It is getting that time for bicycle racing at Winter Park Resort.  This year should bring another great season of cross country bike racing with the Epic Singletrack series.

 2012 marks the 20th year of epic cross country racing hosted by the Winter Park Competition Center! The Epic Singletrack Series is proud to be the largest cross-country race series in Colorado, bringing you exciting race courses over the 600+ miles of single track in the Winter Park/Fraser Valley, also known as Mountain Bike Capital USA.  The Epic Singletrack series is a set of seven races held at and around the Winter Park Resort area. The races are grouped by ability: beginner, sport, expert and pro.

Some of the biggest names in biking have ridden these races with Lance Armstong being the best known name to race at Winter Park Resort.  Lance rode the King of the Rockies in 1999 after winning his first Tour de France.  While it is exciting for Winter Park Resort to have hosted such high profile riders as Armstrong, it should also be noted that they are proud to be a welcoming and fun race series for those wishing to try mountain bike racing for the first time. No memberships are required!

Epic Singletrack Race Schedule:

• Race 1: June 16 – Hill Climb Kick-Off
• Race 2: June 30 - Epic XC
• Race 3: July 14 – Epic XC
• Race 4: July 15 – Epic STXC
• Race 5: July 28 – Epic XC
• Race 6: August 4 – Epic XC
• Race 7: August 25 – King of the Rockies

To find out more about the Epic Singletrack Mountain Bike Race Series checkout their website.

Want to have the best pre-race schedule?  Let Winter Park Lodging Company set you up in the most convenient Epic Single Track Lodging, usually a walking distance from the start line.  No need to wake up early to up to Winter Park come up the night before and let your lungs adjust to the 9000 ft. altitude up here at Winter Park Resort.

Check out all the Winter Park Epic Resort Single Track properties and get your first choice of digs today.

Get ready mountain bike season is upon us and the Epic Singletrack Series is starting June 16th!

Team Winter Park Lodging Company had a chance to visit Trestle Bike Park this weekend and we were able to take a downhill biking 101 class.  What a treat to have  personal teacher to teach us the ins and outs of the downhill sport.

Winter Park Resort was nice enough to set us up with the 101 lesson and  bike rentals for the day.  Our instructor David Deveny was great! Kowledgeable, fun and talented; David knows Trestle Bike Park and downhill biking very well.  He was safe, enlightening and a lot of fun.

The day started out as the Trestle Bike shop was opening its doors at 9am.  We were quickly helped in line after filling our info out ob the resort computer kiosks.  We were then sent over to the equipment fitting station and were on our way with gear in 10 min.  Over to the bike area we went and we were fitted with some sweet Kona Stinky Bikes that would be our vehicle of fun for the day.

After  little talk from David we were on our way up the Zephyr lift.  Right outside Sunspot David gave all the instruction that we would use on this day in about half an hour (see David above instructing new WPLCo employee Bill).  From there Sunspot we were onto the green run Greenworld.  We then hit Long Trail (lue Run) and parts of Rainmaker (black run).

They day ended at around Noon and that was enough riding and instruction for the day.  What a blast of a day and I can not stress how useful a Trestle 101 class is to learn the downhill sport safely.

Trestle Bike Park is open daily through September 25th.  Get youy biking in while the weather is here.

Winter Park Lodging Company has special discounts for our guests for the Trestle 101 class:

This 2 1/2 hour lesson is one heck of a good deal, offering instruction on how to ride a downhill bike, a lift pass, a downhill bike rental and protective gear. Discount price is only $63.20 plus tax for Winter Park Lodging Company guests (regularly $79).

We also have discounts for downhill bike rentals through the Trest Bike Store.

Downhill Mountain Bike Rentals:
Select Trestle Bike Park Shop on the booking page to rent downhill bikes. Below are just a few package possibilities, click the online booking link to see all packages. The packages listed below include a full day lift pass, a full face helmet and protective body gear.

• World Cup Downhill Mountain Bike
  Full day rental: $143.99 weekdays / $159.99 weekends (normally $179/$199)
  Half day rental:$111.99 weekdays/ $119.99 weekends (normally $139/$149)
• Demo Downhill Mountain Bike
  Full day rental: $111.99 weekdays / $119.99 weekends (normally $139/$149)
  Half day rental: $79.99 weekdays / $87.99 weekends (normally $99/$109)
• Standard Downhill Mountain Bike
  Full day rental: $95.99 weekdays / $103.99 weekends (normally $119/$129)
  Half day rental: $63.99 weekdays / $71.99 weekends (normally $79/$89)
• JR Downhill Mountain Bike
  Full day rental: $79.99 weekdays / $95.99 (normally $99/$119)
  Half day rental: $55.99 weekdays / $63.99 (normally $69/$79)

The Winter Park Fat Tire Classic is being replaced by the TreadFest!  The first annual TreadFest will take place in Winter Park, Colorado on July 9th, 2011.

Come experience beautiful Winter Park and the Fraser Valley on Saturday, July 9th at TreadFest 2011, a mountain bike fundraising event benefiting the National Sports Center for the Disabled and the American Red Cross. This event at Winter Park Resort will be in conjunction with the Epic Singletrack Race Series #3 Valley Point-to-Point and will feature supported trails that will be available to participants of all skill levels, from the family of recreational riders to those adventure-seekers looking for a challenge. All participants will have entry to the A Grateful Tread Festival with live music, beer from Avery Brewing, food and an Expo area. Grab your friends and form a team to compete for team fundraising, costume and member awards. Terrific prizes are being awarded to those individuals who reach distinguished fundraising levels, so join the fun and register today!

Visit the National Sports Center for the Disabled TreadFest Website for more information. Avery Brewery is now a main sponsor and I’m thinking that is the reason for the switch from the Fat Tire Classic as New Belgium and Fat Tire are no longer sponsoring the mountain bike festival.

TreadFest 2011 will be held July 9, 2011. The mid-July date will help us select the best trails that Winter Park has to offer without being restricted by late snowfall. TreadFest 2011 routes will be held on Winter Park’s Westside, including Corona Pass, Buck Creek, Pond Trail, Broken Thumb, Fraser River Trail and Idlewild!

This extensive network of supported trails will provide breathtaking views and a fun day for riders of all abilities.

Schedule of TreadFest events:

July 8, 2011 – Friday
6pm – 8pm - TreadFest Registration, Location TBD

July 9, 2011 – Saturday
6am – 9am - Participant Registration and Check-in, Registration Tent
6am – 12pm - Volunteer Check-in, Registration Tent
7am - Starting Line Opens
9:45am - Starting Line Closes
10am - Epic Singletrack Race Series #3, Valley Point-to-Point
10am -  Greatful Tread Festival – Presented by Avery Brewing, Resort Base
12pm Sports Authority and Adaptive Hand Cycling Clinics, Resort Base
11:30am – 3:30pm - BBQ Lunch, Hospitality Tent
1:30pm - Sports Authority and Adaptive Hand Cycling Clinics, Resort Base
2pm - TreadFest Awards Presentation, Resort Base
2:30pm - Epic Singletrack Race Series #3 Point-to-Point Awards Presentation, Resort Base
4pm – 5pm - VIP Reception, Location TBD

The TreadFeat is a great way to enjoy WInter Park and help out two great charities.  Come on up and get on your bike and see Winter Park, Colorado.

Visit Winter Park Lodging Company for your TreadFest lodging needs.

Colorado’s best and biggest downhill bike park is getting even bigger for the 2011 summer bike season.  More lifts, updated trails and more features will welcome riders to the fastest growing bike park in the world for a great looking summer season.

Winter Park Resort’s Trestle Bike Park has announced expansion and new developments for the upcoming 2011 summer season. Plans include trail updates, added features and jumps for all abilities, three lifts planned to spin in 2011, signing the well-known and respected rider, Ross Schnell, to the Trestle Bike Park team and adding the New Trestle All-Mountain Enduro Race to the summer schedule.

Terrain Expansion and Lifts - Downhill riders will find additional features and a massive expansion that puts the Trestle Bike Park master plan one year ahead of schedule! These include banked cruisers, table-top jumps, elevated stunts, and drops to challenge seasoned Trestle riders. Trestle will change the lift structure in 2011, now offering three lifts instead of two: Zephyr Express, Eskimo, and the Gemini Lift (operating Friday through Sunday).

Trestle Bike Park season pass prices have been announced and are now on sale for the 2011 season. Prices are set at:

• $249 adult
• $129 child (6-12 yrs)

Visit the Trestle Bike Park Website for pass details.

Here are the highlights for Trestle Bike Park this season and some benefits you get with a TBP season pass:

• 3 lifts running Friday – Sunday (Zephyr, Gemini, and Eskimo). This means rarely a lift line even during our busiest days!  Can you spell – H-O-T L-A-P-S?
• Open 7 days a week June 11 through September 25! Enjoy more days of riding during the epic days of Fall.
• Trail expansion continues! We are not done adding trails, in fact some of the best trails are still to come! Like, Rainmaker from the top…
• Exclusively for Trestle Bike Park season pass holders – 3 FREE days at Angel Fire Bike Park in New Mexico!

Trestle Bike Park info:

Open: June 11 – September 25 – 7 days a week, NEW! Now 7 days per week in September 2011
Trestle Bike Park Base Elevation – 9,000 feet (2,743 meters)
Vertical Elevation – 1,810 feet (552 meters)
Trestle Bike Park Trails – 37 miles
Trestle Bike Park Features – over 200

Fraser Valley Trails – over 600 miles
Average Daytime Temperature – 75 degrees
Average Nighttime Temperature – 45 degrees
Average Days of Sunshine – 300 days

Looking for some fun on a Mountain Bike? You will not find a more exhilarating day than on the slopes of Trestle Bike Park.  Stay and play at the base with deals from Winter Park Lodging Company.

The weather has been just spectacular up here in Winter Park, CO this fall.  I would have to say it has been the best fa weather that I have seen in the last ten years.  We have had the first Winter Park, CO snow and that about seems to have been the only inclement weather we have had here this fall.  And this great weather has made for perfect mountain bike weather.  There is not a better time to hit the bike trails than when there is good fall weather in Winter Park.

The above video was shot on Saturday, October 16th a few days after Winter Park Resort received 10 inches of snow at mid mountain.  The snow was still around on the north faces of the hills but pretty much gone everywhere else.  The trailhead was in the Rendezvous subdivision between Winter Park and Fraser, CO.  The trip starts up meadow trail to Cross trail up to the Corona Pass Road to the old town of Arrowhead and then into the James Peak Wilderness.  From here it continues down Broken Thumb to Twisted Ankle and back into the Idlewild Trail system on South Fork Loop.  Then up and out on the Winter Woods trail and back down Cross Trails and out on Meadow trail.  Total ride time of this trek was about two hours give or take some time for a couple of crashes.  The above video is about 15 minutes long as almost all the uphill climbing is cut out. Y’all wouldn’t want to watch that.

Check out the video and I hope you find it entertaining.  Sarah has said it is too long and bores her.  I find it kinda cool but maybe thats because I made the vid and did the riding.  Let us know in the comments bellow what you think.

Steve Worth and I are the riders and the songs are:

1. Hot House Flowers – I Can See Clearly Now
2. Sunvolt – Drown
3. Red June – Run Boy Run
4. Red June – Biscuits & Honey

Again I hope you enjoy the vid and do let us know what you think of it down below.

We have been planning on getting a helmut camera all summer long here at Winter Park Lodging Company and we finally did even though it is October.  Also, have been planning on getting a new mountain bike all summer and low and behold it was October before that purchase was made.

The above video was shot with our new Contour HD Camera and I am starting to get the hang of the software and the iMovie editing.  We will have more videos of our mountain bike exploits soon.  The real deal with this camera though will be up on the hills of Winter Park Resort, Berthoud Pass and on Jones Pass cat-skiing with Powder Addiction.

The mountain bike purchased was a Scott Genius 20 from Winter Park Resort’s Epic Single Track Shop.  I will give them a plug here.  If you are in the market for a new mountain bike, definitely check out the demo models that Epic Single Track has for sale in the fall.  Most of their cross country bikes don’t get used much and they have some sweet bikes at less than half of MSRP.

The above video was shot on the lower part of Broken Thumb trail accessed from the Idlewild Crosstrail from the Rendezvous development. The second part of the video is the upper part of the Burnout Loop that brings you back down into the Idlewild trails.  The editing is a touch rough and the ending is kinda sudden as the SD memory card just filled up as I had the camera on for the boring uphill climb that no one really would want to see. Anywho, the next video should be a bit more polished.

The mountain biking season is coming to an end here in Winter Park, CO so get out while you can, snow is on the way and the bike will be finding its home in the garage for the next six months.

The weather will just not quit up here in Winter Park.  Each day seems to be a little better than the last and we haven’t seen the early Winter Park snow yet.

This weather is perfect for some autumn mountain bike riding.  I took the above pictures up at Rendezvous and in the Old Idlewild Ski Area which has become some of the best mountain bike riding riding around the Winter Park and Fraser area.  There is some tree cutting and a gas line being installed up in Rendezvous on Cross Trails so do take care is biking up there.

Lack of snow?  Oh do not fret this early.  Last year first snow was September 21st and the year before it was September 10th and both years were not the greatest of snow years.  Here is hoping that the snow does not come out of the gates too fast and then peter out.  We need a long stubborn winter with frequent wet storms….. say like a Winter Park La Nina winter.

As this perfect weather keeps on coming don’t be lured into complacency that ski season is not on it way.  Winter Park Resort ski season opens November 17th.  This should be an epic year with great snow and great times at Winter Park.

But as we have this incredible weather get outside hop on a bike and enjoy the sunshine, blue skies and some of the best mountain biking in all of the world.  Winter Park, Colorado…. what a glorious place to live.

]]> http://www.winterparklodgingcompany.com/2010/09/30/glorious-winter-park-colorado-fall/feed/ 0 http://www.winterparklodgingcompany.com/2010/09/16/fall-wildlife-in-winter-park-co/ http://www.winterparklodgingcompany.com/2010/09/16/fall-wildlife-in-winter-park-co/#comments Thu, 16 Sep 2010 17:03:48 +0000 Chris http://www.wplbo.com/news/?p=3576 Continue reading →]]>
Mountain Biking with Bears in Winter Park CO

The wildlife is out in Winter Park this time of year and we have been having a lot of moose sightings and now the bears are making their presence known.

The above bear was photographed just off of Zoom trail over by Winter Park Resort and was just off the mountain bike trail.  Looks like Mr, Bear is rummaging around looking for some berry snacks.  Last week it was a moose on the Winter Park area bike trail that I almost ran into.

The bears have been making a lot of appearances around Winter Park the last few weeks.  From what I have been reading the experts are saying it is because of a mediocre berry growing season in Colorado this year.

Anyway, there are lots of critters out there to be seeing up in Winter Park this year.  The aspens are turning to their famous gold and the air has gotten chilly.  So now is the time to come a view the moose, bears , fox and all the other critters as well as the trees.  This make the mountain biking all the better when you get to look out for the animals as well as the rocks and trees.

Get outside and get your rides in while the weather is perfect.

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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