A few iof us do a short, hardcore drive-drink-ride-drive Colorado trip every fall to visit the Gunch in Golden so there are a couple things i would NOT miss.

1st- if logistics allow- swing by Valmont Bike Park. Plan to ride at least 4 hours, if inexperienced on jumps, start on the extra small jump lines and cross country stuff. You'll be moving to bigger jump lines in no time. Place is fantastic, but they call it the boneyard due to the number of broken bones every week. You have some good riding later in the week, so have fun but don't push it that far.

Call "Pedal Pushers" bike shop in Golden. They've got a deal for Trestle (Winter Park) that includes 2012 demo's of numerous types of bikes- (Session 8's, 383's etc.), full armor, all day lift ticket, full face helmet and complete insurance for about $120 (about $50 cheaper than norm, I think). In my opinion, this is the absolute way to go, and you can arrange it with a phone call, you don't even have to go there. For local riding I rented and Ibis Mojo there last year, too. If any of you rides an extra large or large, plan to get to trestle 90 minutes before the lift starts to ensure you get the size and bike you want.

AAAnd since you're in the area, you might ride keystone if you have a day. Same rental package will cost you more like $170 over there, and the trails are MUCH more technical, but they've got some blacks and double blacks that are just too cool to pass up. Helter and skelter trails will have you puckering, the bunny drops go up to 6 feet (it's a Blue rated trail) and the Drop Zone has some rated 10 to 18 feet or something like that if you want to push it. The corkscrew looks easy (ok, it is easy) but it's 13 feet above the ground at it's higheest point which will also make you pucker.


Ride fast, crash hard, die in a big ball of flames.