Category — Breckenridge, Colorado

The sun sets over Lake Dillon in Summit County, Colorado.

A poignant simile can make a new snowfall sparkle more brightly in the sunshine. If you live in Colorado and spend too long grasping for those words in fall, you’ll miss out on the brilliant show of color right outside your door.

Several times in the last few weeks, I’ve been on my bike both at the moment the sun rises from behind the Continental Divide and when it sinks into the Vail Valley. No, I’m not fortunate enough to have time for bike expeditions in the middle of the workweek.

Shorter days are a symptom of summer becoming winter and it means I’m dazzled by the fall color show each time I commute. Yes, dazzled. Just my ride home involves pedaling under a canopy of yellow aspens and cottonwoods. It’s stunning at sunset. Check it out for yourself on one of these rides. And don’t forget the camera.

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From the Flumes trails, I connect to Tom's Baby for the mountain bike commute home from Breckenridge, Colorado.

Route: Loop on Lower Flume, Middle Flume and Upper Flume
Start/End: Flumes trailhead on County Road 450, near the Breckenridge Recycling Center
Flumes Trail Season: Summer and fall (running, mountain biking), provided there’s not an excess of moisture*; some areas popular with cross country skiers in winter

*Please be sensitive to muddy and/or wet trails. In the words of the Summit Fat Tire Society, know when to ride, walk or turn around. Check out one of many fab articles on trail responsibility: http://www.summitfattire.org/?p=413

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I know, I know. Bragging is arrogant, it’s rude and simply annoying. But record snow and rain in Summit County, Colorado has resulted in brilliant wildflowers and my work commute gives me a front-row seat to all the color. What’s that mean? My commute is probably cooler than yours.

Several days each week I make the Dillon to Breckenridge commute by a mix of bike and bus; of those days, my favorites are those on trails. The mountain bike route home involves about 90 to 95 percent dirt, a mix of four-wheel drive roads and sweet singletrack that meanders through the valley just north of Keystone.

When I recently volunteered for the Breckenridge 100, I met a few guys who’d driven thousands of miles, from the heart of Mexico, to compete on Summit County’s network of trails. We’re fortunate enough to ride these trails all summer long and I love it.

In this series detailing the trails of my commute home, I’ll cover some popular routes that make great little after-work loops on their own; connected, they expose a vast network of trails that extends far beyond Summit County.

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Summit County, Colorado's frequently-used trails require more than respect. Give back with a volunteer day.

Like many residents of Summit County, Colorado, I spend much of my summer exploring the expansive trail network our home has to offer. With the local trails seeing so much use, it’s important to go beyond respect and give back with a little (or a lot of) manual labor.

Several trails organizations in Summit County have released their 2011 projects and below is a rundown, not including ongoing stewardship programs. Contact the individual organizations for project details.

Friends of the Dillon Ranger District: 2011 trail projects near Dillon, Colorado
Sign up online to participate

• May 14th: Tree Planting with the Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (Family Oriented)
• May 21st: Town/Forest Clean-Up
• May 22nd: Tree Re-planting with Keller Williams Realty
• June 4th: National Trails Day, Sponsored by Friends of the Eagles Nest Wilderness, the Summit Fat Tire Society and Friends of the Dillon Ranger District
• July 9th: Pulling For Colorado, Summit County Weed Pull
• July 23rd: Summit Trail Running Series – FDRD Horseshoe Gulch Trail Project
• July 23rd: Quandary Peak Project with the Colorado Fourteeneers Initiative
• August 20th: Fire Mitigation Project
• September 10th: Beetlefest in Frisco
• September 17th-18th: Trail Project with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado at the Keystone Homestead
• September 24th: National Public Lands Day – Volunteer Celebration
• October 8th: Make A Difference Day with Summit Prevention Alliance

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Anyone who travels in the backcountry should think about attending the CAIC Benefit Bash on Saturday, Nov. 13 at the Breckenridge Riverwalk Center.

What: CAIC Benefit Bash
When: Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010
Where: Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge, Colorado
Cost: $25/person includes entry, food, two drink tickets and a door prize ticket

Just last Friday, the Summit Daily News ran a photo of a longtime local catching early season turns on Loveland Pass. It’s a slim start to what becomes an extremely popular backcountry spot, one that’s several times slid enough to cover Highway 6. Once the snow really flies, backcountry junkies begin hiking Summit County’s big peaks in search of powder.

Colorado and Summit County see large numbers of winter backcountry users and according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), avalanche deaths in our state account for one-third of all avalanche deaths in the United States. The CAIC began as an avalanche forecast and warning center and today they focus on “minimizing the economic and human impact of snow avalanches on recreation, tourism, commerce, industry and the citizens of Colorado.”

In addition to working to keep roads open and providing backcountry forecasts and observations, the CAIC offers educational seminars, classes and workshops. Nonprofit organization Friends of the CAIC produces events and initiatives to support the CAIC’s backcountry program and overall avalanche awareness and education. The end result? Friends of the CAIC Benefit Bash. It’s a great party for a great cause. http://friendsofcaic.org

The annual rubber duck races in Breckenridge are one of many events happening over the Labor Day weekend in Summit County, Colorado.

Just as Memorial Day is often considered the unofficial start to summer, Labor Day can be considered the unofficial close. The aspen in my neighborhood are already beginning to turn yellow, despite Denver temperatures climbing into the 90s.

While many of Summit County’s towns offer events into the fall, the non-stop, free event summer circus is nearing its end. So this will be the last of the weekly event posts until next summer. That said, I can’t stay away from Oktoberfest and the other Summit County events that continue through the fall. So you may get some photos from those. Besides, the approach of fall is an excellent time for backpacking and biking. So I’ll likely be posting those exploits as well. Until next summer, here’s your top events for August 30 – September 6 in Summit County, Colorado: Breckenridge, Copper, Dillon, Frisco and Keystone. [Read more →]

Wine and food are the highlights of summer events this week in Breckenridge, Keystone and Dillon.

With school in session and Labor Day swiftly approaching, we’re nearing the end of summer events season. Still, there’s plenty happening as we approach fall. This week? The summer event focus is food and drink. [Read more →]

Summit County has some cool events this week, but we're headed to Gunnison's 24 Hours in the Sage. Don't worry, the Le Mans start is a thing of the past.

Not surprisingly, bikes and outdoor events are the subject of the moment this week in Summit County. And beyond. Despite all the great things happening throughout Summit over the weekend, I’m headed to Gunnison for 24 Hours in the Sage, simply the best 24-hour mountain bike race around. Think singletrack, pancakes and a seemingly endless flow of beer. Don’t worry, we take race-day registration. So gather your friends, create a team and head to Gunnison, Colorado. Heck, do it solo. Or on a townie.

And for those of you that refuse to head to Gunnison for a weekend, here are my event picks for Summit County, Colorado for August 16 – August 22: [Read more →]

Live music is the big story this week in Summit County, Colorado.

Ok, so working Dillon’s BBQ Challenge and having family in town at the same time wasted me. So your events this week are a bit late. Still, there’s plenty happening this weekend throughout Summit County. Think live music, and plenty of it. [Read more →]