blog-single-image

What should we do now?

The 4th has come and gone folks so now what?!

July is finally hear and with a summer as short as Colorado's make sure you get out and enjoy it!

Hello all! I hope everyone had a good 4th of July and enjoyed the celebration of their country as well as the celebration of their long weekend! I spent my time in Breckenridge and it was an absolutely fantastic weekend. I was able to get some bbq, enjoy the beautiful days, relax in the evenings and grab drinks with some friends I hadn't seen in a bit. Living in Denver really gives you this sense that you have it all at times (besides the ocean). What I mean, is that you can be in this major city among an international airport, skyscrapers, business suits, and birthday suits but at the end of the day, you can escape up to the mountains totally unplug. I consider the mountain to really begin at Idaho Springs which is a popular rafting town in the summer with history tunneled deep into its core. I really mean tunneled too! It was an ultra-popular mining town in the day that participated in Colorado's gold rush as it lay just outside Denver. From Idaho Springs you enter the gateway; the gateway to Summit County where Coloradoans have declared it 'Colorados Playground'. For a good reason at that; Summit County is home to many ski areas all within about 40 minutes of each other, boasts Lake Dillon a popular lake for boating, sailing, and other water activities, and Summit County also includes hundreds upon hundreds of biking and hiking trails. 

I think it's time to get into what else you should be up to this summer now that it has OFFICIALLY BEGUN. 

 

Personally, I always felt that summer really got going when the 4th of July had passed and I think it's just such a well-positioned holiday that you're almost guaranteed warm weather afterward so you get a few months to not have to think about the impending cold that looms a few months out. One of the activities I am really starting to look forward too is hiking and biking around Summit County and Colorado. Areas including Breckenridge, Steamboat, Fruita, Denver, The foothills, Vail, and Aspen all have amazing mountain biking and hiking trails that are sure to start seeing their wildflowers bloom. With the high water, the forests are extra lush and the chance of fire danger has been dramatically reduced. It's safe to say that when we have a good winter everything & everybody benefits from the added precipitation. One of the hikes/walks/drives I would take is up Boreas Pass Road. Boreas Pass is actually built upon the old railroad bed that miners use to have to travel over so that they could get supplies from Como & Denver. The railmen would often face intensely harsh winters with feet of snow on the ground and it was quickly dubbed one of the most dangerous places to live due to its outlaw nature at the time. Boreas Pass today is a beautiful drive out a dirt road that will take you up in elevation to points where you can pull over and hike up the mountain to get to your best scenic outlooks. A business in Breckenridge called Breckenridge Bike Tours will take you on a tour that they offer called the Boreas Pass Scenic shuttle where they will drive you, your party, and lunch up to the top of the pass where you will then offload the bikes.

 

On the way up the road, you'll receive bits and pieces of the history involving the area and you'll eventually make your way to the top where an old train cart still resides to this day. Once you arrive at the top you will receive your last bit of history as you unload the bikes and get ready to embark down the old railbed into the town of Como. You won't make it all the way to Como but trust me...we pride ourselves on this ride being downhill and eventually, a fair amount of pedaling would be involved. Once you arrive at your pickup destination they will come to pick your group back up, bring you to the top where you'll enjoy a great lunch, and then you'll begin your journey down the other side of Boreas Pass towards Breckenridge. This ride is truly a great way to spend a morning and it suits just about any ability level! Young or old I recommend hitting up this company and taking a ride with them. Another fun hike you can do is the Burro trail which is in a great location right near the bottom of peal 9 so it is easily walkable from town. The BUrro trail is an out and back trail that features wildflowers, rivers, elevation gains, and maybe even some wildlife! Regardless of the hike, you choose to do this summer - take one. Take one and be careful! the weather in Breckenridge is notorious for springing up out of nowhere and pouring down on people in the mid to late afternoon. Bring some snacks, bring some water, and bring a positive attitude. Also if you're looking for anything else to do take a look at AdventureBots Activity Marketplace

Photo Credit: Bike List

Share it