Green Mountain: Biking the Ghost Monolith
Lakewood, CO – Green Mountain, the closest foothill mountain to the Denver Metro area, was a ghost mountain when I rode my bike up the sometimes-smooth and sometimes-rocky single track last Sunday afternoon. Apparently, it’s a backyard, not a destination. Hardly a soul did I see.
It is rare to have a mountain to oneself, and Big Green gets plenty of traffic on weekday evenings—the after-work crowd. The supposition is, those of us who visit her on the evenings venture deeper into the range of options on a weekend.
But I was struck by her lack of crowd. In contrast, when I biked Golden’s South Table a couple of weeks ago, I encountered 10-fold more bikers than a typical afternoon on Big Green.
Perhaps the trails are a bit more challenging to the average or new biker; perhaps the elevation gain is a bit higher than folks are looking for. Maybe reports of rattlesnakes (legit) and mountain lions (probably true?) keep people away. Possibly, folks on Sunday were already on the hunt for Fall foliage.
Whatever the case, this beautiful mesa is there for the taking, and you will never feel like it’s overcrowded.
From the 6,854-foot summit, one can see Pikes Peak to the south, Mt. Evans due west, and Longs Peak to the north. And oh yeah, the Mile High City scape. It’s an amazing view that is offered at the peak of what is officially called William Fredrick Hayden Park.
At the top, you also look directly at Lookout Mountain, Mt. Zion, Hog’s Back, Dinosaur Ridge, C-470, Solterra, Morrison, Golden, National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), Lakewood, Arvada, Englewood, Lowry, DIA and Colorado Springs. Basically, you look upon everything Denver Metro has to offer.
There are numerous trails — some named, some not. The Summit Loop trail encircles the upper ring of the mountain—and it’s a lot of fun on a bike. The Rooney Valley Trail begins on the Lakewood side of the mountain and provides a solid cardio workout. Various trails from the Golden side of the mountain ascend from various neighborhoods.
Box o’ Rox trail is perhaps the most difficult, akin to riding on a giant’s box of spilled marbles.
Many people park at the Rooney Road lot (off the Alameda Exit on C-470) and climb the firetruck road to the top. There’s a mid-mountain trail pretty much the entire way around, and the aforementioned upper-rim trail that pretty much does the same.
I don’t encounter all that many pure hikers on these trails—the crowd mainly consists of trail runners, dog-walkers and mountain bikers. There are also no trees, just shrubs.
Not seen are many families as a group, but seen are plenty of parents, and also some seriously badass teens. Too, a sprinkling of biking bros and their female counterparts as well, armed with open music and spiffy yet uninvolved outfits.
Also, there were elk. They scared me. I interested them (most likely, as food).
I’ve seen two fires on this mountain. One seven years ago from my house, looking up at the north side of the mountain. I worried about the wealthy people in mountain-side mini-mansions, and mansions, above me as the flames somehow came DOWN the mountain.
The second was a table-top fire on the north-to-south angle, so that I could see it burning from my exquisite mountain-view office at ACC on a late Tuesday night after I had wrapped up another amazingly interesting 3-hour ENG 121 class at 8:15pm. I saw the emergency lights as well.
Area fire crews crushed both threats in timely fashion and with much effort.
There she is, Green Mountain—a backyard for some and the mountain you drive around without even thinking about it as a mountain for others.
But the elk have taken notice.
Get on up there.
Kevin Snyder • Sep 17, 2017 at 6:39 am
Careful on Green. There is a spaghetti plate of trails up there, not well marked. It’s quite easy to find yourself a mile from where you want to be.
Jamey Trotter • Sep 25, 2017 at 9:48 am
@Kevin Snyder, Great point! Not a big deal if you’re on a bike; probably a much bigger deal if you’re hiking. Thanks, jt
Mike Vandeman • Sep 16, 2017 at 8:38 pm
Bicycles should not be allowed in any natural area. They are inanimate objects and have no rights. There is also no right to mountain bike. That was settled in federal court in 1996: http://mjvande.info/mtb10.htm . It’s dishonest of mountain bikers to say that they don’t have access to trails closed to bikes. They have EXACTLY the same access as everyone else — ON FOOT! Why isn’t that good enough for mountain bikers? They are all capable of walking….
A favorite myth of mountain bikers is that mountain biking is no more harmful to wildlife, people, and the environment than hiking, and that science supports that view. Of course, it’s not true. To settle the matter once and for all, I read all of the research they cited, and wrote a review of the research on mountain biking impacts (see http://mjvande.info/scb7.htm ). I found that of the seven studies they cited, (1) all were written by mountain bikers, and (2) in every case, the authors misinterpreted their own data, in order to come to the conclusion that they favored. They also studiously avoided mentioning another scientific study (Wisdom et al) which did not favor mountain biking, and came to the opposite conclusions.
Those were all experimental studies. Two other studies (by White et al and by Jeff Marion) used a survey design, which is inherently incapable of answering that question (comparing hiking with mountain biking). I only mention them because mountain bikers often cite them, but scientifically, they are worthless.
Mountain biking accelerates erosion, creates V-shaped ruts, kills small animals and plants on and next to the trail, drives wildlife and other trail users out of the area, and, worst of all, teaches kids that the rough treatment of nature is okay (it’s NOT!). What’s good about THAT?
To see exactly what harm mountain biking does to the land, watch this 5-minute video: http://vimeo.com/48784297.
In addition to all of this, it is extremely dangerous: http://mjvande.info/mtb_dangerous.htm .
For more information: http://mjvande.info/mtbfaq.htm .
The common thread among those who want more recreation in our parks is total ignorance about and disinterest in the wildlife whose homes these parks are. Yes, if humans are the only beings that matter, it is simply a conflict among humans (but even then, allowing bikes on trails harms the MAJORITY of park users — hikers and equestrians — who can no longer safely and peacefully enjoy their parks).
The parks aren’t gymnasiums or racetracks or even human playgrounds. They are WILDLIFE HABITAT, which is precisely why they are attractive to humans. Activities such as mountain biking, that destroy habitat, violate the charter of the parks.
Even kayaking and rafting, which give humans access to the entirety of a water body, prevent the wildlife that live there from making full use of their habitat, and should not be allowed. Of course those who think that only humans matter won’t understand what I am talking about — an indication of the sad state of our culture and educational system.
Now watch the mountain bikers lie and attack me for telling the truth about their selfish, destructive sport!