Shirley Site Rides
by Tom Purvis - Absolute Bikes
Back in the days of the narrow gauge railways, there was a town called Shirley at the confluence of Poncha Creek and Silver Creek. Today there is a Forest Service parking facility with bathrooms at the site of the former town, referred to as the Shirley Town Site or simply as the Shirley Site.

The Shirley Site is located on CR 200, just west of U.S. 285 on the way to Poncha Pass. To locate it, go to Poncha Springs, then go south on 285 for five miles. Turn left on CR 200, a gravel road, following the sign to Marshall Pass. After about two miles, you’ll see a right turn with another sign to Marshall Pass. Stay left until you cross a small bridge over a creek and see the parking lot on your left. That lot is the Shirley Site. It is at about 8,700 feet elevation and sits right on the Chaffee/Sauguache County line.

Marshall Pass Road, O’Haver Lake
The Marshall Pass Road is built on the old narrow-gauge railway route that once carried trains over Marshall Pass to Sargents and on to Gunnison and points west. Starting from the Shirley Site, the road covers 13 miles and climbs 2,100 feet (at a very steady rate, approximately 4 percent) before reaching 10,880 foot Marshall Pass. There is constant evidence of the now gone railroad. The road offers constantly changing views of far mountains, nearby mountains, thick stands of pine and aspen, and wide grassy meadows. As you ride quietly along, you are likely to see mule deer, elk, bighorn sheep, coyote and any number of other wild animals. There is usually very little motor vehicle traffic on the Marshall Pass road, especially on weekdays.

Beginner-Intermediate 2-4 Hours     13 Miles

Rating: Beginner-Intermediate (depending on how far you go)
Distance: 13 miles one way
Time: 2-4 hours
Elevation: Starting at 8700 climbing to 10,880 at a constant, steady rate
Trails: Graded Gravel Road
Maps: USGS Topo, Absolute Ride Guide
Access: Shirley Site
Ride Description: From the Shirley Site, proceed southwest on a road that forks off directly across from the parking lot, following the signs to Poncha Creek and Starvation Creek. After about half a mile, the road will cross a bridge and then fork. Take the fork to the right. You will begin climbing, and shortly you will be able to look down onto the Shirley Site parking lot. Continue for a little more than a mile. You will come to an intersection. To the left is O’Haver Lake, to the right a more direct route back to the Shirley Site (note: this road is not good for bikes. It is wider and more direct, but climbs more steeply and usually has washboard bumps). To go to Marshall Pass, continue straight across this road. A sign will confirm that you are going to Marshall Pass.

After another mile or so, you will be treated to a view of O’Haver Lake from above and to the north. To your west, Mt. Ouray with “The Devil’s Armchair” looms. If you find that you are tired, or if you are with riders who are tired, a good option is to go back to the intersection and then climb the short distance to O’Haver Lake. Otherwise, continue on. There is plenty more to see.

Poncha Creek Road
The Poncha Creek Road takes a more direct route between Marshall Pass and the Shirley Site. That makes it a much more difficult climb since it is steeper. But it also makes it a more fun and challenging descent.
Rating: Intermediate
Distance: Marshall Pass back to Shirley Site: 8 miles
Time: 1 Hour
Elevation: Starting at 10,880 descending to 8,700
Trails: Poncha Creek Jeep Road (doubletrack).
Maps: USGS Topo and Absolute Bikes Ride Guide
Access: Marshall Pass

Intermediate 1 Hour   8 Miles

Ride Description: There is a parking lot with bathrooms on Marshall Pass. From this parking area travel south up the road. At the very top of the pass the road passes through a deep cut. Just as you approach this cut, look for a two-track that goes off to the left. It should be marked with a carsonite Colorado Trail sign. Take this road, which climbs sharply for a moment and follow it to the right. You should see a sign for Poncha Creek, and a two-track road that goes to the left. Take that road.

The road is rougher than the Marshall Pass Road, and it goes downhill more abruptly. About a mile down you will see a sign and road going to the right to Starvation Creek. This is a spur road. Continue on the Poncha Pass Road. When you come to an intersection with another road, turn right and cross the bridge. Continue on for another half a mile to the Shirley Site.

Continental Divide/Colorado Trail to Silver Creek Trail
The trailhead for the Continental Divide/Colorado Trail is available from the top of Marshall Pass. To the north, the Continental Divide/Colorado Trail is known as The Monarch Crest. Many riders who finish the Crest at Marshall Pass continue down the Continental Divide/Colorado Trail to the south. But this trail can be ridden independently of the Crest. For riders who have enough energy to climb the Marshall Pass Road, this ride can be done without a shuttle.

Advanced 2-4 Hours   13 Miles

Rating: Advanced
Distance: Marshall Pass back to Shirley Site, 13 miles
Time: 2-4 Hours
Elevation: Starting at 10,880, climb to approximately 11,300, then descend to 8,700
Trails: Continental Divide/Colorado Trail (mostly singletrack) Silver Creek Trail (singletrack) and Silver Creek Jeep Road (doubletrack).
Maps: USGS Topo and Absolute Bikes Ride Guide
Access: Marshall Pass
Ride Description: There is a parking lot with bathrooms on Marshall Pass. From this parking area, to find the trail south, travel south up the road. At the very top of the pass the road passes through a deep cut. Just as you approach this cut, look for a two-track that goes off to the left. It should be marked with a carsonite Colorado Trail sign. Take this road, which climbs sharply for a moment and follow it to the right. You may see a sign for Poncha Creek, and you will see a two-track road that goes to the left. Stay right. You only need to go a short distance. As soon as you start to curve back to the south, look to your left. You should see the trailhead, and a singletrack trail climbing off to your left. This is the Continental Divide/Colorado Trail.

Follow this trail as it climbs (mostly) along the Continental Divide ridge. After about two miles the singletrack will terminate onto a doubletrack. Take a left on this track, climb sharply for half a mile or so, continuing on doubletrack. When the climb tops out, look for a great place to rest and drink in the view to your left. Continue about half a mile, watching for a sign to your left. It comes after you’ve gone down a downhill, then just started to climb back up. This is the Silver Creek Trail.

Follow the Silver Creek Trail for seven miles down one of the best singletrack descents in North America. The first mile has some very technical, rocky, and difficult switchbacks. Use caution. The Silver Creek Trail will take you past some mine ruins, then will cross a log bridge over the creek. Here you will follow a mix of singletrack and doubletrack, sometimes with the creek water flowing down the roadway. As you descend, this will become a well-defined doubletrack. Pass the intersection labeled Toll Road Gulch. This is where the historic Otto Mears Toll Road connects with the Silver Creek Road.

Shortly after passing Toll Road Gulch you will come to the Rainbow Trail trailhead. Be aware, the Rainbow Trail has some climbing. See the ride description for Silver Creek Road, Rainbow Trail for more information about this route.

Continue down the doubletrack. There is some downhill, control your speed and use caution because it can sometimes be difficult to avoid uphill vehicle traffic. Watch for the Silver Creek Lakes cabins to your right. Eventually this doubletrack will come out onto a graded gravel road. Continue on another mile or so to the Shirley Site on your right.

Silver Creek Road, Rainbow Trail
Many riders who ride the Monarch Crest have been meaning to ride this section of the Rainbow Trail for years. It can be accessed at the end of the Monarch Crest Trail, if Crest riders continue to the Silver Creek Trail and then down the Silver Creek Road. Very often, riders who have completed the Crest, the Continental Divide Trail south from Marshall, and the Silver Creek Trail find that they are too tired to do the Rainbow Trail. But this ride can be done on its own starting from the Shirley Site or even from town! Here’s how:

Advanced 2-4 Hours   13 Miles

Rating: Advanced
Distance: Loop returning to Shirley Site, 19 miles
Time: 3-6 Hours
Elevation: Starting at 8,700, climb to approximately 9,400, up and down for 10 miles, finally descending to about 8,400 (U.S. 285 at Mear’s Junction) then climbing back to 8,700 (Shirley Site)
Trails: Silver Creek Jeep Road (doubletrack), Rainbow Trail (singletrack) and County Road 200 (graded gravel road).
Maps: USGS Topo and Absolute Bikes Ride Guide
Access: Shirley Site
Ride Description: Turn left out of the Shirley Site parking lot to travel south on the Silver Creek Road. After about a mile of gentle climbing, the Silver Creek Lakes private area gate will be seen to the left. The Silver Creek Road continues, going just to the right of the gate. It now gets steeper and rougher. Follow this road for another 4.5 miles. The road will cross a few shallow creeks and climb more sharply near the trailhead. Watch for a sign and trail going off to the left. Follow this trail after signing in. It will initially be heading due east. A sign says that Mears Junction is nine miles, but it may feel like longer. This singletrack is wonderful. There are a series of climbs and descents, and there are several places where the trail drops off sharply. But this section of Rainbow Trail singletrack is some of the finest for mountain biking anywhere in the area.

About eight miles from the trailhead, the trail will come to a sandy doubletrack. Cross the doubletrack and pick up the trail on the other side. It continues for another couple miles, encountering a couple hard climbs, and then a technical, rocky descent. After you clear this descent, look for several places with beautiful long views, alternating between nearby Mt. Ouray, and other mountains in the Sawatch and Sangre de Cristo mountain ranges.

Finally, the trail will cross an open sagebrush meadow with some power lines, then it will descend sharply toward U.S. 285. Use caution, some sections of this descent are very steep and loose.

The trail will end at U.S. 285. Follow the highway downhill for a short distance, then turn left onto CR 200.