For our last full day in Colorado, I made no plans, but budgeted for another “large” activity. Our tentative plan was to raft again, but on Clear Creek. After calling the local outfitters, they confirmed our fears that the snowmelt was low, therefore it was running at nearly a 1/3 of its normal rate. This makes the river more challenging and dangerous due to exposed rocks.
After brainstorming our options, we decided to head to Vail to do some river tubing. So we headed west.
Once we arrived in Vail, we talked to the tubing company and learned that the run was only an hour and a half, so back to the drawing board. To think things over we headed to Moe’s Original BBQ in Vail. They were affordable and had some really great BBQ sandwiches. Also, strangely they offered sweet tea.
We queried a few local rental companies and decided to bike down Vail Pass again, but this time to the west back to Vail, instead of Frisco.
The folks at Double Diamond Sports were awesome, they got us fitted with bikes quickly, waited at the bus while I went to the car, and gave a the rental for the remainder of the day. The other rental companies limited the rental to 2 hours or required a guide to follow you down, which is both weird and creepy.
Apparently the western slope bike trail from Vail Pass just opened up this year. It took over what was a two lane road, making the trail wide and straight in many parts. Also, there is about 1/2 mile that literally runs beside I-80, sharing the pavement. There were definitely opportunities to blaze down the mountain, and we did.
Once we arrived in East Vail, things changed; hills started, Jennifer died.
After the painful journey from East Vail to Vail Village we turned in the bikes, nearly 3 1/2 hours after renting them. It was a good thing we went with Double Diamond!
While the rest of the clan slept, I drove back to Keystone for our last dinner in Colorado and to pack.
We’ll be back…maybe for good!
