Central City & Black Hawk: Gambling with Adventure (MTB Style)

Some weekends are planned. Others become stories you'll tell for years.

This Fourth of July weekend was exactly that. It delivered mountain biking, history, a touch of elegance, high-clearance driving, fly fishing at an alpine lake, and an unexpected bear encounter that I'll never forget.

The weekend started exactly as planned. I wrapped up work on time, finished packing, dropped Flint off at the boarder, and pointed the truck up Clear Creek Canyon toward the historic mining towns of Black Hawk and Central City.

Our home for the weekend was Columbine Campground, a place that requires planning well in advance. Developed campsites in Colorado fill quickly during the summer, so this reservation had been sitting on the calendar for nearly six months. Around here, adventure often begins long before you leave the driveway.

We arrived, set up camp, enjoyed the cool mountain evening, and eventually crawled into the tent.

A 2:00 A.M. Wake-Up Call

I woke to the unmistakable sound of something large shoving our bear-proof rafting cooler around outside the tent. Before I even opened my eyes completely, I knew exactly what was happening.

Bear. A very large bear…

As a contact lens wearer, waking up essentially blind isn't exactly ideal during a wildlife emergency. I desperately searched for my glasses, but after several frantic seconds I gave up.

Forget the glasses.

I unzipped the tent and charged toward the would-be cooler thief.

The bear, much larger than I expected, trotted a few steps before stopping to stare directly at me. Then it growled.

That wasn't the reaction I was hoping for.

Without much time to think, I grabbed our folding loveseat and launched it toward the large black silhouette.

It wasn't the most conventional form of bear deterrence, but it worked. The bear disappeared into the darkness.

Only then did the adrenaline fully hit me.

My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might jump out of my chest, while my fiancée remained remarkably calm inside the tent. Apparently one of us handles surprise bear encounters much better than the other.

As I tried settling back down, one thought kept running through my head.Surely that bear had never had a camping chair thrown at it before. Maybe the experience rattled him as much as it rattled me. At least that’s what I kept telling myself as I lay awake listening to every sound in the forest for the rest of the night.

Needless to say, a "well-rested" morning never really happened.

Mining Roads, Opera, and a Taste of Black Hawk

After a few cups of coffee and shaking off the lingering adrenaline, we geared up for what we had actually come for: exploring the incredible network of old mining and 4x4 roads surrounding the campground by mountain bike.

We gave ourselves a strict turnaround time of 10:30 a.m. so we'd have enough time to clean up before heading into Central City for a guided tour of the historic Teller House, followed by an evening performance at the world-renowned Central City Opera.

It was shaping up to be one of those uniquely Colorado days where you can spend the morning exploring rugged mountain roads and the afternoon immersed in Victorian history and live opera, all within a few miles of each other.

After the opera and looking all dapper, for a camping trip, we ventured down to Black Hawk to stop at the Richman Beer Garden and experience the casino atmosphere since we were dressed for the occasion and already there. We just took advantage of the free parking, had a beverage, walked through one of the casinos and then headed back to the campground for dinner and sleep. 

And that was only the first 24 hours of a three-day weekend.

Maryland Mountain Delivers

Saturday morning was thankfully much quieter.

After our usual camp routine, we headed out for another mountain bike ride, this time linking the campground to the Maryland Mountain trail system in Black Hawk. Using Strava's heatmaps, I pieced together a route that connected forest roads with some of the area's best singletrack.

The plan included two loops through Maryland Mountain before climbing back toward camp.

It turned out to be just about perfect.

The route offered a fun mix of smooth flow, punchy climbs, technical descents, and enough elevation to remind us we were riding above 9,000 feet.

Back at camp, we packed up and headed toward Golden, where we met folks at the Golden Mill who were passing through town on their way home from vacation. Between the self-pour beverage wall, tacos, and good conversation, it was the perfect change of pace after a morning on the bike.

On the way back through the city, we picked up Flint before climbing Clear Creek Canyon once again toward camp.

That evening was simple and exactly what camping should be.

We cooked dinner, relaxed around camp, passed the glow-in-the-dark football, and played a round of glow-in-the-dark bocce in the forest behind our campsite. Somehow, illuminated bocce has become one of the unexpected highlights of our camping season, and every trip now seems incomplete without it.

High-Clearance Roads to the James Peak Wilderness

Sunday brought a slower pace.

With no strict schedule, I made one of our favorite camping breakfasts: French toast.

After breakfast, we pulled out my Northern Colorado 4x4 Routes guidebook and pointed the truck toward the historic mining community of Nevadaville. From there we followed Apex Road over a series of rugged high-clearance roads toward Tolland and the East Portal of the Moffat Tunnel.

The drive itself was worth the trip.

Old mining remnants, expansive mountain views, and rough roads made for an adventure long before we parked the truck.

At the busy East Portal trailhead, we laced up our shoes and hiked, with a little trail running mixed in, toward one of the Crater Lakes tucked inside the James Peak Wilderness.

Naturally, I couldn't resist bringing the fly rod.

The alpine lake looked perfect.

The trout, however, had other ideas.

I left empty-handed, but I'm choosing to blame my fly selection rather than admit the fish simply outsmarted me. Clearly it's time to replenish the fly box before the next adventure.

After jogging back down to the truck, we made one final stop in Rollinsville at the Howlin Wind Brewing & Blending. A cold drink and a delicious sandwich made from the last of our camping provisions were the perfect way to wrap up the weekend.

Rolling Back Home

Eventually, reality called.

We drove home, unpacked the truck, mowed the lawn, and prepared for another workweek.

Colorado has a funny way of making a three-day weekend feel like an entire vacation. In just a few days we experienced wildlife, mountain biking, historic mining towns, opera, high-country backroads, alpine lakes, fly fishing, and great food with friends.

Not bad for one holiday weekend.

I'd gamble on that adventure again any day.

Adventure Stats:

Basecamp: Columbine Campground

Mountain Bike: Maryland Mountain Trail System + mining roads

Camping: 4 days / 3 nights

Highlight: Central City Opera

Bonus Adventure: Bear encounter at 2:00 a.m.

Scenic Drive: USFS roads, Nevadaville, Apex Road, East Portal of the Moffat Tunnel

Fishing: Crater Lakes, James Peak Wilderness

Post-Ride Stop: Howlin Wind Brewing & Blending

Trail Running: 9 miles

MTB: 32 miles