Winter Park Fall Mountain Bike Rides

Posted on September 13, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park, CO Mountain Biking

The air has officially gotten very crisp here in Winter Park and this means we have the best time of year for heading out on the bike for a ride. Check out the above pictures. I was able to get a great view of Winter Park Resort and down the whole Fraser Valley and then a burly old moose caught my eye right off the single track.

It was an awesome day of biking up and around the old Idlewild Ski Area and the Corona Pass road. The trails up there are known as Broken Thumb and Twisted Ankle and if you are not a bit careful that is what you will end up with.

There is not better time of year to bike up in the Winter Park area than fall. Over at Winter Park Resort the D2, D3 and D4 trails are all in good shape and very fun. Down valley at Solvista there are some great trails and a killer bike park for the more daring. But my favorites, the Idlewild and Rendezvous trails, are in great shape even though there is some serious tree cutting going up in there.

Get the bike out now for snow is a comin’ to Winter Park, CO and we will have a good seven months of snow and skiing. Winter Park Resort opens for skiing on November 17 for the 2010/2011 ski season and now is the time to get training on the bike while the biking is good.

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Labor Day Fun at Winter Park Resort

Posted on September 6, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park, CO Biking Fun

The summer is almost gone here in Winter Park and those trying to squeeze all the fun that could be had spent this labor day up at the Winter Park Resort. Pond skimming was the test of the day with 2 x 8 boards placed on floats for those brave enough to try biking across the pond. Speed and balance, speed and balance, dough….don’t let that tire get off the board. What a way to send off summer. Winter Park Village was crowded with thrill seekers and gawkers alike hoping to get the last little bit of summer fun.

The biking is not through up here in the high country with Trestle Bike Park open weekend the next three weeks. The cross country biking should be good into early October, depending when we get that first snow here in Winter Park.

But Labor day has come and is about gone taking Lady Summer with her. Fall is here with wonderful colors and the ushering in of glorious winter. This Labor Day could not have had better weather for pond skimming. Slight breezes with sunshine and blue skies and highs around 70 degrees, a great labor day indeed.

Winter Park Lodging Company wishes all a happy labor day and we hope the day was spent doing anything but labor. So lets wish Ms. summer goodbye till next tear and hope Father Winter brings lots of dreamy white snow soon.

Only 72 days until Winter Park Resort opens for ski season. Let the countdown begin.

Fall Colors in Winter Park Colorado

Posted on August 23, 2010 by Chris

Rocky Mountain fall colors colorado Changing of the Colors Winter Park, CO

Every summer comes to this in Winter Park. It always seems to come to early and without warning. driving under the Rocky Mountain peaks and you notice an aspen that is starting to turn from green to yellow. Well, it is here in Winter Park this year. The neighbors aspen are about half yellow and some of trees on the hills are getting a little yellow also.

The change in colors comes early up here in WP-CO. Best time to see the trees is in mid-September. There is plenty to do in Winter Park and Grand County, Colorado in September and it is unbelievably beautiful this time of year. Check out some of the activities here in Winter Park the last half of September.

09/05	Labor Day Block Party, Street Dance & Sidewalk Sale
09/11-09/12	7th annual snow mountain challenge disc golf tournament
09/11	Colorado Crooked Roubaix
09/12	Run the Ranches
09/13-09/17	Devil’s Thumb Ranch Wrangler Summer Camp for Adults
09/18	Taste of Fall
09/19	Run the Ranches
09/26	Fraser Valley Fall Duathlon

Also, don’t forget that Trestle Bike Park is open everyday through Labor Day and Fri, Sat and Sun the following three weekends.

Mountain biking Winter Park in general in September and early October are at their best. The weather is a bit cooler, the scenery is amazing and a lot of the crowds have settled in for school down in the lowlands.

So now is the time to plan your fll getaway to the mountains and get a great discount from Winter Park Lodging Company.The WPLCo offer for fall and early booking is:

Labor Day Sale! Get 50% off your 2nd night for stays between Aug 1st and Nov 15th. OR get 20% off on stays between Nov 16th and Dec 16th. Book by August 31st.

Downhill Mtn. Biking at Trestle Bike Park!

Posted on July 30, 2010 by rachelb

Come get your fix of adrenaline filled fun at the fastest growing Downhill Bike Park in the U.S.! Trestle Bike Park in Winter Park, Colorado has something for everyone. Whether it’s your first time on a downhill bike, you’re looking for some coaching on technique, or you’re a seasoned pro who wants to work on speed alone, there are plenty of options for all.

As mentioned in Chris’s earlier blog, the WPLC crew got together last week for an exciting day of downhilling. After getting suited up in our ‘armor’ (see right) and loading our bikes on the lift, the ladies (Amy, Sarah, and myself) took the Trestle 101 course, which is perfect for those who are beginning or wanting to improve technique. For anyone looking to take the class, we recommend our instructor Ian who was knowedgable and who’s calm demeanor helped 3 crazy girls get down the mountain in one piece! Meanwhile, Chris and Dace were on their own with the helmet cam strapped on and ready to rock. We’ve got part 1 of their roller coaster ride caught on tape for you to check out…

After a few practice rounds and mtn. biking fundamentals, Ian took us girls down a looooong green trail aptly named ‘Green World’. It was a fun winding trail through dense trees, open single track and rolling hills with lots of swooping turns (we liked calling them woop-de- woos). Needless to say, our class and one run on Green World lasted nearly three hours, so we got a great workout and were quite tired at the end. All in all, it was a great day and experience. We had a few spills, but managed to get back on the bikes and keep truckin’. Gotta say the body armor doesn’t just look cool, it definitely cushions the falls! Soon, we’ll have part 2 of the helmet cam video up and running, so keep an eye out…

If you’re thinking about taking a weekend getaway filled with fresh mountain air or getting out of the city heat , Winter Park is where it’s at. Get an unbeatable price on summer lodging with Winter Park Lodging Company, and save big on all kinds of outdoor activities, including Trestle Bike Park and cross country bike rentals (great for the whole family!). We have an exclusive deal for our guests that gets you and your friends geared up for less! When you book your rentals online , you save over 20% off walk in rates and that’s a steal.

Remember, the Crankworx freestyle bike competition starts today and goes through the weekend at Winter Park Resort. Bring the kids and dogs and be amazed at the high flying stunts these guys do - It’s totally free and a wild time. Our instructor Ian will be competing too, so we’re going down to cheer him on and take some video. See you there!

Crankworx Colorado at Winter Park Resort

Posted on July 26, 2010 by Chris

Crankworks Colorado

Crankworx is here at Winter Park Resort this week starting Thursday the 29th. This is the premier downhill bike festival in the United States and if you have not had a chance to check it out, you are missing out.

Crankworx Winter Park Colorado

Check out the above link to get an idea of what the downhill course is like at Trestle Bike Park that the athletes will be riding. We here at Winter Park Lodging Company had a chance last week to give Trestle Bike Park a ride and it is a rush and those that are professional in this sport are amazing athletes.

Here is the schedule of events for Crankworks Colorado 2010:

Thursday, July 29

Dual Slalom

Slopestyle Qualifiers

Friday, July 30

Super Downhill

Best Trick

Saturday, July 31

Cross Country

Slopestyle Finals

Sunday, August 1

UCI/PRO GRT Downhill

This is one of the coolest festivals of the year with a great feel, live music, great athletes and Trestle Bike Park is open so you can give the downhill bike a try and see what all the rage is about.

While the temperatures are hitting the high 90′s down in Denver and Boulder here in Winter Park we are in the 70′s and 80′s with nice cool night temps of 50 or so and surrounded by the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Lots to do up here this time of year. If you have any appreciation of bicycles at all you do not want to miss Crankworx. This is the bike festival of the year!

Mountain Bike Capital USA Winter Park CO

Posted on July 23, 2010 by Chris

Winter Park Colorado mtn Bike USA Winter Park Mountain Bike Capital USA

The Winter Park/Fraser Chamber is getting a new website up and running strictly about mountain biking in and around Winter Park, Colorado. So far there are trails and some other such stuff there and it looks to be a great addition to their main website.

The website is http://www.mountainbikecapitalusa.com/ . It is still under construction but there are a few Winter Park bike trails there. If you would like to contribute photos or video there is a place to do that on the site.

With over 600 miles of trails, it’s no wonder that Winter Park & the Fraser Valley is the Mountain Bike Capital of the United States.

The Winter Park Lodging Co crew took a day this week to hit the Trestle Bike Park for some downhill gravity fed mountain biking and what a day it was. We will post some video of my falls when we get them edited. If you have not downhill mountain biked it is something that should be tried. It is a workout like nine other and quite the rush.

Here are some of the Winter Park/Fraser mountain bike events and races:

Upcoming 2010 Events

* July 24 – Trestle Bike Park Race Series #1 (Downhill) at Winter Park Resort

* July 25 – Trestle Bike Park Race Series #2 (Super D) at Winter Park Resort

* July 25 – Women, Wheels & Wine – Women’s Mountain Bike Day at Devil’s Thumb Ranch

* July 29 – Aug 1 – Crankworx Colorado at Winter Park Resort – one of the largest gravity-fueled mountain bike festivals in the United States!

* July 31 – Epic Singletrack Series #5 (Crankworx CO Cross Country) at Winter Park Resort

* July 31 – Aug 1 Mountain Bike Capital USA™ Weekend at Hideaway Park

* Aug 14 – Epic Singletrack Series #6 (Mary Jane Circuit) at Winter Park Resort

* Aug 15 – Trestle Bike Park Race Series #3 (Downhill Finale) at Winter Park Resort

* Aug 28 – Epic Singletrack Series Finale (King of the Rockies) at Winter Park Resort

* Sept 4-6 – Winter Park Pursuit Mountain States Cup Race (Endurance | Gravity | Super D) at Winter Park Resort

Looking to have some fun on a bike well Winter Park CO is the place to be this summer.

Winter Park Mountain Biking – Vasquez to Blue Sky Trail

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Chris

Amy and I (Sarah) got a morning free to bike last weekend without kids so we took off from the Winter Park Lodging Company office and headed thru downtown to Vasquez. I hadn’t been mountain biking in a year (and would not call myself even an intermediate biker. Amy hadn’t been in 4 years but she used to do it a lot so I made her the tour guide. We had a great ride! Took 1 hour, got the blood pumping, tested the mountain biking skills and had some beautiful scenery. So, thought we’d share our course:

- Bike up Vasquez Road and continue straight. Turns into water board road (about 5 cars and trucks came down as we biked up, but it was a Sunday)

- Continue up and up and eventually, you’ll see the turn off to the LEFT for Blue Sky Trail. At this point, you may be cursing me for giving you this idea. It is all uphill at this point but when you get on the trail, it’s pretty much all back down, so you can give your heart a rest and test your skills on the single track.

- After about 5 minutes from turning left, you’ll see the single track entrance to Blue Sky (again to left). Get clipped in (or in my case, shoved in to open toe holds) and enjoy the ride. Be careful of riders coming up hill. I came 6 inches from a collision. You’ll encounter some roots, some rocky areas, and little bridges. You pass over the rambling river a few times and it makes for great shots.

- The trail ends and spits you out on Arapahoe Road which meets up with Vasquez and back into town – enjoy flying down perfect pavement and roll into Deno’s for a brew on the patio.

I did it, so you can too. And I want to do it again – soon – which says a lot for this ride. Gives you a little bit of everything and builds confidence. See you on the trails!

Trestle Bike Park Freeride Fridays

Posted on June 23, 2010 by Chris

Downhill mountan bike Winter Park co Winter Park Trestle Bike Park

Freeride Friday’s are starting early this year. In fact they are starting this weekend. What is freeride Friday? you may ask. Well it is not free downhill riding, as in no cash spent. It is freeridin’ on Friday with extended hours discounted rates and lots of activities after the ridin’. If you have never been or your kids, especially those teenagers, you need to get out to Trestle Bike Park to check it out. A more fun thrilling day can not be had and it is a serious workout on the body.

Anyway, the trails up here in Winter Park are in such great shape that Freeride Friday is starting this weekend, June 25th. So get your gear together or come rent with Trestle Bike Shop and enjoy extended hours at the park. Stick around after the ride for your complimentary beverage and Coca-Cola® Family Movie Night Family in the Village! The movie is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The Winter Park Chocolate Festival is on Saturday and the weather looks spectacular for the weekend.

Here is the complete deal for Freeride Friday:

Rental / Trestle Park Pass, $34.99 (walk-in only)
Extended Bike Park hours open until 7pm with discounted lift/rental packages

For just $34.99, get a downhill mountain bike, lift ticket, protective gear and all the runs you can fit into 3 hours. Just head to the mountains by early afternoon to take advantage of this $79.99 value for only $34.99. Package includes:

▪ Kona Stinky downhill bike
▪ Body armor package
▪ Full face helmet
▪ Lift ticket
▪ Bonus Coors Light or soda

Everything you need to get you on the mountain and start your weekend! Valid from 4-7pm, with rentals due back by 7:30pm. Call 303.316.1564 for more information.

Freeride Fridays Bike Park Lift Ticket only: $19
Trestle Bike Park School
As part of Freeride Fridays, Trestle Bike Park School is offering deals on two new clinic times:

Group Lesson Special

2 hours of coaching for $20 per rider
11am, 1pm, 3pm
Additional hour of coaching for just $10 more

Fun fun fun is all I can say about Trestle. Anyone with even a small bit of thrill seeking in them needs to check out the bike park. Its is a great time, safe and as I said a great workout.

Looking for some lodging when up in Winter Park, Colorado? Well, let Winter Park Lodging Company hook you up with the best prices, deals and local knowledge of the area.

So get your gear together or come rent with Trestle Bike Shop and enjoy extended hours at the park. Stick around afterwards for your complimentary beverage and Coca-Cola® Family Movie Night Family in the Village!

Crankworx Colorado Bike Festival

Posted on June 21, 2010 by Chris

Crankworx Winter Park, CO

Crankworx Colorado is again back at Winter Park Resort this year and this is the premier bicycle festival of the year in Colorado.

Crankworx Colorado is one of the largest gravity-fueled mountain bike festivals in the United States. Come up and check out the action for FREE*!! During four intense days, spectators are awed by some of the world’s best mountain bike athletes battling it out for over $35,000 in prizes. Some of the biggest names in mountain biking like Semenuk, Basagoitia, McCaul, and Berrecloth will be on site. Don’t miss the mountain biking event of the summer; make your plans now. You won’t regret it.

Crankworx Colorado is Intrawest’s US version of the Whistler BC’s Kokanee Crankworx. This is the premier downhill biking event in the world.

Last year the all the lodging booked up at the Winter Park Resort base, closest lodging to the Crankworx area, and this year is looking like the same will happen. Book your lodging now to get the convenient digs for the bike fest.

Schedule of events is as follows:

2010 Crankworx Schedule

Thursday, July 29

Dual Slalom

Slopestyle Qualifiers

Friday, July 30

Super Downhill

Best Trick

Saturday, July 31

Cross Country

Slopestyle Finals

Sunday, August 1

UCI/PRO GRT Downhill

If you have never seen or heard of Crankworx you are missing out. There are some amazing athletes and these guys do some crazy stuff on a bicycle. If you have kids they will surely be able to tell you what this whole Crankworx thing is all about.

Again book your lodging now for a great time and a great festival in the mountains. Let Winter Park Lodging Company take care of all your Winter Park CO lodging needs so you can Play Hard, Rest Easy.

The Winter Park Mountain Bike Trail of the Week #3

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Chris

spruce creek to tipperary grand county Tipperary to Spruce Creek

The third Winter Park mountain bike trail of the week is here. This week we have a great ride with some double and single track going trough Spruce Creek a couple times. Overall it is a great ride with some water, good downhill jumps and great mountain scenery.

Tipperary to Spruce Creek

Distance: 7miles
Trail Location: From the Winter Park Visitor Center head north on US Hwy 40 into the town of Fraser. At the stop light turn left onto CR 72 stay right and drive through the meadow. At the “T” take a left, at the top of the hill you will see the Rodeo grounds.
Trail Description: Begin at the rodeo grounds west of Fraser. Head west on Givelo Trail. At the first intersection, CR 50S, turn right. Stay left on CR 50. Continue on CR 50 uphill, past two lodges on the right and over the cattle guard. Look for Tipperary on your left. Take a left on to Tipperary. Tipperary is a two track climb through, pines, aspens and lush mountain meadows. A canopy of trees covers much of the trail. Cross the first creek; continue to climb. Climb through two meadows, past a couple of springs, past the intersection to Back Scratch and through the second (and last) creek. The trail levels and begins the descent not long after a wet spring-fed area. You are now on Spruce Creek. (You only know this by looking at the map as there is no intersection or sign) The descent is much more technical than the climb. It’s loose and rocky, so be careful. Your next turn is a left onto St. Louis Creek Road and follow this back to your vehicle at the Rodeo Grounds.

Come on out and enjoy the great Colorado outdoors. Let Winter Park Lodging Company supply your Winter Park summer vacation lodging and enjoy an active healthy getaway.