Runners in the woods: say good-bye to the last snow of winter with dinner and a sleigh ride - Mountain Day Trip

Sunset, March, 2003 by Claire Walter

The departure area is abuzz. People are introducing themselves, climbing into sleighs, and pulling warm blankets over their laps. Beneath the darkening sky, wranglers make final adjustments to harnesses and jingling bells as the teams of locomotive-size draft horses shift impatiently, clouds of steam puffing from their noses.

The horse and buggy era may be long gone, but there's something timeless about gliding through snowy woods in a horse-drawn sleigh. This is especially true when the sleigh stops--if not at grandma's house--at a cabin or tent where you can warm up and enjoy a good meal before the starlit journey back to civilization.

A number of Colorado outfitters offer dinner sleigh rides that range from casual to elegant. At most of them, you'll be welcomed to a cheery backcountry cabin or tent with a hot drink. Oil lamps, candlelight, and a woodstove help maintain the mood of an earlier era. Dinner is usually a buffet or served family-style; at some dinners you'll be treated to live entertainment such as mellow folk songs or a merry hoedown.

The trips listed here are typical of dinner sleigh rides you can find throughout the Rockies. Prices listed are for adults, and most places offer special rates for children; reservations are a must. Ask about entertainment and wine and alcohol service. Dress warmly and don't forget a scarf for the brisk ride home.

NEAR FRASER: Dashing Through the Snow. The night of the week determines which lavish six-course menu you'll be served; the choice of themes is country or gourmet. The sizable dinner cabin is set far back on a 1,000-acre ranch. Country dinner, Mon-Wed, $70; gourmet dinner, Tbu-Sun, $80. (970) 726-5376.

FRISCO: Two Below Zero. Mules pull handcrafted red-oak sleighs to a backcountry tent camp. Mon-Sat, $62. They also offer a hot-cocoa ride from 5-6:15 for $30. www. dinnersleighrides.com (800) 5716853, or (970) 453-1520.

NEAR STEAMBOAT SPRINGS: Elk River Guest Ranch. Appetizers and wine or beer are served in the ranch saloon before the 20-minute ride to a large, carpeted, candlelit tepee for dinner. Couples celebrating an anniversary (or perhaps an engagement) can get a 20-minute head start in a private sleigh--and have some time alone in the dinner tepee--before the rest of the guests arrive in a 14-passenger sleigh. Transportation from Steamboat Springs is included. Nightly, $75; private sleigh with champagne, $250 per couple. www. elkriverguestranch.com, (800) 750-6220, or (970) 879-6220.

NEAR VAIL/BEAVER CREEK: 4 Eagle Ranch. Take 20-minute sleigh rides through the hay fields whenever you wish, then amble up through old homesteader cabins. Buffet-style dinner is served in the large 1890s Nelson Cabin. Price includes transportation from Vail or Beaver Creek. Wed-Sat, $70. www.4eagleranch. corn or (970) 926-3372.