Colorado Riding / Lodging / Snow Suggestion Help - Vail?

[Minnesota]

I'm sure you guys get enough of these requests, but any help would be much appreciated!

Ridden plenty of mountains but we have never ridden in Colorado, figured we would try something new and have a trip tentativley scheduled for February. Looking to do some good backcountry riding without driving too far West or off of 70...

Our options right now seem to be Vail pass or Corona Pass without going too far west.... Any other sugestions or comments on better riding would be very helpful. Epsecially advice for access and possibly less populated riding areas...

Also for lodging - can anyone suggest some affordable places to stay near any of these riding areas? Our group usually likes to get into a bit of the night life so suggestions for hotels/lodging in decent/fun areas would be great...

Thanks again guys for any help you can offer, I'm sure you get more requests than you can handle for this type of thing...

 

[vahillbilly]

Vail

If you ride Vail there are lots of places to stay that are close. if you decide to ride corona/Church Park or any other areas by there you can stay in winter park and that is close. If you go to grand lake you can ride out of the hotel parking lots (snow permitting). There is also a place called Vegabond ranch that allot of people go ride. they have cabins and allot of riding areas. if you decide to ride Rabbit ears i would stay in Kremmeling there are some hotels but not much night life.

if you want to party it up you better stay in winter park and ride those trails or stay in silverthorne and ride Vail.

http://www.coloradosledcity.com/ will have all the maps and snow info.

hope this helps.

 

[Gmiller]

If you decide to ride Rabbit ears i would stay in Kremmeling there are some hotels but not much night life.

if you want to party it up you better stay in winter park and ride those trails or stay in silverthorne and ride Vail.

http://www.coloradosledcity.com/ will have all the maps and snow info.

hope this helps.

Night life in Kremtucky... They have a 24hr gas station i believe, thats all a sledder should be worried about anyways...... HA.

Lots of riding off of 70, BUT avy danger is high this year. MAKE SURE you have equipment to keep yourself safe. lodging in Vail is stupid expensive, i would stay in silverthorne or kremmling because its not going to break the bank. You can find alot of safer riding areas at vail pass due to the trail system. Check it out, you'll have fun anywhere our here with good snow.... Even the parking lot

 

[snowgood]

if it was me knowing where everything is i would stay in dillon/ silverthorne area. puts you in the middle of alot of riding ,all within an hour to hour and half. lots of hotels and nitelife. riding areas -vail 20 mins. west, red white in vail,rabbit ears north on hwy 9, buena vista is south about 1 1/2 hrs along with leadville. grand lake and its complex is just north as well about 2 hrs. there's other riding ares but should prob have someone show you around those.if you are looking for riding too and from lodge look into vagabond ranch. really great place in a beautiful setting and jeremy is a great guy. he will take care of you, maybe even get you into some powder stashes as well. other than that theres steamboat and all that it has to offer. mike

 

[skidooski]

If you want to ride Vail pass stay in Frisco at the Snoshoe inn, parking sucks if you have a big trailer but its affordable and the night life is good. I also have a cabin in Leadville that we rent out to people when we are not using we are 25-30 minutes to Camp Hale on Vail Pass, 40 minutes to Cottonwood Pass in BV with riding areas in Leadville as well. Shoot me a PM if you are interested.

 

[tomcat1967]

Leadville is a good choice. close to vail pass via camp hale. decent food cheap motels, great views. Buena vista is not that far from Pb ville either. Vail proper is uber expensive, I live there i should know. Vail pass has decent snow but gets hammered on the weekends.
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