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Winter Adventure, Skiing, Snowmobiling
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-Winter Sports/Adventures around the Grand Valley-
Down hill skiing, X-Country Skiing, Snowmobiling
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Yes, it is December while I pen this, and yes, there is a bunch of snow on the ground as I look out the window, so what better time to produce a page on this subject. For the adventurer's out there, winter is no time to sip hot toddys or watch football, it is a time to partake in some winter time adventures, Grand Valley style. The Grand Mesa is just a premier spot to find plenty of the white stuff, at an elevation of over 10,000 feet it will get better then 300 inches/25 feet of snow a winter. The Mesa, which is also the largest flat top mountain in the world, offers plenty for those who love winter sports.
The Down Hill Skiers out there can head to Powderhorn Resort, a rather small resort in Colorado terms but being family owned it definitely has heart and personality and some challenging slopes to keep the hard-core junky entertained. Wondering what is happening on the slope of Powderhorn right now? Well just click here and go check out their live Web Cam. After you work up an appitite be sure to grab a Burger at the Skiers Union , you won't regret it.
For X-Country Skiers and Snow Shoers, three trail systems crown the Mesa. The Skyway and County line systems are both relativly easy but abound in spectacular views of the Bookcliffs and/or the San Juans. The Ward Lake System is both more extensive and more challenging with elevation gains up to 500 feet on many trails. The Ward Lake system is also the furthest from Grand Junction on Colorado Highway 65, hence gets fewest visitors. The Grand Mesa Gliders have an excelent blog on activities taking place on the mesa and the Grand Mesa Nordic Councils web site is also a great source for more info.
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Now for you Motorheads, Snowmobiles and the Grand Mesa! The Grand Mesa has more then 100 miles of marked snowmobile trails that are routinely groomed and as a general rule are flaged with orange markers. The main tral from which many others branch off of is called the "SP" for "Sunlight to Powderhorn" Trail conecting the Sunlight Ski resort near Glenwood Springs and our Powderhorn Resort. A special treat for Snowmobilers is called the Indian Point trail that can range from moderate to extreame. Designated for use by hikers and equestrians most of the year however snowmobilers are permitted on the snow.
To keep up on all the newest info, conditions and to help preserve snowmobile trails I always sugest joining the local Colorado Snowmobile Association's local chapter, in Grand Junction it is the Snowskippers.
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Winter Driving can be an adventure wether you like it or not.
I have truly had more then my fair share of experiense in winter driving, having lived at 8,000 ft down 2.5 miles of un-maintained road for over 20 years, driven from the airport to ski resorts through all sorts of weather for well over 10 years and have just lived in Colorado all of my life. At times I really enjoy messing around behind the wheel in snowy, slick conditions when I am alone and can just play. Then there are times when I can get pretty stressed while driving at night in some crazy blizzard and the only way to tell the side of the road is from the reflectors. So I thought I might throw out a bit of my advice.
1-Have a cell phone. 2-Tire Chains or Cables if you plan on going any where the road is not plowed. 3-If you do get a chance to play on slick stuff do, learning to control and recover in a big empty parking lot or empty strech of road is good experience that can save you when sliping down Vail Pass. 4-Remeber not to panic and over corect in a slide which is hard to do without experince, refer to #3. 5-If you start to slide or spin, up or down hill, the first thing you do is take your foot off the throttle. 6- Studs are great, although you will wear out your tire a lot faster. 7-As they always say carry food and warm stuff. 8-Also, as they always say, don't be in a hurry. 9-We used to say as a teenager "when in doubt puncher out" after all of my years of experience the oposite holds more true. If your tires start to spin you are better off letting up on the gas peddle so the tires can grab hold better. -That's it for now so be careful out there- |
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