Newbie at Buffalo / Rabbit Ears

[farmboy84]

We took a trip to Buffalo Pass 5-6 years ago and it just dumped the entire time and never got farther than 8 miles from the parking area in 4 days. I'm planning a trip there again, but this time we are bringing a much less experienced rider for his first real mountain trip. My question is, is there some relatively tame stuff for him to learn on? Would it be best to unload at Buffalo or Rabbit Ears to find it? We just never explored enough to get a good feel last time, and it was so long ago.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Jermbob]

Lots of varied terrain to the east, Grand lake area, for the novice rider there is a ton of terrain for the experienced rider the sky is the limit. 100 miles of groomed trails that pass some pretty amazing terrain. If you need a place to stay and a guide for a day let me know.....

 

[trackvs2wheels]

There is plenty of "tame" novice riding right around the Rabbiet Ears parking lot...both south and north of the highway. I'd start him there or like Jermbob says...Grand Lake would be a great place to visit while in state.

 

[fitler]

I would say it depends more on conditions then location. If they are timid riders they can always stick close to the trail and just dip on and off at most locations (Rabbit Ears and Grand lake would be better then Buff pass for this).

I guess it depends on who you are riding with but most people at first are timid about bad weather conditions. It is just kind of an overload to try and learn to ride,be cold, not be able to see, and not know where you are or what is going on. So try and find nice days if possible.

 

[farmboy84]

Thanks for the info guys. It is my cousin who is coming for the first time on the "guys" trip. He is 16 (the rest of us are 25 to 55) and has been riding with his dad for 5 years at least and he has been to the mountains before, but not really the type of riding we do. I have a cabin booked at North Park Inn in Walden, so most of our riding will be out of Buff Pass. I'm thinking the first day or two we may drive to Ears for this guy to get a better feel for it. I know what you mean that the trail out of Buff Pass parking lot isn't too friendly. The last time we were there it snowed 2ft+ overnight and it took us the entire day breaking the trail just to get to the weather station!

 

[Rinker]

I second the ears. Plenty of open meadows for him to get the feel for mtn riding and he won't have to climb anything to get there. Just gonna be snorkel deep this year with all the rain we r getting! Lets hope! Haha

 

[farmboy84]

Thanks again. Another question, does anyone have gps trail maps of the area? Or even a pdf and I can overlay it myself.

 

[dcooper]

Jermbob knows his stomping grounds pretty well, he's a great guide and can find you just about any type of riding you want around there.

 

[bushy]

No two ways about it, Rabbit Ears kills newbies. Take my advice and stay on the east side of the Mississip. Don't let that stop you from donating to our sled clubs, but send a check and save yourselves. You can send the money directly to me if that makes it easier. No need to thank me, it's what I do.

 

[snowgood]

winner at both

Either one will be a great time for a new mountain rider, i personally rode a lot at rabbit ears while learning how to ride. Jeremy is a great individual and you would have a blast with him as your guide for a day.Vagabond Ranch is spectacular and sits surrounded by beautiful country. if you have the time i would say do both,you will not be disappointed. SG

 

[BallsDeep_5280]

Definitely drive the extra 15 - 20 minutes from Walden to Rabbit Ears for day 1 and 2. There are tons of open meadows for a newbie to learn how to control a sled. Buff Pass has awesome terrain as well, but it can be intimidating for someone learning how to ride since a lot of the terrain is hilly and treed. Gotta build his confidence and set him up for success or you'll have a scared rider who will end up limiting the group and eventually aggravating some of the group.

Everyone gets stuck, and getting stuck is the "bonding experience" between riders... or at least that's what I tell my riding partners when they circle back to find me carving my own tree-wells.

 

[PJ-Hunter]

If you are staying in Walden it's nearly the same distance to hit RE or visit JermBob. If he's a noob, I'd go with Jermbob. More time to learn and not have to deal with the massive crowds on RE. Also, to get away from the crowds on RE you have to go places noobs won't return from.

 

[XFIRE800]

Theres plenty of non-intimidating riding out of grizzly. Rabbit ears has a lot more traffic, so theres always the option of sticking to easier terrain around buff pass. When we were there, there were plenty of meadows and low slope open areas where a new guy could get the hang of things IMO. Obviously the locals are going to know more than me, but there will probably be a lot more untouched riding there than at rabbit ears.