Our first day will start out with a bang as we shuttle you straight to Rocky Mountain National Park for the ultimate drive over Trail Ridge Road. This is the highest continuously paved road in the nation and tops out at 12,183 feet. Along the way we’ll make plenty of stops for short hikes, information signs and photos. The road brings us eventually down to Grand Lake, our destination for the first two nights. After arriving at the town we’ll be able to enjoy an afternoon kayaking on Grand Lake. Day 2 will take us into the mountains on the East Inlet Trail. Our destination is Lone Pine Lake, high above Adams Falls. We’ll look for moose, elk, deer, beaver and eagles as we ramble up the valley.
It’s onto our road bikes on Day 3 for the easy ride from Grand Lake into Winter Park. We’ll coast past Shadow Mountain Lake and Lake Granby, following the Colorado River down to the town of Granby. From there we’ll climb up to the plateau called Middle Park where we catch the Fraser to Winter Park bike trail. The Timberline van will follow with your luggage to the hotel in Winter Park where we’ll spend the next 3 nights.
Day 4 is your choice day – and so many to choose from. Get up early for a spectacular ride in a hot air balloon at sunrise, take a full day raft trip down the Colorado River, test your fearlessness with a full suspension bike where you can zoom down the ski hill from top to bottom, how about a fly fishing lesson on the Fraser River, or maybe you want to sleep in and take the gentle bike path up to the Winter Park base for a round of miniature golf and a turn on the trampoline. We will reconvene for an upscale dinner in Winter Park.
Day 5 is yet another sport as we try out cross country mountain biking. At the beautiful Snow Mountain Ranch there is a variety of trails. We’ll start out gently on some dirt roads as you get used to your new steed, then we’ll head to the hills for some single track through meadows, into lodgepole pine forests and around reservoirs. Our final night won’t be complete without the full western experience of the Highcountry Stampede Rodeo. No fancy show horses here – just good old fashioned western competition of calf roping, barrel riding, bucking bull riding, and don’t forget mutton bustin’ for the youngun’s. We feast on the paper-plate Chuckwagon BBQ dinners.
We’ll pack up the van on Day 6 and head to Berthoud Pass on the Continental Divide for our final hike. From there we plan to hike along the Continental Divide trail above tree line to Stanley Peak, where you will be rewarded with sweeping views of the Colorado Mountains. The van will be waiting after the hike to take you back into Denver for the conclusion of this multi-sport tour.
