This is a rough list of ideas for activities that we may undertake in Colorado. Generally, the schedule for the week will have three parts. The "Get Oriented" portion at the beginning is designed to kick things off. In the middle of the week we'll do the major expeditions and at the end of the week we'll do some additional activities with the whole group. As you can see by browsing this collection of beautiful pictures (posted by Mountain Lake Properties in Grand Lake) there's an almost endless variety of things to see and do in the area. As actual plans are developed, we'll include them on the Schedule page. New ideas are welcome and needed!
Get Oriented Tours.
We've just arrived, we need to stretch our legs, get around, see things and get to know the area. These are activities and tours that we may want to consider for the first couple days.
- Visit the Rocky Mountain National Park by car. Take the Trail Ridge Road to the Alpine Visitor Center. Trail Ridge Road is the highest continually paved highway in the United States, reaching an elevation of over 12,000 feet.
- Or we might tak a drive on the Colorado River Headwaters National Scenic Byway.
- After dinner one evening, we could take a stroll along the Knight Ridge Trail that meanders along the east side of Lake Granby.
- Go for a scenic day hike. A brisk morning hike to a reasonably high altitude will help us get acclimated to the altitude.
- Explore the town of Grand Lake. Sure it's touristy but where else can we get a pizza, buy a T-shirt and sit on "Colorado's Favorite Front Porch."
Major Expeditions.
After we get settled in for a couple days, we will conduct the major expeditions of the week. Some possible activities and destinations for our midweek expeditions are described below. Typically, these activities will get participants out of camp for two to three days. During that time they are fully committed to the expedition. "Good Luck! We'll see you when you get back on Thursday!"
- Climb a mountain. Colorado has a few mountains! Long's Peak is the big one in the Rocky Mountain National Park. There are 57 mountains over 14,000 feet tall and a whole bunch more that are almost that tall. This expedition would require qualified adult and Scout leadership, some serious planning and a lot of conditioning.
- Go backpacking for several days. Stuff the packs and head out. The Rocky Mountain National Park has over 350 miles of hiking trails leading to a variety of locations. Here is a list of some hikes and trips. With the some research, it should be possible to match a hike to a group. The park is surrounded by the Arapaho National Forest another vast resource. Here's an awesome picture taken from the Caribou Trail looking down into the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area.
- Do some serious mountain biking. Some want their feet on the ground, others want to ride. The Winter Park Ski Resort, not far from where we will be, has established a 600-mile network of mountain bike trails. Many other trails are available in the area. Some tour operators will drive you to the top of the mountain and let you ride down!
- Go canoeing or sailing. We're staying in the region known as the "Great Lakes of Colorado" and our campsites are on the waterfront. Local marinas offer boat rentals for sailing or touring.
- Go fishing. The Colorado Fishing Network has lots of information on places to go and what to catch. According to the Colorado Division of Wildlife, we won't even need a license. How about a combination backpacking and fishing trip to a remote mountain stream or lake?
End-of-the-Week Activities.
The big expeditions have returned with stories about tall mountains, steep trails, wildlife, life in the wild and the one that got away. Time to pull the group together for a couple more activities.
- Everybody is hungry! We can take over a restaurant in Grand Lake for dinner Thursday evening.
- Past trips have included a white water raft trip. Everyone's feet are tired from the midweek expedition, so a raft trip might be a great idea for Friday.
- Saturday we may decide to pull up our tent stakes and move closer to the airport in preparation for our Sunday flights. A Saturday afternoon tour of the U.S. Air Force Academy might be interesting.
- Already picked out a college so you're not interested in the Air Force Academy? If you haven't seen enough of the mountains, we could drive to the top of Pikes Peak, elevation 14,110'. The mountain bike crowd can even rent a bike at the top and ride back down!
Adopt An Activity.
Each activity, large or small, that we undertake in Colorado will have an "owner". The owners will research and plan the event, coordinate participation and leadership, and make the necessary logistical arrangements. Ideally, event ownership should be joint - an adult and a Scout. Note that event owners do not necessarily have to go on the event; although in most cases they probably will. To adopt an activity, please contact Gregg Hoge.
Your Idea Here.
New ideas are welcome! If you have an idea or an elaboration of one already suggested, please discuss it with Yorke Brown or Gregg Hoge. (Please just put
the text right in your message.)