Beam ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
An exciting and challenging trail for intermediate and expert riders. Lots of rock gardens, ledges, and tight switchbacks. Awesome views of Taos and the Rio Grande gorge.

Recommended Route:
I recommend riding the loop portion in both directions, in order to make the ride longer. If you just ride it in one direction it's over too soon. This trail gets a lot of foot traffic, so either ride it on a weekday or be prepared to stop for a lot of hikers.

Review Date
January 6, 2005

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 5 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 5 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Every few months

Reviewed by: Timo ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
Short, but technical loop with great climbs and staircase/switchback type descents. Single track, forested climbs, with south facing, moderately open descent.

In all honesty, if you are not in a fit condition then this trail will not be fun for you. However, if you are fairly acclimatized (8 to 9k)and can ride technical challenges, then this will be one of your favorites.

Recommended Route:
The previous reviewer had it correct, you should take a left at the first intersection when climbing up from US 64. This lefthand side has some straight smooth and steep climbing sections with some tight turns. You will eventually come to the intersection with the Capulin Trail and can turn here to do the NBT as an out and back, or continue on the Devisadero Trail and climb to the peak, then the ridge and descent like a bandit on the technical stuff. The views are amazing and there are rock drops galore, with tight turns, and some short steeps thrown into keep you honest.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Eveything in Taos Canyon.

Review Date
September 24, 2001

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Review Date
September 17, 1999

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a year