Driving Independence Pass and kayaking Lake Dillon questions
 

Hello. We are still planning for our trip to Colorado in July, next year. Have some questions that will effect how we set up our lodging and itinerary. Has anyone kayaked at Lake Dillon near Frisco and is it worth planning some time to do this? Does the wind generally kick up in the afternoon and does this make the kayaking difficult, we were wanting to kayak early afternoon but sometimes that is difficult on large lakes due to the wind. Is it worth going to the little islands? Or are there other activities on the lake that you would recommend, looks like there are sailing tours, water taxi, any of these worthwhile?
Also, in driving Independence Pass, any thoughts on which direction has better views, and on whether it is better to drive in the late morning or in the mid to late afternoon?(lighting for photography, thunderstorm issues, etc)? I read that the direction away from Aspen is scarier due to the drop-offs being right next to you, and also heard that direction is not as scenic. Are these factors worth making a point of driving the road toward Aspen rather than away? Bottom line, given a choice between driving the pass towards Aspen in the late afternoon vs away from Aspen in the morning, is there a big difference or should we just go on what is convenient. Thanks again!

My first response is NO. The route to Aspen does put you more on the inside lane, against the mountain but not always. Afternoon thunderstorms in the mountains in the summer are fairly frequent and can range from light to heavy. So I am not sure which direction would be better from a light stand point. Don't know how one direction could be more scenic than another since you can look in both directions. I guess someone could argue that driving into Aspen is better than driving from Aspen since you are dropping into the Roaring Forks valley.

Having come here from Lake Michigan I don't think of Dillon as being much of a lake. Technically it is a reservoir and those islands are just the tops of hills when it was filled. I don't think they would be interesting. And by July they could be pretty small since the lake should be near capacity by that time. You do not get the afternoon breezes caused by land heating as is more common in the Midwest and around Lake Michigan. The lake is very cold so wet suits are critical.

Wet suits for kayaking? That would rule that out. We just want a simple little venture. perhaps we'll just take the water taxi across to see the lake, we do like to get onto the water at some point and Lake Dillon seems to be the only lake in the area with any rental facilities. If you know of any others I'm not committed to that lake. We'll be in Aspen, Vail and Summit County areas. I heard of a lake over by Glenwood Springs that has some flat water to kayak but I don't think there are rentsls, and haven't heard of anything that isn't whitewater near Aspen. but let me know if I'm missing anything. Thanks for the feedback.

I lived in Summit County and while I haven't kayaked on Dillon, my sister did and didn't use a wet suit. Do you plan to end up in the lake? The area around Frisco is not rough and if you're kayaking to the small islands in the area, you shouldn't have a problem. Often rain storms and thunder may come up in the late afternoon, more typically in August or September. Check out rentals on www.vrbo.com. There are some great condos in Dillon with wonderful views.

There are also some great bike paths in the area. You might want to rent a bike. A fun ride is to get a ride to the top of Vail Pass and ride back to Lake Dillon.

I love Independence Pass and you shouldn't miss it. My favorite drive is the loop from Summit County to Aspen, over Independence Pass and back via Twin Lakes and Leadville. It's a beautiful drive. If you have time, stop and visit the Maroon Bells.

Another lake you might consider is Grand Lake.

No, hopefully we aren't planning to end up in the lake! :) We are actually planning the whole loop you described, Estes Park over Trailridge Drive through Grand lake to Summit County, to Aspen via Glenwood Canyon, then out of Aspen through Independence Pass to Vail. Or something like that, not sure of the exact itinerary yet, but staying at several towns for the 6 nights we have, Estes park, Aspen, and either Summit County or Vail or both. We definitely will go to Maroon Bells during our time at Aspen. Biking down Vail pass to Frisco is a must, that sounds great. Just a short stop for a day in the RMNP area, we've been there before but I couldn't get this close and not see Trailridge Drive and walk in Moraine Park again. A couple of hikes, I think Mayflower Gulch, maybe taking the gondola to a hike in Vail or Aspen. If we kayak we'll try to do it in the AM, sounds like most things should be done then. Glenwood Canyon sounds interesting too, maybe rafting or something there or somewhere else, there's an awful lot to do for 6 nights. Any input on whether ATV or jeep tours are fun or a noisy tourist trap? (we don't generally associate the mountains with heavy trucks and noise, so I'm doubtful, but it's mentioned alot in Colorado, and even though purists encouraged us to avoid airboat rides in the Everglades, we loved them, so if it's worth it we are not adverse).