Photo taken by: Stephen Eberle

Episode III

Welcome to the weekly blog that reports my adventures throughout the general area of the Vail Valley.  I am recently new to the Vail Valley and have a passion for exploring all the beautiful nature around me while also informing anyone planning to visit the Valley or current locals on the incredible activities the Valley has to offer.  Every week I plan on going somewhere remote to experience the Rocky Mountains by participating in the acts of hiking, mountain biking, fishing, rock climbing, kayaking, rafting, tubing, cliff diving, and whatever else I can think of.  During these activities I will be observing the nature around me with my camera to produce breathtaking photos and informative videos if possible.

The adventure I embarked on this week was a rugged hike to Lost Lake.  After work one day a few co-workers and I headed back up Red Sandstone Road. This road leads to Piney Lake (episode I), but if you stop about halfway through the road there is a parking lot on the right for the Lost Lake trail head.  After we parked, we put on our hiking shoes and made sure everything was packed up in my A-frame. Here is a list of things you should bring for a half day hike:

• Water!!!
• Dry food
• Flashlight
• Pocket knife
• Fishing gear
• Rain gear
• First aid
• Compass/map

The Lost Lake trail winds into the trees and through the wilderness, steadily inclining the whole way up. Along the way, you are greeted by breathtaking views of the horizon.  As you continue through, the trail begins to narrow and twists and turns.  After about three miles the trail begins to decline.  Once you hit the decline there is only about a half mile left before you reach Lost Lake.  You may think you are lost, but just continue following the trail and you will eventually see an old wooden post sign pointing to the right that reads “Lost Lake.”  Lost Lake will appear through the woods, a beautiful sight!  My coworkers and I did some fishing up there but not for long because the mosquitoes were really bad.  The abundant bird species in the area make Lost Lake a great place for bird watching. There were two what I believe were finches hanging out with us the entire time. It was very amusing.  We stated to head back before it got dark.  The roundtrip took us three and half hours and was about 7.5 miles long.

The Lost Lake Trail is a great hike for any level of hiking experience. The amazing views and entertaining wildlife make it a great hike for anyone. This trail would be great for mountain biking and also a magnificent place to camp.  Please be properly prepared before venturing into the wilderness for your safety and my piece of mind.  If you are planning on visiting the Vail area make sure to book your trip through Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals, your friendly, knowledgeable locals.

Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is located at 8,250 feet above sea level, making it the highest botanical garden in the United States.  Access to the gardens is free and there are many youth and adult educational programs offered throughout the summer.  So come find your inner sensei and do yoga at altitude—you might find your highest higher power yet!

For more information on the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens or to book your vacation in the Vail Valley, please contact Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals at 1-888-866-2305. Yogis and non-yogis welcome!

Movie Schedule
• 7/23: “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale”
• 7/30: “Nine” **
• 8/6: “More Than a Game”
• 8/13: “Invictus” **
• 8/20: “Dear John”

**Date night movies. Free childcare will be provided by the Avon Recreation Center. Children must be registered, childcare lasts from 8:00-10:30 p.m.

For more information on Lakeside Cinema summer movies or to plan your next Avon/Vail/Beaver Creek vacation, please contact Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals at 1-888-866-2305.

So this past Saturday when one of my coworkers had friends in town and the idea of a lazy day of tubing was brought up, there wasn’t a moment’s hesitation. After quickly searching the internet for inner tubes, we arrived at a nearby Sports Authority and each purchased a $20 raft. Who says fun has to be expensive? We drove out to Edwards to the Colorado River Center, where the entire Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals staff had recently been on rafting and duckying excursions. This time there were only three members of staff, myself included, and four of our friends. We dropped one of our cars off at State Bridge where we would be exiting the river and drove the other car three miles upstream. After inflating our tubes, we eased ourselves into the water and soon found ourselves floating in wet, leisurely bliss.

The sun peaked out at us from behind the clouds as we passed beavers busily working on their dams. Every now and then, a train would roar past us on our right and blast its greeting as we waved from our floats. It wasn’t complete languor, however, as every now and then one of us would get stuck in a quagmire, but they were easy enough to maneuver around, and those who couldn’t provided the rest of us with a laugh. Then came the rapids. Now, we’re not talking about class five rapids here. Maybe class two. But any kind of rapid on an inner tube is security for a fun, wild and bumpy ride. As we traveled down the river, the rapids came larger and faster. Pretty soon we would just be recovering from one set when we would find ourselves immersed in another. The only thing louder than the rush of the rapids was the roar of our laughter. The water was pretty low so we constantly had to be on the lookout for protruding rocks, but this only attributed to the size of the rapids. About three hours later we found ourselves at our destination and reluctantly pulled ourselves and our tubes to shore. It was another great day on the Colorado River and I’m sure we’ll be back soon.

For more information about tubing the Colorado River or vacationing in Vail, please contact  Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals at 1-888-866-2305.

View From The Cliff Photo by Derek Lichtfuss

It was a tough day at the office for the Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals crew as we stepped out of the Venture Sports van at the top of Vail Pass and prepared to bike 14 milesthrough the Aspen and Evergreen glades.  We sat down at the edge of a cliff to eat our sandwiches which had been graciously prepared for us by Columbine Bakery.  The only thing more delicious than our food was the sight that awaited us just past the cliff:  a palette of the most exuberant greens and blues stretched out in front of us as vibrant as a painter’s wet canvas.  Feathery white clouds streaked the sky, all rolling towards the immense, snow-capped mountains (yes, in July!) in the distance as if magnetized by their grand significance.  We finished our sandwiches and soon found ourselves following the clouds.

We mounted our comfort cruisers and full suspension mountain bikes which had been tweaked for each of us personally according to our gender and height, general protocol for all Venture Sports guided tours, in order to ensure the safest, most enjoyable ride.  After a quick (but detailed!) speech on safety and how to control the bike gears, we headed off with our guide Tracy and her two-year old son Hayden leading the way.  Bringing up the rear was another Venture Sports guide, Drew, who dazzled us more than once with bike tricks, even performing a wheelie while going uphill.

Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals Crew in Vail Village

The trail, which is considered “95% downhill and 5% uphill,” wound in and out of lush forests, with the hum of Gore Creek always in our ears.  At some points the trail was mere feet away from I-70, and cars rushing past reminded each of us to obtain the utmost control of our bikes, especially yours truly, as my face was still in the process of healing from a previous bike spill (Not with Venture Sports!).  We sped along the trail with the wind rushing through our hair (and in my case, Band-Aids), stopping every so often to ensure that the entire group was still intact and for bathroom breaks.

Just before we entered Vail Village, we realized we were short a few people, and it turned out that one of our posse had a flat tire.  The situation was quickly and efficiently fixed as every bike is equipped with a repair kit and pump as a precaution and because Drew was there to help.  We remounted and wove through one of Vail’s most prestigious neighborhoods, gawking at the size of the houses, before entering the Village.  Luckily it was a Tuesday, so The Village wasn’t as packed with pedestrians and other bikers as usual.  We rounded the roundabout and before we knew it, we were back at the office way sooner than we could have predicted.  We are all so thankful for such a wonderful day with Venture Sports and I personally can’t imagine remounting a bike for the first time (and so soon) with anybody else!

For more information regarding Venture Sports, the Vail Valley or on finding lodging in Colorado, contact Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals at 1-888-866-2305.

Movies are at 8:15 p.m. every week. Here are the scheduled films:

July 23: “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale“

July 30; “Nine” (Date Night)

August 6; “More Than a Game“

August 13; “Invictus” (Date Night)

August 20; “Dear John“

Loaded Joe's after dark. Photo from loadedjoes.com

Loaded Joe’s is a local favorite. A coffeehouse by day and a cocktail lounge by night, Joe’s has been the premier chill out spot for locals since its opening in January 2004 in Avon. This place truly has something for everyone. During the day, you can relax on a comfy couch, read a book, stare out the window at the gorgeous mountains, talk with friends over coffee or simply enjoy some good food. The place is decorated like a living room, so you can unwind and feel at home. When the sun goes down, the action at Joe’s gets kicked up a notch. Live entertainment, karaoke, open mic, dancing, movie screenings and trivia contests are some of the events that happen throughout the week. A schedule of what’s happening is available.

This place is more than a coffeehouse and a bar; it’s a way of being. Go to Loaded Joe’s for some good coffee, strong cocktails, rocking music and great people. If you need any other ideas about places to go while in the Vail Valley, contact Rocky MountainVacation Rentals’ concierge service.

Care to lounge around? Photo from loadedjoes.com

Today we will tell you more about the IFSC Bouldering World Cup which is scheduled as of today for Friday June 4^th with the women and men qualifiers, and then with the semifinals and finals scheduled for Saturday June 5^th. The IFSC Bouldering World Cup will be presented by Pyramide and will take place at the Mtn. Plaza at the Vista Bahn Lawn.

Bouldering is a kind of rock climbing. But in contrast to rock climbing, bouldering is usually without a rope, not very high up, rarely higher than 3-5 meters, more vertically along the rock or boulder.  Bouldering is practiced on large natural boulders, rock faces, and artificial boulders, in gyms or even on buildings or public architectures. Unlike traditional climbing that requires a lot of endurance and longer stretches, bouldering focuses on short term power, strength and dynamics. There are three main disciplines in bouldering- lead, boulder and speed.

IFSC stands for “International Federation of Sport Climbing”.  The IFSC World Cup Serious 2010 consists of about 16 competitions all around the world. The world cup started off at the last weekend of April in Trento- Italy. The next bouldering world cup competition will be next weekend, May 14^th in Greifensee- Switzerland. The third IFSC World Cup will take place in Wien- Austria. After three weekends in Europe, the bouldering competitors will come to the US- to Vail where they will compete during the Teve Mountain Games from June 3^rd till June 4^th. After that they will go to Moscow, Eindhoven in the Netherlands, Sheffield- Great Britain, Chaarmonix- France, Daone- Italy, Munich- Germany, and then in August in Xining- China, Chuncheon- Korea, in September back to Europe to Imst- Austria, Puurs- Belgian, at the end of October to Huaiji- China and then for the last bouldering competition one more time to Europe to Kranj in Slovenia.

This is going to be an amazing event. Only the very best boulder competitors from all around the world will give their very best. Come out and watch it. In case you need a place to stay check out Lodging Deals provided by Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals!

See you all !!!!

Speaking of Kansas, March Madness is quickly approaching. Being a die-hard Jayhawk fan myself, I was delighted to find a vast array of local game watching spots. Can you imagine anything better…After a long day of skiing, you unwind and relax with your buddies, drinking beer, watching the game, and laughing about the head-first plunge you took on the mountain! If this sounds in any way appealing, I’m telling you, now is the time to get out here and make it happen!  And when you’re looking for a great place to watch the big game, I recommend the Tap Room or Garfinkles (Both boasting a plethora of TV’s for the sports connoisseur who likes variety). However, if you prefer staying in the comfort of your own home, Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals can definitely set you up in something spectacular. You can watch the shot clock wind-down from the couch without any distractions!

A beautiful latte at Loaded Joes

So if you’re coming to the area, you’ve got to stop in at Loaded Joes and if you’re here on the weekends, come visit me on Saturday mornings in Vail and Sunday mornings in Avon at Loaded Joes!