Monthly Archives: June 2010

Whitewater Rafting in Winter Park, CO

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Colorado river raftingColorado River Rafting

The water is coming out of the mountains and the rafting companies and Colorado rafters are getting great water this year.  Local Winter Park rafting companies are having one of their best springs in recent years, thanks to all the spring snowmelt gushing out of the mountains into area waterways.

Due to the late April and May snowstorms and the warmer June weather we have had this year the rivers are full and this is the time of year to take a trip down the Upper Colorado or Clear Creek.

Winter Park Lodging Company Company works with two rafting companies in Winter Park,  Adventures in Whitewater and Red Tail Rafting.  This time of year, Adventures in Whitewater guides commercial rafting trips on a section of whitewater southwest of Kremmling, below Big Gore Canyon. The popular run stretches from Pumphouse on the Trough Road to Rancho del Rio, near State Bridge. As of Tuesday morning, nearly 5,900 cubic feet per second of water was running through that section of the river.

Adventures in Whitewater offers rafting trips on either the Upper Colorado or Clear Creek, has experienced and friendly guides, plus guests of Winter Park Lodging Company get 15% off. Just mention you’re our guests when you book your rafting trip.

Red Tail Rafting offers WP Lodging  Co. guests 10% off on Colorado River trips and even transports you to the river. Only full day raft trips offered, which offer you more time to enjoy the river.

The water is soon to crest and the flows of water will slow through the summer.  Now is a great time to get out and get on the water and see the beauty of the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Opening Dates for Winter Park’s St. Louis Lake Trail

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Wildflowers Abundant on St. Louis Lake Trail

St. Louis Lake Trail is famous for wildflowers

The trailhead of one of the most popular hiking trails in the Winter Park area, the St. Louis Lake trail, has very restricted access. The trail is known as one of the most beautiful wildflower hikes you can find in our valley, and due to this celebrity, it draws thousands of hikers each summer (or it used to).

About four or five years ago, the Sulpher Ranger district of the Arapaho National Forest decided that because of the extremely heavy traffic on the trail, it would be best for the health of the trail and surrounding forest to keep the the gate closed except for on three days of the summer. 

The gate blocks the 3.1-mile road leading up to the St. Louis Lake trailhead. You can still hike the trail anytime of the summer, but you will have to hike up and back on the stretch of road that leads to the trailhead. You can also ride your bike on the road, as long as you leave it once you reach the trailhead that crosses into the Byer’s Peak Wilderness area.

The total round-trip distance including the road is about 14 miles. Not including the road, the distance is less than 8 miles round trip.

Announcing the dates that the St. Louis Lake Trailhead gate will be open this summer:

  • Friday, June 25 at 4pm through Saturday, June 26 at 7pm (for people who want to camp).  
  • Wednesday, July 14 - 7am- 7pm. 
  • Monday, August 16 – 7am- 7pm.

More Winter Park hiking trails and tips to come throughout the summer. Stay tuned!

No. 2 Winter Park, CO Mountain Bike Trail of the Week

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mountain bike coloradoSolVista Mountain Biking

The second edition of the mountain bike trail of the week is here courtesy of the Winter Park/Fraser Chamber of Commerce and it is a great ride indeed.  The trail is Tron at the Sol Vista Bike Park and i is a great intermediate classic cross country mountain bike trail with some single track, wooded areas and a bit of climbing.

The SolVista Bike Park has professionally designed trails to challenge and excite mountain bikers of any skill level.

The SolVista trail rating system is similar to that used in the snow-skiing industry. Trails are rated beginner, intermediate or expert, based on steepness of trail, technical difficulty and number of obstacles and overall riding experience. Regardless of difficulty, all  jumps and stunts have “go-around” options, so you’ll never be forced into a dangerous situation.

Bike Sol Vista – TRON

Trail Location: To get to Sol Vista Basin at Granby Ranch from the Winter Park Visitor Center, continue North on US HWY 40 for about 15 minutes and turn right towards the Inn at Silver Creek. Continue up the hill to the base area of SolVista Basin.
Trail Information:Tron just may be the perfect blend of flowing singletrack, rocky wooded sections, man-made terrain and open turns. Branching off of Cheez-it, Tron will put a smile on your face. There is an “expert” step-down jump that has a go-around option.
Visit Bike SolVista for more information.

There are lots of good trails at SolVista and Tron is one of the “nice fun types”.  SolVista is a great early season destination because most of the slopes are southern exposure and the snow melts early hence their early ski season closure.

Head out to SolVista for a great day of mountain biking.

No. 2 Hiking Trail of the Week in Winter Park, CO

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colorado waterfall hikesRocky Mountain National Park Hiking Trails

The second edition of the hike of the week is back for Winter Park, Colorado.  This week the hike takes a little drive from WP up to Rocky Mountain National Park.  This week’s hike is a relatively easy and short hike that goes to a beautiful waterfall and continues to a stunning meadow with great mountain views and small ponds teaming with fish.  There is a charge to get into Rocky Mountain National Park but this hike is a hike in and there is no fee.  If you continue to drive into the Park there is a charge

On the way back stop in Grand Lake and check out Colorado’s biggest natural lake with some of the best views in Colorado.

Adams Falls, East Inlet Trail – Winter Park Hike of the Week

(Rocky Mountain National Park)

BEGINNING ELEVATION: 8400ft.

ENDING ELEVATION: 8480ft.

Miles one way: .5 miles to Adams Falls, 1 mile to the glaciated valley

Rating: Easy

Trailhead Location: From the Winter Park Visitor’s Center drive north on US HWY 40 19 miles through Granby to US HWY 34 and turn right. Continue for about 15.3 miles to the Grand Lake Visitor Center and turn right in to the village of grand Lake. At the Mountain Food Market, the road will veer to the rights into Grand Lake (a wooden sign days “Welcome to Grand Lake”) veer left and follow the road for 2 miles to the end of the road to a parking lot, the trailhead is well marked.

Trail Information: This is an easy hike up to a beautiful waterfall. It is suitable for all ages. Be careful at the top of the waterfall as the water is fast and strong. Keep small children well away from the water’s edge at the falls and stay on the trail only. If you decide to, you can continue on another .5 miles past the falls in to an alpine meadow with gorgeous views of “Mt. Baldy” and ponds full of fish.

Special Trail regulations: This hike is in the Rocky Mountain National Park so no dogs or bikes are allowed.

Stay tuned next week for the third installation of the Winter Park Hike of the week.

Winter Park Hike of the Week No. 1

Adams Falls, East Inlet Trail
(Rocky Mountain National Park)

BEGINNING ELEVATION:    8400ft.

ENDING ELEVATION:           8480ft.

Miles one way: .5 miles to Adams Falls, 1 mile to the glaciated valley

Rating: Easy

Trailhead Location: From the Winter Park Visitor’s Center drive north on

US HWY 40 19 miles through Granby to US HWY 34 and turn right. Continue fir about 15.3 miles to the Grand Lake Visitor Center and turn right in to the village of grand Lake. At the Mountain Food Market, the road will veer to the rights into Grand Lake (a wooden sign days “Welcome to Grand Lake”) veer left and follow the road for 2 miles to the end of the road to a parking lot, the trailhead is well marked.
Trail Information: This is an easy hike up to a beautiful waterfall. It is suitable for all ages. Be careful at the top of the waterfall as the water is fast and strong. Keep small children well away from the water’s edge at the falls and stay on the trail only. If you decide to, you can continue on another .5 miles past the falls in to an alpine meadow with gorgeous views of “Mt. Baldy” and ponds full of fish.

 

Special Trail regulations: This hike is in the Rocky Mountain National Park so no dogs or bikes are allowed.

Winter Park, CO Recipe of the Month: June

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The recipe of the month for June comes straight out of the bible of all cookbooks:  The Joy of Cooking. It is a delicious grilled or steamed-on-the-grill salmon fillet with an even more delicious Chipotle Mayonnaisse. A great meal for a summer evening and it’s quick and easy to boot.

You only really need 1/2 of the chipotle mayonnaisse that this recipe makes if your preparing four salmon fillets, but it’s so yummy you’ll want to save the leftover to spread on sandwiches or use for other meals.Grilled Chipotle Salmon Recipe 

Tip: If you’ve got a sensitive tongue, (i.e. Taco Bell’s hot sauce is too spicy for you), you may want to stick to the milder variation of Watercress Mayonnaisse.

Ingredients:

Up to 8 Salmon Fillets & Chipotle or Watercress Mayonnaise

Chipotle Mayo
1 cup light or regular mayo
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle peppers
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the peppers (or to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
salt and black pepper to taste

Watercress Mayo
1 cup light or regular mayoRecipe of the Month, Winter Park Colorado
1/4 cup finely chopped watercress
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

First, decide whether you’d like to prepare the salmon directly on the grill or if you’d like to steam it in foil over the grill. Both ways are easy, but if you use the steaming method you don’t have to worry about flipping the fillets or any stickage on the grill.

Prepare the chipotle or the watercress mayo next, just by adding all ingredients to a bowl and mixing until completely blended.

Start the fillets, using a medium-high flame. If you’re grilling directly over the flames, all you need to do is salt and pepper the fillets, then grill on each side 4-5 minutes or until they’re completely opaque.

If you’re steaming with foil, make sure to double up or use heavy duty foil. Set each fillet on a piece of foil large enough to completely wrap around it, spread a tablespoon or so of the mayo over the top, then fold the foil over the fillet. Set over a medium-high flame with the lid closed for about 15 minutes, or until completely opaque.

After the steaks are done, top with chipotle or watercress mayo and serve with wild rice and a green veggie for a pretty and healthy dinner.

Fraser River in Winter Park Named to Endangered River List

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Winter Parks endangered river
Colorado River Named to”Most Endangered Rivers” List

Our beloved Colorado River and more specifically the Fraser River has been named the #6 most endangered river in the United States.  The threat of water diversion from the state’s namesake river has landed the Upper Colorado at  #6 on this year’s list, as compiled by the conservation advocacy group American Rivers.

Right here in Winter Park the proposed firming of the Moffat Tunnel Collection System Project is threatening to make the Fraser River that most of us here depend on into a trickle of a stream.  As it is now it is a trickle of what it once was.

The proposed Moffet firming could lower the river flow to the point of threatening the Fraser and the Colorado Rivers prized trout fisheries.

Supporters of the Moffat diversion say the water is needed in order to ensure a reliable water supply for Colorado’s fast-growing population. We say those needs can be met through other means, such as working to use water more efficiently. The Upper Colorado and its major tributaries provide water to the resort areas of Granby, Winter Park, Breckenridge, Keystone and Vail; as well as a large portion of the urban Front Range.

The Denver metro area users gobble up a huge percentage of the Colorado River water already and piddle it away on grass watering and other non-essentials and keep on grabbing for more.

Lets keep a healthy Colorado and Fraser River and say no to Denver Water and the proposed  firming of the Moffat Tunnel Collection System Project.

Winter Park, CO Airfare Deal Alert for June

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Just weeks before the official start to summer, now’s the time to start your summer vacation planning in earnest.  Compared to last month, fares have definitely gone up. Here is our list of thirty-five flight deals to Denver for June, now with arrows showing whether the flights are going up or down compared to May.

Going Fast!

Check this out, if you live in Albuquerque or Salt Lake City, you can get to Denver on Southwest Airlines for $50 each way if you book by June 3rd. Act fast!

Also, Midwest Airlines has flights to Denver from Kansas City or Omaha  for as low as $59 each way and from New York La Guardia for $139 each way.  You must travel on a Tues/Weds and book by this Friday, June 4th to grab these deals.

More Flight Deals

$198 RT Akron, OH (CAK) ↑
$218 RT Atlanta, GA (ATL) – new
$188 RT Bismarck, ND (BIS) – new
$238 RT Buffalo, NY (BUF) ↑
$188 RT Boston, MA (BOS) – new
$158 RT Bozeman, MT (BZN) – new
$158 RT Cheyenne, WY (CYS) – new
$198 RT Chicago, IL (ORD) ↑
$218 RT Columbus, OH (CMH) ↑
$218 RT Dallas, TX (DFW) ↑
$258 RT Daytona Beach, FL (DAB) – new
$250 RT Greenville, NC (PGV) – new
$218 RT Hartford, CT (BDL) - new
$538 RT Honolulu, HI (HNL) ↑
$124 RT Houston, TX (IAH) ↓
$178 RT Indianapolis, IN (IND) – new
$132 RT Jackson Hole, WY (JAC) – new
$118 RT Kansas City, MO (MCI) ↔
$158 RT Laramie, WY (LAR) ↔
$130 RT Las Vegas, NV (LAS) ↔
$136 RT Los Angeles, CA (LAX) ↑
$168 RT Milwaukee, WI (MKE) – new
$178 RT New Orleans, LA (MSY) ↓
$148 RT Oakland, CA (OAK) – new
$192 RT Oklahoma City, OK (OKC) – new
$218 RT Norfolk, VA (ORF) ↑
$208 RT Orlando, FL (MCO) – new
$224 RT Philadelphia, PA (PHL) ↓
$118 RT Phoenix, AZ (PHX) ↔
$158 RT Portland, OR (PDX) ↑
$98 RT Salt Lake City, UT (SLC) ↔
$148 RT San Diego, CA (SAN) - new
$206 RT St. Louis, MO (STL) – new
$208 RT Washington, DC (DCA) ↑
$428 RT Winnipeg, MB, Canada (YWG) – new

Let us know where you’re flying  from and we’ll keep our eyes peeled for deals for next month’s report. Just email valarie@wplbo.com. You can also check online at www.airfarewatchdog.com, and while you’re there, set up monthly, weekly or even daily alerts for flights to or from the airports of your choice.

Remember to check with us for availability at a vacation rental in Winter Park for your dates first, then book your flights! Search Winter Park Lodging Company now to see what options await you.

Winter Park Colorado Mountain Bike Trail of the Week

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winter park co flume trailFlume Trail Winter Park, CO

Here is the first Winter Park Colorado mountain bike trail of the week.  The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce  has started to do a mountain bike trail of the week and I thought I would pass it along.

I have ridden the Flume/Creekside trail with the wife about three years ago.  The ride is not that physically demanding but there are a couple tricky parts that take some mountain bike skill.  I would say the whole family could do this ride with maybe a couple of areas of walking for the beginning bikers.

Some mountain bike etiquette:

  • downhill riders make way for uphill riders
  • if the trail is very muddy dismount and walk bike
  • if taking a break move off of trail

OK so here is the Flume/ Creekside mountain bike trail of the week.

Length: 5.3 Miles
Elevation: 8,900′
Rating: This is a physically easy trail but does require intermediate off-road skills.
Location: The trail starts at the St. Louis Creek Campground. From the Winter Park Visitor Center head north on US Hwy 40 for 1.5 miles once you come to the stop light in Fraser take a left on to CR 72 and stay right through the meadow. Once you come to the stop sign take a left. To get to the campground take CR 73 from Fraser for four miles.
Trail Information: Begin at St. Louis Creek Campground. The trail-head for Creekside. Creekside begins as a two track that is rocky and rutted in sections and slightly uphill with little terrain change at the beginning. The two track will turn into single track as the trail approaches the creek. The single track trail becomes more difficult with less gravel and larger river rock and more twists and turns. This is the most scenic part of the trail. Large beaver ponds may harbor an occasional moose, so take time to enjoy your surroundings.
Enter Flume and be prepared for an extremely fun ride. This trail is slightly moderate downhill descent with numerous turns, yet is never too hard. The kind of ride that makes your smile hurt. Heavily wooded forests at times gives way to open meadows full of wild flowers in the spring. The Flume trail gets its name from an old logging flume, which it parallels, for much of the ride. The trail will go through some aspens before reaching the scenic over look bench. Take time to enjoy the view of Byers Peak and St. Louis Creek.
Shortly after the scenic overlook is a trail junction. Straight ahead is Chainsaw, turn left and the trail will take you across St. Louis Creek. Turn left after the bridge and follow an old road back to the campground.

This is a great ride that is not to hard.  Do look for moose and other wildlife in the area.

On the way back to Winter Park stop and have a beer and a bite to eat at one of Winter Park’s fine eateries.

Summer is here so lets get outside and enjoy this wonderful place called Winter Park, Colorado.