Picture Rock

Craig, Jim and I met at 3PM yesterday in Lyons to ride the new and widely publicized Picture Rock trail. Unfortunately I forgot my camera so no pictures of Picture Rock and there were some very photogenic moments near the end of the ride with the sun setting and this golden light laying itself down over everything.
We had perfect weather as we rode up the trail, what a lovely canyon the trail ascends and the going is easy so it's a good warm up. I could see my friend Emma's house from the trail, lucky girl. The trail becomes rockier once you pass this old rock quarry, what I think was an old rock quarry perhaps just used by the old ranch that used to be there.
As we got closer to Wild Turkey the two trails seemed very much the same, good ST with stone pavers here and there, highly engineered switchbacks that anyone can ride and many rocks pointing this way and that to keep you from feeling to comfortable. We did the Wild Turkey loop and then descended Picture Rock, it wasn't a fast downhill, more up and down at times, couldn't get much speed going or flow as the trails snakes about and there is a lot of right away for ascending riders. The trail was busy on this evening. I'd say the best flow going down was the last section of ST back down the canyon but still you had to keep an eye out for other users.
All in all it was a good ride, very scenic and peaceful, nice to have more ST available in such a pretty place, it will be good for spring, winter and late fall riding. It will also be interesting to see how the trails develops with time and constant use. I think the variations I ride at Hall are more fun though and technical. It's good to have options.
Once back at the parking lot at the trail head a local kid, maybe 7 or 8 came up to us and began to tell us how "they don't want the parking lot here, why is it here?" He had some other strange questions but I assured him it would be fine and maybe someday soon he could ride the trail, but he said he was too young for that now. I guess his initial statement just shows how much controversy locally there was with this trail. I think it's a good thing and hope more trails are created for everyone to use.