The Most OVERRATED Trail on the Front Range?

Captain Jacks in Colorado Springs is often highly praised every time I have heard it mentioned. I went in skeptical however, knowing the loose conditions and little tech, but did it disappoint?
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[@FoxtonR]

Note: The trail I split off to was not Captain Morgan's. Disregard all the Captain Morgan's content as I am actually riding Sesame Canyon during that portion.

[@jakebeaudrie]

It would be an absolutely awesome ride were it not for the loose, awful trail. After I rode it I was kinda shocked at how many people rant and rave about it.

[@FoxtonR]

Yes imagining captain jacks with hardpack dirt would definitely make it one of my favorite flow trails.

[@chefmarkkalix]

My COS friends somehow love this trail but us Denver boys know that it's overrated, slippery, non-tech, nonsense.

[@Shred_Tube]

Lol I rode captain jacks a year ago and thought the same exact thing. I think it’s the motor bikes that make it so loose and shitty. But the trails around it are good. Did you ride Chutes? That’s a good one

[@FoxtonR]

Yeah the combination of dirt bikes and the terrain I'm sure is what makes it the way it is. Probably more fun on a dirt bike. A bit of footage of chutes is at the end of the video.

[@micahorr8669]

As a COS local, I'm probably in the minority, but I agree with Cpt Jacks being overrated. Of course, it's subjective based on riding preference, but I am not a fan. Chutes is definitely fun though. Someone else commented about some of the trails being ruined down here recently, and that is an accurate statement. COSMBA is a great organization, but they can only do so much to help. I prefer do some travelling to ride. There's just not much fun, dirt trails here, which is unfortunate.

[@FoxtonR]

What are some of your favorite rides to travel to?

[@micahorr8669]

Glenwood Springs/Carbondale area has some awesome trails (Coal Camp outside of GWS and Prince Creek trail system SE of Carbondale), I went on a trip out to Fruita with my brother earlier this year and it was epic. I just rode a trail called Peaks Trail that goes from Breckenridge down to Frisco over about 8mi. Highly recommend that one!@@FoxtonR

[@FoxtonR]

@@micahorr8669 Thank you!

[@DavidLaburglier]

I grew up very close to the bottom of The Chutes (the last trail in the vid), and used to ride Captain Jacks and the Chutes as the main riding back in the late 90s. Obviously very different back then with the terrible bikes we had. Just had a chance to ride it all again for the first time in a couple decades, and wow these trails are WAY different than they used to be! Jacks is much more eroded (but does have some cool high berms that didn't exist in the 90s), and the Chutes used to be a natural gully trail, rather than flow with kitty litter thrown over the top. Old Chutes was WAY WAY better. But two things: Jones Park, above Captain Jacks is more like the old Captain Jacks. Very good stuff. And Arroyo below the Chutes is like the old Chutes, more of a minimal singletrack gully trail. I thought both those trails were quite a bit better than Jacks and Chutes, and this is coming from the guy who was stoked to the moon to be riding these trails again after 20 years. Oh and last thing: We rode the actual Morgans and it's destroyed from the rain. Lots of unrideable stuff from steep lines and erosion. You didn't miss much there!

[@FoxtonR]

I bet it's changed quite a bit since then! Also lots of trails have been destroyed by the rain recently so makes sense.

[@DavidLaburglier]

@@FoxtonR All that said, I still love Jacks for what it is: A bizarre gravel waterslide! I think if I lived in Springs, I'd get sick of riding gravel all the time, but since I live in Oregon, I really enjoyed the novelty.

[@parkourpanda6556]

Was told by someone at work that this trail was the "pride and joy" of CO Springs. Ended up flying off the trail where you were at at 2:19 (I lost my front wheel and almost rode off the side of that wooden retaining wall, I unclipped and lunged onto the trail and my bike flew out off the side of the wall 😂) somehow myself and the bike are fine, but either way, was not impressed with this trail on the conditions. So slippery and off camber, its just not really fun in some parts for that reason

[@mrvwbug4423]

Yup, Jacks is the super bowl of gravel surfing

[@FoxtonR]

Nicely put

[@Gnarnia831]

Rode Captain Jack like a month ago for the first time it sucks. I’m sure it’s a ton of fun on a dirt bike. It’s miserable on a mountain bike. Super overrated.

[@user-uc5iw3ml5s]

You should try bobcat ridge in loveland! On the rocks+ ginny trail.

[@FoxtonR]

I've been recommended this before! Will try

[@applicablerobot]

Who the hell puts gravel on a bike trail?

[@FoxtonR]

Great question.

[@joshuamobley6269]

Ask Mays Peak I guess lol. Not like people are hauling gravel up there if that's what you mean, it's natural.

[@applicablerobot]

@@joshuamobley6269 oh I figured it was done my land managers. Damnit Mays, quit shedding. The OSMP trails around Boulder are constantly ruined by the hiking centric manager (or at least they were 5 years ago)

[@joshuamobley6269]

@@applicablerobot They haven't touched jacks since I've been here(only 2 years) but they have decimated some other trails in the area :( However, we have a new trail org, cosmba, that I'm hoping will have better advocacy for more extreme riders. And I'm not an extreme rider lol.

[@mwinner101]

Those Captain trails did look overrated. That last trail was really cool tho. Great filming. 👍

[@FoxtonR]

Yeah definitely not "world famous" but decently fun. Thank you!

[@theweaselcat3564]

Way over rated. I have ridden that trail hundreds of times over the years. Started riding it in 95. A completely different trail now. It's over crowded, super loose, and general not fun, IMHO. Have not been up there in 5 or 6 years now and it was bad then. Locally I ride Ute Valley and Palmer, mostly. Also head over to Buena Vista pretty often for their awesome trails systems with some real techy black trails.

[@jordanmontes4401]

Cpt. Jacks is awesome and Morgan is way more spicy than seaseme

[@FoxtonR]

Sounds like it from what I've heard, not sure it's worth a special trip for it though

[@brandonlawrence3335]

accurate overrated.