The singletrack in this system is mostly smooth, punctuated by the occasional rock garden and slab of grippy granite. The “dirt” consists of stereotypical Colorado Front Range kitty litter, aka decomposed granite. This makes many of the corners very slippery and much more challenging than they may first appear.

The views from openings on the hillside can be expansive, displaying rolling hills giving way to mountains in the distance, and monolithic rock outcroppings peppering the hillside.

For a short ride through this massive network that skips the lung-busting climbs and the sphincter-clenching rock rolls, follow this short loop that finishes on the classic Sandy Wash descent. Sandy Wash is one of the original staples of the Buffalo Creek trail system, and to this day, many riders try to finish their rides by descending Sandy Wash back to the trailhead. In fact, two other routes in FATMAP finish on this trail: the Buffalo Creek IMBA Epic Loop and the Blackjack Loop.

The singletrack on Sandy Wash swoops up and down the sides of a… well, a sandy wash. The banked turns sweep up the low hillsides and swoop back down, over and over again, allowing you to fly down the mountainside. If you can ride Sandy Wash without your face splitting into an ear-to-ear grin, I don’t know if we can be friends anymore.

The route mapped here is one of the quickest and most efficient ways to get to the Sandy Wash goods. But if this mileage isn’t enough, consider one of the longer rides mentioned above or add in some of the other amazing trails in the area.