By Zack White
For many, one sport a day is plenty. But for those of us who are more gluttonous, even an afternoon of knee-deep powder isn’t enough to keep the mind from drifting through miles of dry singletrack switchbacks on a mountain bike while stuck on the lift back up for another run. Luckily, Colorado offers as many micro-climates during the winter as it does outdoor adventure possibilities, and the idea of playing on planks in the morning and cranks that same afternoon is a legitimate wintertime option.
The available combinations of places to ride dry trail and get a fair share of turns in at a resort in the same day are impressive throughout the state, but when it comes to consistency in both trail and snow conditions—and their proximity to one another—Monarch Mountain and Salida’s Arkansas Hill trails are a standout duo. A mere 20-miles apart, the weather conditions between Salida and its neighboring ski hill usually sound like they’d be a half-day’s drive apart rather than than just a half-hour. But the Sawatch Mountain range that nestles Monarch has an amazingly consistent habit of stopping westerly weather fronts in their tracks, then milking every single inch of snow from them while stalled overhead.
How consistent is this weather pattern? While Monarch averages an impressive 30-feet of snow per season, Salida is lucky to see 30-inches. Yes, those numbers are correct: 30-feet of snow a season just 20-miles up the road from trails that usually see less than 30-inches of snow a season. Welcome to crank-and-plank paradise.
The Mountain
Monarch Mountain is a surprising impressive 800-acre ski hill that is rarely crowded and offers a fantastic variety of terrain in a small, relatively inexpensive package. And on those rare crowded days, the head count on the slopes still pales in comparison to big-name resorts. Sure, the two-seater lifts are slow, but on a deep day, those longer lift rides offer up a welcome rest between runs, especially when there isn’t a wait to get on said lifts. At most, it’ll cost $69 a day this season for access to five lifts (eight if the conveyor and surface lifts are included) that serve the 1,162-vertical-feet quite nicely. Check online or in local newspapers and magazines for deals as Monarch always seems to have discounted tickets available somewhere.
For those looking to earn a few turns, there’s the hike-accessed goods found in Mirkwood Bowl—an off-piste, double-black playground that funnels back into the resort via a catwalk down below. Amongst the usual crowd of hyperfit locals that make the 300-vertical-foot, boot-packed hike to the top look like child’s play, keep an eye out for professional athletes like multi-time, multi-discipline national champion mountain bike racer Kelli Emmett and national cyclocross champion Katie Compton doing multiple laps on Mirkwood in the name of “training.” The extra 130-acres of Mirkwood are filled with glades, steep chutes, cliff jumps and excellent tree skiing.
If hiking out of a perfectly good, lift-accessed ski resort isn’t your thing, or you’re simply wanting to keep your legs fresh for an afternoon of mountain biking later that day, there are plenty of inbound options to choose from. In addition to the roughly 30/30/40 split of green/blue/black runs, there’s also the decent Never Summer terrain park to play in.
Over the years, I have lucked into a legitimate powder day at Monarch far more often than not, even if it hasn’t snowed in the last few days. Of course, the locals will rush the resort during deep dumps, but they’re usually back to work by noon, and leave behind plenty of untracked stashes for the rest of us. “Us” is usually a mix of out-of-state visitors whose Scotch-guarded blue jeans don’t seem to last long enough in fresh snow to afford too many runs, a handful of locals with the whole day off who disappear into stashes you’ll never find without befriending them, and a minority of Coloradans who prefer Monarch’s worn-in charm to the shiny resorts to the north.
The Trails
Most mountain bikers know Salida as the base camp for riding the Monarch Crest Trail in the summer. But over the last handful of years, the town has developed an impressive network of trails literally right on the edge of town. An interesting mix of city land and BLM, Arkansas Hills (often referred to as “S” Mountain for the giant S on the hillside facing town; it’s also called Tenderfoot Mountain) is an ever-expanding mountain bike trail system that stays dry most of the winter, and offers a good mix of difficulty levels to choose from. It’s by no means a system warranting a multi-day trip specific to riding, but where Salida is lacking (for now) in quantity, the place more than makes up for it in trail quality. Factor in the ability to ride here almost all winter, and it’s more than worth packing the bike during ski season.
The trails are well-marked and relatively easy to find, but it’s still a great idea to swing into one of the local bike shops and ask for trail conditions, directions or suggestions on what to ride for your style. If you stop at Salida Bike Company on the corner of F and Front Streets, they can literally step out their door and point to Frontside Trail, which is the main climb up into the system from town. (But don’t miss out on the beta at Absolute Bikes, either.) There are also a scattering of pump tracks throughout the valley, but they’re not consistently well-maintained, so it’s always a good idea to ask the shop guys which one is worth riding at that time.
While chances are incredibly high that the trails will be dry, it is a good idea to call ahead and get a report from one of the local shops. And, even if the trails are downright dusty, daytime temperatures at roughly 7,000-feet can still be frigid, so pack your cycling kit accordingly. I’ve had days of riding comfortably in shorts in February after a 15-inch powder day up at Monarch, but that’s not always the case with typical winter highs hovering around 45-degrees in town.
The Town
Salida in and of itself is a treat to visit. For such a small town, there’s always something happening that doesn’t seem to fit its otherwise quaint feel. If it’s not a Roller Derby bout at the Fairgrounds, it’s the self-described throbbing 32-piece band of masked chaos, a.k.a. Itchy-O, marching the streets of town with a huge crowd of locals in tow. Even on a slow night, grabbing a brick-oven-baked pizza and microbrew from Amica’s, or a game of shuffleboard at The Victoria (call it “The Vic,” or expect to be pegged a tourist) is a great way to end a big day of skiing and riding.
Here are some other options that make putting both bike and board(s) on the roofrack worth your while:
Powderhorn Resort and Grand Junction Trails
Powderhorn is only about 45-minutes from downtown Grand Junction, which is a reasonable starting point to access the Lunch Loops trails. Powderhorn is a small resort with a more laid back vibe than the big hitters, and the Grand Junction area trails stay dry most of the winter. Something to keep in mind, too, is that when trails in that region are too muddy to ride, it’s a good sign that there’s fresh snow up the road. So bring your skis/boards on that next winter or spring mountain bike trip to the Western Slope. powderhorn.com; visitgradjunction.com/biking
Vail Resort and Eagle Trails
Though less consistent than Salida or Grand Junction in terms of dry winter trail conditions, Eagle is surprisingly arid much of the winter, and only a half-hour from Vail, which is obviously not a bad place to search for great snow. vail.com; mountainbikeeagle.com
Summit/Grand/Boulder County Resorts and Front Range Trails
The options here are almost endless in regards to finding a place to make turns, and a trail dry enough to ride later that day. The problem is that time spent in transit between snow and dirt can be upwards of two hours, each way. Eldora is the best bet when conditions allow, but often the same weather that warrants a trip up to the resort makes a mess of the trails 45-minutes down the road. eldora.com; bouldermountainbike.org
Crested Butte Resort and Hartman’s Rocks
Crested Butte is a great place to be on a powder day, and there’s a chance of Gunnison-area trails being dry enough to ride, too. That said, Gunnison is notoriously frigid in the winter months, which keeps the 50-ish inches of snow around longer, and makes for less-than-ideal riding conditions. skicb.com; gunnisoncrestedbutte.com
–Zach White has a decades long history of playing outside, and is a full-time city firefighter in his spare time.
