Sometimes a race can be just the excuse to explore a new destination. I mean what better way to get to know a trail system then by doing it at race pace. So when Warriors Cycling announced an inaugural event on their Rocky Mountain Endurance Series, I was intrigued.Warriors Cycling is well known for the Breckenridge B100. As they say; “when you’ve tried the rest, take the test!" It is arguably, one of the toughest Endurance Races around. So if it’s a Warriors Cycling event, I’m really intrigued!
This race was billed as the Voodoo Fire and it was to be located at Lake Pueblo State Park in Pueblo, CO. I think many of us have driven by Pueblo on our way to or from Denver and didn't think much of it. It does have somewhat of a reputation for being the industrial heartland of Colorado. But still, I had heard of some good trails nearby and this race sounded like just the ticket to go explore.
The trails at Lake Pueblo State Park are extensive and the Voodoo Fire Race Course was supposed to incorporate 35 miles of their veritable trail system. The terrain reminds me somewhat of Phil’s Whirld in Cortez and many consider Phil’s to be a Southwestern Gem. So hear me when I say Lake Pueblo is like Phil’s times two with much better views.Stretched out to the west are the snow covered peaks of the Greenhorn and Wet Ranges of the Sangre de Cristo Mts. The Lake is fed by the Arkansas River and the drainages have created the rocky bluffs and narrow technical canyons that provide a perfect setting for a series of trails to wind through.
The Outer Limits and Voodoo Loops have that nice middle ring series of undulating terrain that
gets the mojo going. And the views over the lake with 50 to 100’ cliffs are just amazing. The only thing that sucks about racing is I didn’t have time to take many pictures from the overlooks. But they were everywhere. So trust me when I say the scenery is awesome.
The canyons at Lake Pueblo are not built from the sandstone outcroppings so common at Phil’s. Instead the drops are eroded from ledgier shale canyons and contain some steeper grunty climbs. There are no half pipe arroyos that give rise to names like Vertebra and Rib Cage, but there are some interesting areas like the Waterfall, Stonehenge, Skull Canyon and Staircase. Many of these trails were not part of the XC course for safety reasons, so suffice it to say, there’s a little bit of everything for everyone at Lake Pueblo.The thing that the park has over Phil’s is a great campground. Full hookups with a boat ramp, showers and even a laundry room. You could hang at Lake Pueblo for weeks and not even have to venture into town. And if you do fancy a dinner at a local brew pub, the Shamrock Brewery is just 15 minutes into downtown Pueblo. Can’t beat that!
The original Voodoo Fire Race Course incorporated 35 miles of the extensive trail system at Lake Pueblo State Park. The race was billed as incorporating 2 laps around that course for a total of 70miles. A nice Marathon Distance. Because of some permitting issues with the Colorado State Police, the 12 mile Voodoo Loop had to be removed and we did 3 loops of the 23 mile remainder. As everyone commented, it was probably tougher because we had to tackle trails like Rock Canyon and Roller Coaster three times in this setup rather than just twice. A fellow racer made the observation that Roller Coaster could have used a bit more Coaster. There were some grunty leg burning climbs on this section of trail.
But all in all, the race was awesome and the trail system proved to be another hidden Southwestern Gem. I always gauge an area that I’ve raced at with “would I go there to free ride”? And the answer to that question for Lake Pueblo is... hell yes! It helps that Sandra and I like to Windsurf, so if the wind isn’t blowing or you're sick of your jet ski, you can always do a real nice ride. And if you’re sick of a campground you have a small city 15 minutes away. And finally, if you like to race, I can’t say enough about the Warriors Cycling Events and the Voodoo Fire in particular.
See ya there next year! And they assured us, the Voodoo Loop will be on the ticket!
Git ur Jambalaya ready!
Here's a helpful link to the Lake Pueblo State Park Web Site.
Here's a link to the Trail Map!
And to the Warriors Cycling Course Layout.
And of course my meager pictures!
Enjoy the ride!
