VAIL'S #1
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Summer in the Rockies
By David M. Frey
Call it the ultimate après ski party. Kick off your ski boots for the season and cozy up to a Colorado summer and you’ll see why so many born-again Coloradans share the same story. Winter is why they came; summer is why they stayed. Outdoor enthusiasts get dizzy from the options to wile away a summer’s day. Cast a line into the rivers, or cast off in a kayak? Set out on a hike, or on a bike? It used to be, winter was the time to vacation in Colorado. More and more, visitors find summers the best time to visit, and with so much to see and do, it’s easy to see why.
Wet and Wild The most diehard snow slider may still be able to find secret snow stashes long after the lifts have closed down, but why fight nature? When sunshine turns snow into snowmelt, follow it to the rivers. One of the hottest ways to cool off in a Rocky Mountain summer is on a river. Whitewater abounds in Colorado’s high country, and it provides an exhilarating way to explore the mountains and canyons. Some of the state’s finest whitewater is on the Colorado River, where the legendary Shoshone Rapids promise to take your breath away as you plunge below the towering walls of Glenwood Canyon. In Aspen and Snowmass, the Roaring Fork River offers exciting twists and turns. In Summit County, take a plunge through the raging waters of Brown’s Canyon on the Arkansas River. Near Vail, Gore Canyon beckons with some of the most challenging rapids in the state. Local raft guides, who know the waters and want to share their love of adventure with visitors, are plentiful.
For some, the biggest excitement on the water comes at the end of a line. Whether you’re standing on the edge or floating downstream, Colorado’s High Country offers some of the finest fly-fishing anywhere in the country. These are Gold Medal fishing waters, from the Colorado to the Roaring Fork to the Frying Pan. Experts will relish the chance to cast a line into the nooks and eddies and watch rainbow trout soar off the end of the line over a rushing mountain river. For newcomers, it’s a great place to learn. Check in at local fishing shops for guide companies eager to show you the art of the cast, take you to their favorite spots and let you know what the fish are biting.
Colorado’s Rockies are also home to lots of high-mountain lakes and reservoirs great for fishing and floating. The gem is Lake Dillon Reservoir — 3,300 acres of shimmering waters between the towns of Dillon and Frisco. Cradled by the Gore, Williams Fork and Ten Mile mountain ranges, the lake is a great place to celebrate yet another sunny summer day. Full-service marinas at both Dillon and Frisco offer a range of ways to have fun in the water. Visitors will find sailboats and motorboats, Jet Skis and paddleboats, canoes and kayaks available for rent. Or, take part in a sailboat tour and leave the work to someone else. Onshore, visitors will find cozy cabins for rent, 313 campsites and plenty of hiking and biking trails, plus Jeep tours into the mountains to blossoming wildflowers and old ghost towns.
Explore Your Surroundings In the winter, mountains are for schussing down. In the summer, they’re for climbing up. Hands down, there’s no better way to see a Rocky Mountain summer than on foot. Mountain views are always better after a good hike, and there’s no shortage of trails to choose from, whether you’re a beginner or a bona fide mountaineer. Check with the local Forest Service ranger station for recommendations and maps to get you where you want to go.
Remember to come prepared, though. Mountain weather is fickle. Thunderstorms roll across bluebird skies without much notice. Skies once sunny and warm turn icy and gray. Even easy trails can twist an ankle or break a leg, and the thin mountain air may keep your hike in the mountains from being a walk in the park. And never leave the trailhead without plenty of water for the trip.
Some of the great hiking and ski trails also make for great biking trails. For the ultimate workout, consider renting a mountain bike to explore your surroundings. Mountain bikes are a great way to add a little adrenaline to your mountain excursion. Or even your town excursion. Try exploring the off-the-beaten-track mountain towns on two wheels, peeking in at the shops, eateries and coffee stops as you go. Check in at the local bike shop for rentals, and for some local wisdom about favorite trails. They can also outfit you with all the gear you need to spin your way into mountain bliss. Some will even cut your workout in half by shuttling you to one end and letting you bike back on your own.
Of course, there are lots of ways to explore the mountains. Check around for local outfitters who will take you into the high country on horseback. There’s no better way to get a feeling for the way the West was once than on the back of a horse, ambling through wildflower meadows and aspen glades. Outfitters like the 4 Eagle Ranch in Wolcott have an insider’s knowledge of the best places to head into the hills, and easygoing horses are ready to take a family to some of the best views of the mountains.
Lots of companies also offer Jeep tours to let you set out for high passes and forgotten ghost towns behind the wheel. Of course, a great way to see the mountains is to look down on them. For an unforgettable visit, check out hot-air balloon rides to soar silently over the valleys.
In Full Swing One of the most popular pastimes in the mountains these days is golf, and there’s no shortage of greens to choose from, even if you’re not staying at a golf resort. Colorado’s high country abounds with top-notch courses designed by some of the sport’s most renowned architects. They offer exquisite mountain views, plenty of challenges and the privacy and feel of members-only clubs without the members-only dues. Play a round and see if balls really do fly 15 percent farther in the thin mountain air
The Vail Valley hosts some 15 golf courses, many of them public. The Vail Golf Club, designed by Ben Krueger, offers golfers stunning views of the Gore Range. The par-71 championship course has a pro shop, driving range, locker rooms, restaurant and snack shop.
At the nearby town of Eagle, you’ll find the Arnold Palmer-designed Eagle Ranch Golf Course. The course winds through the stunning Brush Creek Valley, surrounded by the towering peaks of the Sawatch Range, with five sets of tees ranging from 5,400 to 7,500 yards providing challenges for all skill levels. Also nearby is the public Eagle-Vail Golf Course, with classic mountain golf and all of its challenges. The course includes the Willow Creek par-three nine-hole course, ideal for families and beginners.
For resort play, guests at Vail Resorts lodges can take a swing at Beaver Creek’s Red Sky Golf Club, with a pair of courses designed by Tom Fazio and Greg Norman. The greens take golfers through both high desert country and lush aspen stands for unique Colorado golfing. In Edwards, guests of the Sonnenalp Golf Club, designed by Jay Morrish, can enjoy an 18-hole championship course, swimming pool, tennis courts, practice facilities and a teaching center. Public tee times are taken a day in advance at the Hale Irwin-designed Cordillera Mountain Course and the Dave Pelz-designed nine-hole short course.
Just a few minutes from downtown Aspen, you’ll find the Aspen Golf Club. The Frank Hummel-designed course offers 7,215 yards of play, and is open seven days a week, with a full-service pro shop, lessons with PGA staff, a driving range, cart rental and restaurant.
The Snowmass Club is unveiling a completely redesigned championship golf course. Designed by James Engh, the par-72 course includes a practice facility and clubhouse with a full-service restaurant and bar.
A lovely drive down valley brings you to Carbondale, where you’ll find River Valley Ranch. Jay Morrish designed the challenging course along the Crystal River. Set amid a 520-acre residential community, River Valley Ranch is public but feels private, with stunning views of glorious Mt. Sopris looming in the distance.
The Breckenridge Golf Club has the distinction of being the only 27-hole regulation municipal golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus. The championship 18 holes and added Elk nine take golfers on a mountain excursion past crystal streams, beaver ponds, native grasses, sagebrush and natural wetlands.
In Silverthorne, The Raven Golf Club at Three Peaks is a spectacular semi-private club with panoramic views of the Gore Range everywhere you look. Native grasses line the bunkers, and Colorado pines and aspens wind through a course marked with sparkling creeks and lakes.
Golf Magazine and Golf Digest have rated Keystone one of the top golf resorts in the country. Keystone Ranch Golf Course offers a rugged terrain patterned by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. after Scotland’s famous links courses. The River Course at Keystone is a par-71 Hurdzan-Fry course that winds along the Snake River and offers spectacular views of the Gore Range. (Prepare for the 200-foot drop on the 16th hole.) After being closed last season, Keystone reopens this year, starting with the River Course in mid-May, followed soon after by Keystone Ranch.
At 9,700 feet, Copper Creek Golf Club at Copper Mountain is the nation’s highest championship golf course. The low-key course is also one of Summit County residents’ favorites, and with stunning views of the Ten Mile Range, the Pete and Perry Dye-designed course is one of its most spectacular, too.
Festival Time
If you think summer brings fun up in the mountains, it’s no different back in town. Summertime means festival time, and you’ll find lots to enjoy, no matter what your taste.
In Aspen, the Janus Jazz Aspen Snowmass concert series offers great music all summer. Inspired by its prestigious sister festival in Marciac, France, the season kicks off and ends with blowout concerts featuring some of the biggest names in jazz, rock, American and world music. Past artists have included an eclectic mix, from Neil Young to Tony Bennett and Wynton Marsalis to Willy Nelson.
Throughout the summer, stop by Snowmass Village’s Fanny Hill for free jazz concerts each Thursday night with big names. Last year’s list included blues legend John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers and bluegrass icon the Del McCoury Band.
The Aspen Music Festival offers unparalleled talent throughout the summer under the Benedict Music Tent, an architecturally stunning, acoustically rich venue. Tickets range over $50, but lawn seating is always free, and always fun.
The Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival presents classical music surrounded by stunning vistas, and it’s the only summer festival in the country that hosts resident orchestras. Last year brought the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and, new to the festival, the New York Philharmonic.
The Vail Jazz Festival brings top talent to the mountains throughout the summer, culminating in an intimate cabaret-style session, the Labor Day Weekend Party. Throughout the summer, look for free afternoon concerts Saturdays at the Minturn Market.
In August, the Vail International Dance Festival hosts some of the world’s greatest dancers in classical and contemporary performances.
Summer brings lots of music to Summit County. Among the highlights are the Alpenglow Chamber Music Festival, a weeklong festival in Silverthorne in August, and the Breckenridge Music Festival, offering a summer-long series of classical and popular music.
But that’s just a start. Popular venues like Vail’s Vilar Center for the Arts and Breckenridge’s Riverwalk Event Center, plus bars and nightclubs throughout the mountains, are busy throughout the summer with exciting music, often by top performers passing through on summer festival tours.
Finding something to do this summer will not be a problem, but finding a way to do it all may be a challenge.
David M. Frey is a freelance writer in Carbondale, Colorado. His work has appeared in various newspapers and magazines, including the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Denver Post and American Profile.
Aspen and Snowmass
The most diehard snow slider may still be able to find secret snow stashes long after the lifts have closed down, but why fight nature? When sunshine turns snow into snowmelt, follow it to the rivers. One of the hottest ways to cool off in a Rocky Mountain summer is on a river. Whitewater abounds in Colorado’s high country, and it provides an exhilarating way to explore the mountains and canyons. Some of the state’s finest whitewater is on the Colorado River, where the legendary Shoshone Rapids promise to take your breath away as you plunge below the towering walls of Glenwood Canyon. In Aspen and Snowmass, the Roaring Fork River offers exciting twists and turns. In Summit County, take a plunge through the raging waters of Brown’s Canyon on the Arkansas River. Near Vail, Gore Canyon beckons with some of the most challenging rapids in the state. Local raft guides, who know the waters and want to share their love of adventure with visitors, are plentiful.
Colorado’s Rockies are also home to lots of high-mountain lakes and reservoirs great for fishing and floating. The gem is Lake Dillon Reservoir — 3,300 acres of shimmering waters between the towns of Dillon and Frisco. Cradled by the Gore, Williams Fork and Ten Mile mountain ranges, the lake is a great place to celebrate yet another sunny summer day. Full-service marinas at both Dillon and Frisco offer a range of ways to have fun in the water. Visitors will find sailboats and motorboats, Jet Skis and paddleboats, canoes and kayaks available for rent. Or, take part in a sailboat tour and leave the work to someone else. Onshore, visitors will find cozy cabins for rent, 313 campsites and plenty of hiking and biking trails, plus Jeep tours into the mountains to blossoming wildflowers and old ghost towns.
In the winter, mountains are for schussing down. In the summer, they’re for climbing up. Hands down, there’s no better way to see a Rocky Mountain summer than on foot. Mountain views are always better after a good hike, and there’s no shortage of trails to choose from, whether you’re a beginner or a bona fide mountaineer. Check with the local Forest Service ranger station for recommendations and maps to get you where you want to go.
Of course, there are lots of ways to explore the mountains. Check around for local outfitters who will take you into the high country on horseback. There’s no better way to get a feeling for the way the West was once than on the back of a horse, ambling through wildflower meadows and aspen glades. Outfitters like the 4 Eagle Ranch in Wolcott have an insider’s knowledge of the best places to head into the hills, and easygoing horses are ready to take a family to some of the best views of the mountains.
One of the most popular pastimes in the mountains these days is golf, and there’s no shortage of greens to choose from, even if you’re not staying at a golf resort. Colorado’s high country abounds with top-notch courses designed by some of the sport’s most renowned architects. They offer exquisite mountain views, plenty of challenges and the privacy and feel of members-only clubs without the members-only dues. Play a round and see if balls really do fly 15 percent farther in the thin mountain air
In Aspen, the Janus Jazz Aspen Snowmass concert series offers great music all summer. Inspired by its prestigious sister festival in Marciac, France, the season kicks off and ends with blowout concerts featuring some of the biggest names in jazz, rock, American and world music. Past artists have included an eclectic mix, from Neil Young to Tony Bennett and Wynton Marsalis to Willy Nelson.