MOUNTAINS MOUNTAINS AND MORE... by dsrtrayne
MOUNTAINS MOUNTAINS AND MORE MOUNTAINS. most people aren't colorado natives. i've only met a handful of people born here. most are transplants. it's great to meet people from all over the world. when you move here, you have to buy a mountain bike, snowboard or skis, and some climbing gear. it's a requirement by law. it's an outdoor life here. whether it's hiking, camping, climbing, biking, frisbee, soccer or anything else you can do outdoors, it's here. the winters here in denver are mild. hardly any snow, (at the time of this writing though, it's a madhouse of snow outside, which will melt in a day). the mountains however, are filled with powder. there are too many ski resorts to list, so here's a rundown on a few of my favorites. #1. snowmass. one reason- sneaky trees run. it's out of bounds, which is legal here, and it's freshies all day. you do have to watch out for the 2000ft. dropoff though. #2. copper mountain. the copper bowls are extreme, but not that difficult. it's a huge mountain, that even on a busy day, you won't wait in line. #3. crested butte. not only do they have free skiing in november and at the end of the season, it's EXTREME. can you say double blacks across the whole damn mountain. breckenridge is a great place to ride and ski. if you can make it up the tow lift on a board, it's powder heaven. if you aren't that good, don't worry. it's easy and fun. if you want avalanche chutes and some steep stuff have a go at arapahoe basin. you'll also be able to ski until july here. ever ride with a t-shirt and shorts. have a beer, cookout, get a tan and ride some great spring snow. now, most places here are expensive. up to 55 smackers at vail, aspen, and most of those ritzy places. if you want some glitz, hit these places. (aspen mountain is the only resort in colorado that does NOT allow boarders). aspen is a cooler town than vail and the nightlife is much better. lots of different people, hippies, baggy pants, and tuxes. it's all there. if you want to ride cheap and make it back to denver to hit lodo that night, loveland is the place. it has the highest lift in the country, all the way up to the continental divide. it's steep and what a view. if you want a roadtrip, head to steamboat springs for some great tree skiing and oh lot of powder. then soak your worries away at strawberry springs. a wonderful hot springs. for the deepest powder in the state most winters is wolf creek. located in south central colorado, it's a great place to visit just for the sights. the nature sights that is. after that, drive on down to pagosa springs where you'll soak in the best hot springs in the state. over 15 pools ranging from 85* to 110f. degrees.the spring and summer here are a great time to shed some clothes. you'll need to wait to hike some of our 52 14ers (14000ft. mountains) until sometimes july, but there's plenty more to do around here. visit one of our two national parks, mesa verde or rocky mountain national parks. there's tons of open space in denver and the surrounding areas. mese verde is where the anasazi ruins are. ancient puebloan people inhabited this site from around 10AD to 1500 AD. cliff dwellings are abundant here and tours take you into these ancient houses magnificantly preserved and built to withstand the test of time. get here early because 1000 people a day come through this park. rocky mountain n.p. is more spread out to do some exploring and get away from the crowds. for the daring and fit, hike longs peak. to the summit, it's a 12 hour round trip hike. it's the toughest hike i've done. i wouldn't have traded it for the world. it's crowded in the late summer, and you can only get to summit lake in the early summer because of ice and snow on the trail past the 'keyhole.' even a hike to here is a great day hike. for the less adventurous, hike to one of the numerous lakes in the park. a popular trail is the bear lake trail. go past this to cub lake and the other lakes past that. take a dip and feel some great alpine water on your skin. it's cold so test it first. now for those of you who want to go out on the town, lodo(lower downtown) is the place to be. since the building of coors field the entire area is loaded with bars and dance clubs. fado's is a great (authentic) irish pub that serves guiness and bass, and even snakebites for those of you who've been to england. it's my favorite place to go, even though it's crowded. wait for the warm summer nights where the patio looks onto coors field. i'm not one for meat markets but lodo bar and grill is one of the biggest hotspots. be ready to stand in line for awhile to get in. and then don't be mad when you get crammed in there like a sardine. go singing at sing sing, a piano bar that's always a good time. join in the festivities and singalong, dance and get crazy. if you want to see some of the avalanche hockey players go next door to the chophouse. all three of these bars are next door to each other. the best happy hour is a place called the palamino. all the beer on tap for $2 bucks. that means guiness and all the great microbrews from around town. if you want authentic, hit the broadway brewery (soon to move in the fall of 2000) the best ales around. doggie style ale and road dog (label written by hunter s. thompson) is the best in colorado. go to breckenrige brewery too if you didn't go to the original in breckenridge. catch some of the best local and national music at the soiled dove. see nina storey before she goes worldwide. and for some funk, check out opie gone bad at herman's hideaway on broadway, a ways from downtown.
