My husband Dan and I planned a day trip to Devils Thumb Ranch near Winter Park, but that day trip turned into a weekend trip due to traffic and weather.
Even though we sat in bumper to bumper traffic to and from the area, we enjoyed a wonderful weekend together and we got to enjoy Snow Mountain Ranch at YMCA of the Rockies.
I'd never been to Devil's Thumb before and really wanted to go there. I read it is a resort that is also the best cross country ski center in Northern America.
We left very early Saturday morning with the hope that I'd be skiing on the Devil's Thumb trails by 11 am, but it turned out we didn't get there until about 12:15-30, so I didn't get started until 1:00 pm.
As we drove up through Berthoud Pass, Dan and I saw enough snow that we decided to play it safe and reserve a room at Snow Mountain Ranch for the night even though we did not really have overnight bags packed. The rooms at Devil's Thumb were way more expensive.
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| Excited To Ski At Devil's Thumb |
It was a nice afternoon of skiing, but cold. I wished I had had more time to explore Devil's Thumb, but my afternoon went too quickly.
It was getting dark by the time we got to Snow Mountain Ranch. After we checked in, we had planned to go towards Winter Park for dinner, but ate on the YMCA grounds instead. The food and atmosphere felt very much like we were at a camp. We checked out the roller skating rink and ping pong tables and then decided to go to our room and settle in for the night. Before settling in, we bought shampoo and conditioner, a large t-shirt for me to sleep in, and deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss, and sunscreen at the Y's gift shop. Our lodging included bedding, soap, toilet paper and tissues, and towels.
Our room looked very much like a hotel room, but also a dorm room. There was a double bed and also a bunk bed and a large bathroom. We had a phone and Wifi, but no television. Dan was exhausted, but I stayed up for quite awhile watching Netflix.
The next morning, we went to the buffet breakfast that was included with our lodging. I'd never seen so many people in one place at a buffet. Again that experience made us feel we were at camp.
After breakfast, we made sure we had all of our belongings and headed for the Nordic Center which was on Snow Mountain Ranch's grounds. Our lodging included free trail passes, but Dan decided not to use his.
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| Our Hotel Like Room |
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| A Set of Bunk Beds Was In Our Room |
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| Smiling Near Our Lodginng |
I was delighted to ski again, but this time, I had the entire day. I think I probably got started around 10 am.
I didn't know it, but my skis got caked with snow which made gliding hard, but I was so happy to be outside that I hardly noticed.
I met a man from Houston on the trails named Fred. It was his first time ever trying cross country skiing. I helped him learn how to ski for about an hour. It was really fun to see him enjoy a sport I love more than anything.
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| Fred from Houston and I - It was so fun helping him cross country ski for the first time in his life! |
I just kept going and hiked up a black trail. On nordic trails, I have no trouble doing black. I think I've been so adventurous through my years of Nordic skiing, that the steep hills going up and down don't phase me. With my new metal edge nordic skis, I find doing blacks really easy.
It was on the black trail or a blue trail that I noticed that my skis were caked with snow. It took awhile to get the snow off, but once off, I just kept skiing.
I lost track of time and must have been on the trails for about four hours. Dan was glad to see me back at the nordic center lodge. We took a break together and drank water for about 30 minutes and then I changed to my skating skis and headed up into the hills.
My skating skis feel so much lighter than my metal edge touring skis and I enjoyed my time on them more than ever. I hiked way up into the hills and had the best time ever skiing down! I was one of the last people back at the lodge. I think I returned there around 5 pm.
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| Outdoor Ice Rink at Snow Mountain Ranch |
At the end of the day, after I took off my ski clothes, Dan and I checked out the outdoor covered ice rink on the YMCA property which is right next to the Nordic Ski area. I should have put on my hockey skates and skated, but Dan wanted to get going.
The drive through Fraser and Winter Park was delightful, but we ended up hitting bumper to bumper traffic shortly after. The traffic moved so slowly and it took about two and a half hours to get down the mountain. Once we hit I-70, traffic moved quickly.
We stopped in Evergreen for dinner and had a nice Mexican meal and then we headed home.
As we traveled home the two of us talked about what a nice weekend we'd experienced. I want to do it again!
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