Winter Park Daddy Daughter day.

Maddy gained some really good skills riding a rigid frame downhill, we stayed mostly on the Green, stince the 1.8" wide tyres on the 24"inch wheels without suspension has to be brutal on the wrists. Anyway she did great, 4 runs is a good showing considering the circumstances. What is more, she ended with a big excitablable smile.

loveland

No lessons today, just skiing around. We all made a complete lap around the resort together. A good 22 Mile tour (including the lift runs).

Maddys first official ski lesson

We left in the darkness to arrive at Snowy Range Ski resort for Maddys first lesson. I chose there because of loathsome traffic on I70, relative ticket prices and the prospect of quieter lifts. I was wrong about the lifts, it was quite crowded that weekend. But we got lucky with the parking and the journey. I had ideas of snowboarding in the morning while Maddy had her lesson, then using my xc skis in the afternoon while we were all together. The meet up logistics were too cumbersome though and I stuck with the board. The snow was surprisingly good while thin.

On MLK day I skied Happy Jack Trails. It's a place I've had my eye on for Fat biking for a couple of years because the local club grooms the trails. Pretty day, awesome trails.

Soapstone Prairie

Up on the border of Colorado and Wyoming is Soapstone Prairie , I think it is part of the National Park system, whereas the neighboring Red mountain park is Larimer county open space, and the northern part is Wyoming - Big Hole open space.

A herd of Bison are re-establishing there.

The Cheyenne rim trail was what attracted me up there, though there are a couple of other canyon trails I'd like to go explore more.

Maddys West Mag Tour

This time we all went and rode lower hobbit and of course Aspen Ally.

2021 Aspen change riding

The Aspens have been spectacularly bright this Autumn. I managed to get a couple of rides in. First one from Pierson park, through Homestead meadows.

and up onto Kenny Mountain. 

I turned around just below the top, on a rock outcropping in the middle of a beautiful aspen grove. 

A couple of days later, I took a day off and rode West Magnolia just about as the first significant weather rolled in that I assumed would likely knock the leaves down.

Granby Ranch in the summer

For Labor Day weekend, we headed off to Granby Ranch to see if Maddy would enjoy some downhill mountain biking. We found a hotel with a nice pool and off we went.

The biking was a sucess, I think Maddy managed 5 runs, 900feet vertical each run. I'm claiming success. We also did a nice hike around Monarch Lake.

Winter Park or is it Trestles.

Either way, winter park is pretty fun in the summer.

Valmont Bike Park