historytraveler

I was having a bit of a problem understanding his itinerary anyway.

psychoidiot

Oh that's not good if it doesn't make sense. What part of it is not feasible? Oh the drive loops and short hikes within Este Park which is still open. Thanks.

Well my friends said they didn't want to drive more than 3 hours and Glenwood and Mt. Princeton are that far. Never been to a hot spring so we just wanted to go to Hot sulphur since that was the closest besides the idaho one (which we didn't want to go to because of the bad cleanliness reviews).

My new itinerary had us drive directly to a hot springs (Glenwood is 208 miles away but only half an hour longer than hot sulphur springs (140 miles) on I-70E? then Estes, but we have to drive through denver and boulder because of trail road being closed.

Is that not feasible? or just a lot of annoying driving?

Or since we have to drive back to denver anyway, just start off at estes park and boulder on saturday (we get in at 8am saturday morning) and drive to the hot springs on Sunday as planned?

psychoidiot

Hurrah! reason prevailed and now the hot springs are cut.

So thanks so much everyone! the denver, Estes Park, Boulder loop it is! (the scenic route)

PeaceOut

Much better.

Gretchen

Now, I'll add one more suggestion for Boulder--a tour of the Celestial Seasonings "factory". Takes about an hour and really is fun, particularly the "mint room". With your simplified itinerary you may be able to consider it.

fmpden

Where are you getting 208 miles to Glenwood Springs? At most it is 150 to 160 depending on your starting point but assumed it is the airport. But am having a hard time following your proposed route. You do not drive through Estes on the way to Glenwood Springs.

Gretchen

I think you aren't following well--there were some circuitous routes. BUT Glenwood IS more than 3 hours--their sort of limit.

fmpden

Looks like you may need a plan B. Current forecast is for very heavy snow (14-16") in the foothills and mountains this side of the divide on Tuesday into Wed. The roads will be fine by the weekend but any hiking, even in the lower foothills, will be a problem. I was planning my last day of skiing for Wed. May not happen.

PeaceOut

It is snowing in Winter Park now, with another storm coming this week. The OP might want to reconsider their itinerary. Skip the trip to Estes. Go to a ski area and stay all three nights, maybe.

The OP's wishlist is a summertime wish list: hiking, horseback riding, in particular. Yet he also says, "think it's a bit sad to go to denver and not ski", which is definitely true in this late spring snow season. The perfect time to try the slopes.

Or, even try Nordic skiing in place of hiking. Go to Snow Mountain Ranch or Devil's Thumb Ranch near Winter Park.

PeaceOut

PS They could also stay in Boulder, ski at Eldora, and travel in that vicinity. Stay a night in Denver, if desired, but the Boulder vibe might be better for these 20-somethings.

psychoidiot

Oh hmmmm, so hiking is out. (even the short hikes?) I don't think we could ski all 3 days, we are serious beginners (think bunny slopes and maybe a basic hill). Nordic skiing sounds a bit scary.

Which ski area would be the most basic? I really doubt we can attempt intermediate slope unless we have lessons. Which I'm sure many of them provide, but I'm not sure if I want to pay for it.

Gretchen

The GREAT thing about skiing in Colorado is they have GREAT "bunny" slopes--called "greens". You can ski literally all the way down the mountain on a green. It is a beginner's paradise. Since it is going to be so snowy, and it is the end of the season, it could be the most fun you could have. Look for discount tickets (they are everywhere). Rent. Have a great time and get really hooked!! No foolin', you all can have more fun skiing than hiking (you'd need snowshoes). Nordic skiing is flat to slope. If you all are in good hiking shape could happen. BUT, REALLY, if you are bunny slope skiers, you can have a wonderful time on greens. Don't worry about intermediate slopes--you'll have a ball and all the skiing you want.

PeaceOut

I doubt you'd want to ski three days. Check and see if Winter Park still offers the Galloping Goose chair for free to beginners. Our kids used it. Extremely gentle slope so you can get the feel for skiing. It had a chair and was FREE back then. You could rent skis for cheap and give it a whirl

Nordic skiing on the beginner trails is really easy. Trust me. We skied a lot at Snow Mtn Ranch. There is a very easy beginner loop that is flat and takes an hour or longer if you want. But they lost a lot if trees, so I'd recommend Devils Thumb Ranch now. It has been completely renewed as a Western lodge, their Hecks Tavern is great for a bite or beer after.

sylvia3

Galloping Goose is $10.

Eldora is supposed to close on the 14th.

wave725

Not sure if SK Horses in Estes Park is open this time of year for horseback riding, but they are great and have two locations - one near the heart of downtown Estes Park.

http://www.skhorses.com/

Some short hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park that you should be able to get to are Sprague Lake and Bear Lake. Both are spectacular in the early morning just after sunrise and make for great photographs. Both are less than a mile long.

http://www.rockymountainhikingtrails...rague-lake.htm

http://www.rockymountainhikingtrails...ture-trail.htm

One of the most popular lake hikes is to Emerald Lake which is a 3-4 mile hike:

http://www.rockymountainhikingtrails...erald-lake.htm

Estes Park isn't necessary known for great restaurants. A popular spot for hikers is Smokin Dave's Barbecue. If you like craft beer, Estes Park Brewery has great beer...but I can't say the same about their food - just average.

psychoidiot

Hm, so we can hike? I'm guessing with snowshoes since the snow for the weather tomorrow isn't going to melt that fast.

So does close on the 14th mean 14th is the last day or it's closed by then? Maybe we can still ski in Eldora then since it's more on the way than Winter Park and Loveland would be. (except Sunday seems to be bad?) Maybe we'll just go out of our way and loop around.

Totally interested in these "cheap tickets" for skiing haha and renting at the mountain I suppose? I heard you can rent in the city, whether boulder or denver but that may be a hassle.

You guys are awesome! Thanks for all the advice, sorry that I'm just a bit scatterbrained. I didn't realize how far everything was.

Gretchen

If you rent for just a day, just do it at the mountain. Schools are closed today in Denver!!

fmpden

Just about everything is closed or limited along the front range today. This is the first snow day this year for most of the school districts.

The advantage to renting at any sporting goods store in Denver or Boulder is that you have the equipment the day before. If you rent at the ski base, it simply adds to the time.

With the current snow, and final weekend for most areas, the ski areas will be mobbed. Last chance to ski and on fresh snow. A rarity in April.

By the weekend, the snow on the ground in Denver will be gone except for the big shoveled piles in parking lots. It is the trails in the foothills that will be the problem for hiking. Most likely the snow will remain in the shaded areas which will be most of the trails. If no snow, then it will be mud. This is a typical spring storm with lots of moisture.

I may be reading too much between the lines but am guessing that your skiing experience is really very limited. Maybe limited to one or two prior skiing experiences? True ? Sunday will be a bad day in the mountains - crowds will be huge and return traffic on Sunday PM will be impossible. However, probably will be some very good deals on Sunday night lodging. Just need to plan a little to get around some of problems that this weekend will present.

historytraveler

True about the weekend crowds and traffic on I-70 will be a problem, so Eldora may be your best option if you want to ski. It's close to Boulder/Denver, you won't encounter the traffic problems on I-70, and you can return to Denver or stay the night in Boulder.No need to commit to more than a day skiings if that's enough for you.

psychoidiot

Yeah, 1 or 2 ski experiences is right. lol. Okay we may consider that then, ski in Eldora overnight in Boulder (should we reserve in advance?) onward to Estes park on monday and loop back to denver.


Thank you again so much! I love how everyone in this forum is so active and willing to offer up suggestions.