Thrill-seekers head for I-70

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Jun 8, 2003 | by KAMON SIMPSON

Bummed that your skis have been stashed for the summer?

Cheer up. You might be tempted to hit the slopes for some summer fun.

At Copper Mountain and Vail Resort's big four - Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Vail - there's enough recreation, dining, shopping, sight-seeing and entertainment to fill a weeklong vacation or day trips to last until it's time to wax the skis again.

Even speed freaks can get their fix. Vail offers Thrill Sledding - a helmeted, headfirst plunge on a wheeled cart with hydraulic brakes - off Adventure Ridge at the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola.

Breckenridge's Peak 8 Fun Park has a SuperSlide slalom course and a giant slalom track with multiple dips, recommended for more experienced riders.

Copper has a Zipline alpine slide and the Diggler, an off-road scooter ride from the top of the mountain.

Of course, all five resorts offer mountain biking, with rides to the top of the mountain and a variety routes down, with rentals available.

BEAVER CREEK

The farthest of the I-70 resorts from Colorado Springs could be the most appealing, with Thursday night rodeos and world class culinary demonstrations on Sunday afternoons.

The Vilar Center for the Arts is home to concerts, Broadway shows, musicals, stand-up comedy and children's theater, and hosts the Beaver Creek Theater Festival in August and weekly installments of the Vail Valley Music Festival ($18-$45 for most shows).

Beaver Creek has hiking, fly fishing, horseback riding ($40- $120), rafting, Jeep tours, ice skating ($2), ballooning and, of course, tennis ($18) and golf. Day camps for kids include miniature golf, a bungee trampoline and a climbing wall ($20 combo pass.)

BRECKENRIDGE

The Peak 8 Fun Park is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, June 14-Sept. 2, featuring slides, mini-golf, a human maze, a climbing wall and a children's center ($48-$60 for an all-inclusive Superpass.)

The Colorado SuperChair from the Peak 8 base area gives hikers and bikers a lift up the mountain. Bike rentals start at $12 and an all- day bike lift pass costs $25.

Down in the village, the Riverwalk Center on the Blue River will host numerous concerts, including performances by the National Repertory Orchestra and the Breckenridge Music Institute.

COPPER MOUNTAIN

For $5, you can tackle Colorado's largest outdoor climbing wall, with routes available for all skill levels.

Or for free, you can join one of two daily guided nature hikes to the peak.

Rides up the American Eagle lift also are free, offering a chance to grab lunch with a view at the aptly named Solitude BBQ. Copper's village offers at least nine other dining choices, with free live music Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings.

Mountain biking is a bargain - $12 per day for unlimited rides up the mountain. Rides down the Zipline, an alpine slide, also are $12. The Diggler costs $10-$30.

A kids' camp includes horseback riding, swimming, drama, scavenger hunts, games, arts and crafts and hiking. For older kids, there's a laid-back Pete Dye golf course.

KEYSTONE

The Adventure Passport returns for guests, and Keystone usually has lastminute lodging deals, with two-bedroom condos available for around $100, including access to pools and hot tubs.

The passport is good for free rentals of boats and bikes, admission to a fitness center, gold panning, wine tasting, yoga, a fly fishing clinic and other activities.

Bike rentals are $11-$35, and an unlimited bike haul pass is $26 ($12 for Colorado and Buddy Pass holders). Other activity prices range from $8 yoga and rock climbing to a $250 all-day guided fly- fishing expedition.

VAIL

Summer Adventure Ridge opens June 13 with Thrill Sledding, a bungee-harnessed trampoline, guided mountain biking and hiking tours, disc golf, orienteering and indoor laser tag. Pass prices are $38- $72 for adults, starting at $33 for kids.

Vail offers mountain biking workshops, hiking tours and an orienteering map and compass course. A ride up a lift is $17 for adults and $10 for children, but twilight rides on the gondola are free 5-9 p.m. beginning June 27.

Bike lifts are $29 a day for unlimited rides, with a $199 10-day pass and $399 seasonlong pass available (seasonlong pass is $199 for Coloradoand Buddy Pass-holders). A summer hiking pass is $69.

The Gerald Ford Amphitheater hosts the Bravo Vail Valley Music Festival, the Vail International Dance Festival and free Tuesday night concerts.

SOME DETAILS

For more information on the resorts:

Beaver Creek: (970) 845-9090; Reservations: (888) 830-7669; www.beavercreek. snow.com

Breckenridge: (970) 453-5000 or (800) 789-7669; www.breckenridge.snow.com

Copper Mountain: (866) 841-2481; www.coppercolorado. com

Keystone: (970) 496-2316 or (877) 625-1556; Reservations: (877) 753-9786; www.keystone. snow.com

Vail: (970) 476-5601; Reservations: (877) 204-7881; www. vail.snow.com

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

Summer is a great time to explore attactions along the I-70 corridor. A few highlights:

The Georgetown Loop Railroad: Ride over the reconstructed Devil's Gate High Bridge, 95 feet above Clear Creek, through spectacular scenery on a narrow gauge train between the towns of Georgetown and Silver Plume. The round-trip ride takes about an hour. Rates are $15.50 for adults and $10.25 for children.