Moab has the Whole Enchilada, Palisade has the Plunge and the Roaring Fork has the Arbaney -Kittle.
The Arbaney-Kittle Trail is one of the Roaring Fork Valley’s longest and highest elevation classic trails. It follows the ridge that separates the Roaring Fork and Frying Pan Rivers and offers excellent views of Ruedi Reservoir and Red Table Mt to the north, and the breadth of the Elk Range and Mount Sopris to the south.
Arbaney-Kittle boasts over 5,000 feet of descending over 18 miles and can be ridden as a monster 46 mile loop from the trailhead in Basalt or shuttled to the top Kobey Park.
Note: This is a remote backcountry trail. Riders have been known to lose the trail, and stay out overnight. Be prepared for a long ride with all the right equipment to get you safely back to the trailhead
Most riders tackle the trail from east to west, somewhat limiting climbing, while providing plenty of descending on the way down towards Basalt. The trail combines classic singletrack through mature aspen groves and dark timber forests, short sections of doubletrack, a crux hike-a-bike section along a rocky ridgeline, overgrown trail segments that will keep the adventure level high, and thousands of feet of fast descending as you tackle the final miles of the trail down to Basalt.
The first 7.5 miles of trail are open to motorcycles (and eMTB’s), which does seem to help to keep this remote trail in decent shape each summer (thanks to our moto friends). During this first part of the trail, review the map to avoid taking a wrong turn on routes to the south. Once you’ve reached Red Rim Rd., look for an intersection on your right to continue on the A-K Trail; from this point west to Basalt the trail is closed to motorcycles and sees less traffic.
About 1.5 miles west of Red Rim Rd., you’ll encounter the 3/4 mile long crux of the trail. The ridge you’ve been riding turns to rocks, small cliffs, and the biggest views of the ride. The 10 minute hike-a-bike begins. You’ll find cairns occasionally marking the way up the red rock cliff section, some rideable sections, and even some good trail to navigate along the ridge. Use your best judgement and follow the path of least resistance while not straying too far from the actual ridge. When a rideable trail presents itself again on the ridge, you may still encounter heavy corridor growth and may lose the trail for a short distance, especially on a short, steep section that has some switchbacking trail that may be obscured by vegetation. Refer to your mobile app frequently in this area to ensure you are still on route, or close to it. Beware of old background map route data that are not accurate and might cause you to wander in the woods for a while! A sharp right-hand turn marks the end of difficult route finding; this is about three miles west of the Red Rim Rd. intersection.
From the sharp right-hand turn, climbs get shorter, descents get faster, and then steeper on the final eight miles of the trail. Fallen trees can be common on the remote parts of the trail. Be aware as the final steep descent is popular with hikers on shorter trips from the western trailhead.
Arbaney-Kittle Trail on Trailforks.com
