Powderhorn's newest blue flow trail officially opened today. What's a blue flow trail, and have you seen one lately?

If you enjoy mountain biking, you'll want to check this out. Here's your chance to be one of the "first to drop" on this trail. What does that mean, anyway?

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Available To You As Of Today

This new blue flow trail is called Prospector. According to a press release from Powderhorn Mountain Resort, Prospector begins high in the Sven's Bend area, branches off Blue Ribbon and winds through Aspen glades and the lush ground cover unique to the area.

The new blue trail has all the great berms and rollers you're used to and also makes exceptional use of the natural terrain to create new jumps and lines that emerge with each lap. Come see for yourself - we're pretty sure this one will quickly become a favorite!

Getting To The Bottom Of This Verbiage

First question: What's a "Blue Flow Trail"? According to mtbhome.com:

These trails will likely make even the pros sweat at least a little. Climbs and descents will be at steeper grades than green circle trails. They may be longer and have more sidehill exposure. More rocks. Blues are good for those with more advanced bike handling skills or a willingness to walk. Best after you’ve had a day to get used to the altitude.

Mtbhome.com adds, "We came up with the flow to tech rating, based on a scale of 1 to 5. It’s basically a rating of how smooth or technically challenging a trail is."

What Is A "Drop"?

Are you familiar with this term? I'm not. Fortunately, there is a mountain biking "glossary" addressing the various idioms associated with the sport. According to ntxtrails.com:

     Drop

     A technical trail feature where the trail’s elevation abruptly changes at a steep enough angle so that your front tire cannot easily roll down to the lower elevation.
What Does a "Blue Flow Drop" Look Like?

Here's an example of what a Blue Flow drop looks like from the cyclist's perspective. This footage is not from Powderhorn but from the Hidden Valley Ski area downhill trail system.

This looks like fun. I am an amateur mountain bike rider and would enjoy getting back into the game. In my case, baby steps are a must. I'm not quite ready for a mountain bike trail like this.

If you're a little more gung-ho than I am (and you probably are) you might want to give this a try. Tickets are required.

WORTH THE TRIP: Hiking Liberty Cap Trail in Grand Junction

 

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