This week the bike club went on their annual trip up to Breckenridge. I always forget how cold it is in the mountains, especially in the mornings. But luckily when the sun comes out it starts warming up. We had a really good day - no wind, which is always a BIG plus given that Breckenridge is 800 ft higher and 11 miles further than Frisco where we park.
We always stop at the Cool River Coffee Shop when we get to the top. They have a very nice patio right next to the river - much quieter and calmer than the shops over on Main Street. I'm always worried I'm not going to make it to the top. Most of the other bikers I see on the trail take the shuttle to the top and just bike back down.
I went up a day early to do a little exploring on my own. The bike club always takes the bike trail to the left, but this time I wanted to see where it would take me if I turned to the right.
I found out you end up in Copper Mountain - not really a town, but more of a ski resort. I was a little freaked out when I first got there and saw the snow, but then I realized that it was a manmade pile (there's a snowmaking machine sitting in the middle of it). I'm not sure what it's purpose was.
You don't tend to think of a ski resort as a place to take a summer vacation, but Copper Mountain has a ton of family-based activities. There was a little lake in the middle of the hotels and shops where they had trucked in sand to make a beach.
Kids were playing in bumper boats while their parents got some sun.
The ski lift was running to take mountain bikers to the top. I was fascinated watching them load the bikes onto special carriers. The bikers rode behind in a gondola or chair lift. This would make mountain biking a lot more fun if you didn't have to ride to the top to get started (which is usually what I see mountain bikers do when they're not biking in areas with chair lifts).
There was an adventure park for younger kids to practice their mountain biking skills with dips and hills. If you went fast enough, you could make the bike jump into the air. I thought about trying it myself, but it seemed like it was only being used by kids.
On the way back down the mountain, I stopped at a bench along Ten Mile Creek to do a little sketch. Google Maps describes this bike trail as "fairly flat," but it's definitely much easier biking back down to Frisco than up to Copper Mountain.
When I got back down, I stopped off at the Dillon Dam Brewery for fish n'chips - probably not the healthiest dinner, but it sure was tasty after a long day of riding.
