Kokopelli Trails

Right now its winter up in the mountains, the Basin is open for skiing and out the window I can see the snow coming down. If your like me and aren't quite ready for this winter thing, there are many options. Colorado is a huge state and has a lot to offer. At lower elevations theres no snow yet and many of these areas in the state have numerous Mt. Biking and recreational trails. The Grand Junction area is about a three hour drive from the Summit County area and makes for a great day trip as long as you don't mind a little time in the car.

The Kokopelli Trails are super easy to assess and are a great place to start in the area.

Drive west out of Grand Junction on I-70 to Loma Exit #15. Turn left (SW) and over I-70, then make a right (NW) turn at the sign that points to the Kokopelli Trail. Then turn left (SW) before the truck weigh station and over the cattle guard to the parking area with the bathrooms and trail information. The map posted at the parking lot will give you all the information you will need to spend a day in the Kokopelli Trail system.

Yesterday we did Rustler's Loop and Horsethief Bench. Rustler's Loop is a great beginners trail to start out on. The view of the Colorado River Canyon are impressive! Horsetheif Bench can be accessed off Mary's Loop. Unless you are a pro or extreme downhill rider, you will be hiking your with your bike down the first portion of the trail. This will take about 5 to 10 minutes and leads you to a great loop in the canyon. This 4.0 mile easy-moderate loop treks through slickrock, some dry washes, and even a small canyon on the way below beautiful sandstone walls.

Here are some pictures from the area!

First star on the right, and straight on till morning...

Driving Back from The Basin
From my back porch
View comin' into Breck

Hello friends!

My name is Katie and I am a member of The North Face, Breckenridge family. I moved out to Breckenridge from Oregon about 4 months ago to try my hand at being adventurous. Im not sure if it was me or this town that made my transition so easy. This town is a little place with a huge heart. Everyone here for the most part, is a transplant... we all came from somewhere else. I never had a moment of feeling alone, and now my days are spent hanging out with my roomate (who also works for TNF), skiing with my new friends, or just lounging around town running into people I know. The winter is now upon us, and I couldnt be happier... there is something about the smell of snow in the air that seems to relax me. Took my first day up at A-Basin which will be the first of many to come! With each new snowfall I find myself falling in love with this place all over again. This place is our little peice of Neverland, where we tell our gullible friends back home that we have real jobs, and are lucky to hit the slopes once a week, a place where the snow is terrible, and the weather is stormy with grey skies, not blue. If and when you come to Breckenridge, make sure you take part in everything we have to offer. The great night life, the fabulous scenery, mountains that stretch as far as you can see, and a slice of heaven waiting for another snow fall.

So these pictures aren't from last year, this is Breckenridge NOW! Mother nature decided to get us started with one foot of snow, and its going to stay. Nice to see the trees and TRAILS covered! Take a look......

Quandary moonlight hike

So what do a bunch of The North Face employees do at night when there is a full moon in July? Well, why not hike to the top of a 14,000 foot mountain in Summit County!! It was one of those kind of days at work, we wanted to do something fun…..something outside and we didn’t want to wait until the next day for an adventure.

My name is Andy, I work at The North Face Breckenridge and with our webstore (www.breckgear.com). Most of my life I spent in the mountains and lakes of Maine where I was a snowmaker and whitewater guide for the last few years. Came to Breckenridge about two years ago and started working for The North Face Breck right away.

Moonlight hikes and 30 mile bike rides…this is the kind of stuff we do all the time. At the trailhead for Quandary was about 4 other groups, they had the same idea we did in a way. Most of them told us they were going to start in a few hours to take advantage of the full moon and clear sky for the hike and also catch a great sunrise the next morning. One beer and one Red Bull later we were on our way. This was Cari’s first 14er, but the rest of us had been up Quandary multiple times. The hike was amazing, we didn’t even need head lamps below tree line in the woods but we had them just incase. The climb is not technical, no ropes needed and just about anyone can do this!!

The pictures here are taken at the summit. The camera didn’t pick up everything WE could see, but I promise you the views were amazing. It’s a pretty amazing feeling being at 14,265 feet in the middle of the night. Quandary is close to Breck and very accessible, but we felt miles away from everything. Myself and Kelly still work at the store, Josh and Cari have moved to the big city…..Denver. Tony should be back for the winter, he spent the summer working (sailing!) at Lake Dillon. Check out www.14ers.com for great daytime photos and info about all the 14ers in Colorado.

We are always doing stuff like this and we have all the right links, so check back to see what’s going on here in Summit County. I also look forward to hearing from YOU! Send us pictures and stories of your adventures, wherever you are.