+ 26
Chutes and Ladders Loop
Mountain Biking Trail
Moderate
6.2 mi
720 ft
An aerobically-challenging but technically-moderate loop that will remove you from most of 18 Road's crowds.
The Chutes and Ladders trail is another great loop option in the popular 18 Road Trail System. Thankfully, while Chutes and Ladders does get a respectable amount of traffic, Zippety, PBR, and Joe’s Ridge will draw most of the traffic away, allowing you to (somewhat) escape the springtime crowds.
After the climb up Prime Cut, Chutes and Ladders continues climbing, quickly going anaerobic. The ascent, while non-technical, is incredibly steep, and is almost guaranteed to put you in your lowest gear or force you to hike. The challenging ascent will help turn away even more of the crowds—those who got a wild hair to try something new, and then decide that the effort isn’t worth it.
Once over the top of the hill, the trail drops into a series of steep descents and climbs (the “Chutes and Ladders,” if you will) as it winds through an intriguing gully at the base of the Book Cliffs. After repeated runs on the more exposed trails, following Chutes and Ladders as it winds through a dry wash provides a welcome change of scenery.
Eventually, the route breaks back out of the hills and into the exposed terrain you know and love as the North Fruita Desert. Here, you’ll encounter a few route options, with the ability to extend your ride by heading further to the east on Vegetarian to Lower Chutes and Ladders. For the fastest and most direct route down, follow the route mapped here and bomb down the flowy, smooth singletrack on Down Uppity back to where you began. Written by Greg Heil
The Chutes and Ladders trail is another great loop option in the popular 18 Road Trail System. Thankfully, while Chutes and Ladders does get a respectable amount of traffic, Zippety, PBR, and Joe’s Ridge will draw most of the traffic away, allowing you to (somewhat) escape the springtime crowds.
After the climb up Prime Cut, Chutes and Ladders continues climbing, quickly going anaerobic. The ascent, while non-technical, is incredibly steep, and is almost guaranteed to put you in your lowest gear or force you to hike. The challenging ascent will help turn away even more of the crowds—those who got a wild hair to try something new, and then decide that the effort isn’t worth it.
Once over the top of the hill, the trail drops into a series of steep descents and climbs (the “Chutes and Ladders,” if you will) as it winds through an intriguing gully at the base of the Book Cliffs. After repeated runs on the more exposed trails, following Chutes and Ladders as it winds through a dry wash provides a welcome change of scenery.
Eventually, the route breaks back out of the hills and into the exposed terrain you know and love as the North Fruita Desert. Here, you’ll encounter a few route options, with the ability to extend your ride by heading further to the east on Vegetarian to Lower Chutes and Ladders. For the fastest and most direct route down, follow the route mapped here and bomb down the flowy, smooth singletrack on Down Uppity back to where you began. Written by Greg Heil
Created By
Strava Routes
Route and Elevation
Segments
| Name | Distance | Elev. Diff. | Avg. Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Cut Ascent - Point to Point | 1.81 mi | 397 ft | 4.1% |
| Prime Cut Up - Bottom Half | 0.82 mi | 171 ft | 3.9% |
| Prime Cut climb from PBR end | 1.59 mi | 394 ft | 4.7% |
| Prime Climb (from PBR exit) | 1.52 mi | 351 ft | 4.4% |
| Prime Cut Up - Top Half | 0.83 mi | 177 ft | 4.0% |
| Chutes & Ladders Technical Section | 1.31 mi | -131 ft | -0.1% |
| Chutes & Ladders Steep Ascent #1 | 0.08 mi | 85 ft | 19.2% |
| Chutes and Ladders to Veg & Uppity Fork | 2.00 mi | -279 ft | -1.8% |
| Chutes & Ladders to 1st fork | 1.76 mi | -262 ft | -2.0% |
| Chutes & Ladders Steep Ascent #2 | 0.16 mi | 98 ft | 10.5% |
| Chutes and Ladders Descent to Edge Loop Cut-off | 0.51 mi | -125 ft | -4.6% |
| Down Uppity (downhill) | 1.52 mi | -207 ft | -2.5% |
| OG Flow Session | 0.51 mi | -118 ft | -4.4% |