Description

The Lunch Loops Trail System is filled with an endless array of singletrack, to the point that it's tough to say what crowd favorite is here.

But if you had to choose one trail that's a perennial favorite and that exemplifies the character of this trail system, that trail would be Holy Cross.

Mapped here is a short, efficient loop that's perfect for hitting Holy Cross on your lunch hour. The ride mapped here follows the most popular climbing route via Pet-E-Kess, High Noon, and a portion of Tabeguache before dropping into Holy Cross.

In true Lunch Loops fashion, as you're dropping in, you'll spot a sign warning users to *not* modify the trail to make it easier.

Holy Cross (and most of the trails at Lunch Loops) have been designed and built to be difficult and challenging *on purpose.* This trail system is renowned for its gnar, and riders come here specifically for the technical challenge. Holy Cross itself is plenty gnarly, with boulders, rock gardens, small rock slabs, and optional drops.

However, it remains a local crowd-pleaser because it is far from the most difficult trail in the trail system.

While it still gets a black diamond rating on the signs and a "Severe" FATMAP rating, Holy Cross is child's play compared to nearby Free Lunch, Pucker Up, Eagle's Wing, and The Ribbon. If you're an advanced rider, don't let that dissuade you from riding Holy Cross! This is an absolute gem of a trail, with one of the highlights being the creative trail routing that winds its way between massive rock boulders and under overhangs.

While the trail tread itself is entertaining, the landscape that Holy Cross passes through is one of the true marvels of the Lunch Loops trail system. As with any ride at Lunch Loops, there are several possible endings to this loop, but the one mapped here climbs up to the ridge above the trailhead, rolls along the ridge, and then descends Curt's Lane to finish.

If you're running short on time and need to get back to work, for a quicker departure from the ridge you can descend Bentonite Hill instead.