Photo by Tripp Fay, Copper Mountain
by Troy Hawks
Ahhhspringtime in the Rockies! We love all the seasons here in Colorado Ski Country, but spring marks that special time of renewal, rebirth, and reawakening. Yet as splendid and striking as it is, it can also be a time of sheer agony for many outdoor enthusiasts.
On the slopes, the snow remains soft and inviting under blue bird skies. The roads are clearing of snow and ice, and mountain trails are drying out and leading the way to sublime alpine splendor. Meanwhile the golf course greens are coming out of their winter slumber, and in the rivers, the fish are hungry and rising.
And so goes the painstaking deliberation: What will it be today, my skis, my clubs, my hiking boots, or my fly rod? Indeed, the thawing of the winter season creates an insatiable menu of options for how to spend ones time. Or does it?
Enter the trifecta and the challenge of tripling down on mountain fun. Colorado Ski Country is challenging you to load up the multi-purpose car rack and head for the hills to embark on your own trifecta. Here are a few options to get you started. And please, share your story! We want to see your tweets and posts of your versions of the Ski Country Trifecta!
Ski-cli-yak Trifecta
Spend the morning overlooking the continental divide making turns at Loveland under bluebird skies. After a few hours laying tracks in the snow along The Ridge, head to Goldens North Table Mountain to rack in a few more vertical feet by rock climbing. When the shakes kick in, its time to grab a kayak and hit-up the play-hole at Goldens Clear Creek White Water Park.
Golf-ski-fi Trifecta
Make an early morning tee-time for a round at a favorite golf course. At mid morning, skip the back nine and cruise up to Winter Park to take a run above 9,000 feet. When the last chair rolls around, wind down the day by fishing the Blue River at sunset.
Ski-raf-ike Trifecta
Plan for an early departure to make first chair and score fresh tracks at Copper Mountain. Spend the morning exploring Union Bowl and then head east and stop at a local rafting company to run some white water on Clear Creek. To polish off the day, cruise over to the hiking trails behind Red Rocks to catch the view at sunset.
Bike-be-ski Trifecta
Hop on a road bike at sunrise and spin around the city before grabbing some Frisbee discs and heading to the Frisbee golf course. Trade in the flip-flops for some boots and bindings when pulling into Arapahoe Basin. Ride Montezuma Bowl and maybe even hike the East Wall before descending to the Beach for some live music and aprs in A-Basins parking lot.
Of course, tailoring these options to meet individual tastes is easy. The real challenge is narrowing it down to just three. Headlamp anyone?
