Basalt Winter Wonderland

Try Basalt for Winter Fun

The lure of nearby Aspen Snowmass is undeniable. Those storied peaks stand close enough you feel you could touch them. And indeed, Basalt is a prime choice for just the right place to call your vacation home while visiting Aspen.

But those in the know understand that the best move for a Basalt stay isn’t to head directly to Aspen for all your adventure. Rather, savvy visitors tuck down into Basalt itself where they discover an entire winter cornucopia. From Nordic and back country skiing, to breathtaking winter hikes, to the thrill of fat tire biking or the uber thrill of ice karting (the only place in North America you can enjoy that wild, wonderful sport), Basalt is a winter destination in itself.

While many who choose to visit – or live – here are first drawn by that close to Aspen proximity, Basalt has location nailed on its own. Surrounded by wilderness, Basalt sits at the gate of the Frying Pan Valley along the Gold Medal waters of the Roaring Fork and Fryingpan Rivers in the White River National Forest at an elevation of 6,610 feet.

That means it’s an oasis of rivers, lakes, thick woods, open plains and even a bustling town, all tucked into and surrounded by breathtaking mountains.

So what’s a winter visitor to do? When you peruse the possibilities, the question is often: how do you choose? A nice winter day often starts with a hearty breakfast or a perfectly brewed coffee drink downtown. Confluence Coffee, formerly Saxy’s, is a local favorite. With a homey feel and a staff that gets to know your “regular” right off, it’s a great way to start the day.

The Rio Grande Trail

Now you are ready to work hard, so head over to the Rio Grande trail, where a half-groomed, and part left-to-nature trail system gives the Nordic skier variety on the gentle and roaming-to-more-challenging trail. Local resident and avid Cross Country enthusiast Howie Mallory, Trustee and Board Member of Pitkin County and City of Aspen Open Space and Trails Boards, and member of the Aspen Snowmass Nordic Council, loves skiing in the area, and describes it this way: “Rio Grande is a town to town trail 20 plus miles long that runs from Aspen to Basalt on the old Rio Grande Railroad grade.” This partly groomed trail parallels the Roaring Fork River with overlooks and passes through the late Hunter Thompson’s favorite little community, Woody Creek (worth seeing!). Along the trail that ran freight trains until the 1990’s (some cabooses are still spotted off-track in a couple Woody Creek locations) you’ll get great views of all four major mountains. The trails are a great spot for dog walking (or running) and fat tire biking as well. Even better: accessing the trail is free, since it is groomed and maintained by Pitkin County Open Space & Trails.

Spring Gulch Trail

For a ‘middle of nowhere’ feel, which is actually in the middle of somewhere pretty darn beautiful, head to Spring Gulch trail system about 10 miles out of Basalt into Carbondale. Trek through the woods on impeccably groomed trails which meander through open space and tree clusters all across a 13.13 mile trail system. Those new to Nordic may enjoy the forgiving Lazy Eight. Or try a longer journey on Rafter T with spectacular views to Holdens or Finlandia. Discover a peaceful aspen grove on North Star, or turn it up a notch on Highball and Big Dipper. Don’t bring your dog, but do bring your lunch because there are no services except a portable bathroom here.

Backcountry Skiing – Mount Sopris

For backcountry enthusiasts, or those who’ve always wanted to give it a try away from Aspen, Mallory says, “locals know to head up to Mount Sopris, about seven miles out of town.” But if you’re just getting started, the Aspen Highlands and Snowmass general area has a wealth of experienced guides with many choices. You can get geared up with your tour outfitter or get your rentals out of the way the night before at Bristlecone Mountain Sports in Willits Town Center. The folks there can set you up and get you started, even offering suggestions of where the snow is best on that day (but be nice to them; that kind of information is true locals gold).

Fat Tire Biking

Fat Tire biking is another fun way to soak in the winter scenery while getting exercise and thrills. While at Willits Town Center you can rent bikes (and helmets) at Basalt Bike and Ski, where the folks will tell you that fat tire biking is “just like riding a bike!” in more challenging (snowy) conditions. In other words, if you know how to ride a bike, you can adapt well to this sport. They suggest you reserve your bike and helmet ahead of time, as the sport is quite popular all winter. Their bikes are Specialized, and while they look substantial, weigh just 28 pounds.

Trails are plentiful and groomed. Beginners to the sport are usually pointed up to Four Miler in Aspen (of course, it would be just like the mountain locals to call something the 4-miler that’s actually 4.5 miles), where bikers can get their legs and get a true feel for riding the bikes on snow. The Four Miler is a groomed trail that expands on to the Maroon Creek Trail accessed by three convenient trailheads; Aspen Rec Center, Marolt Open Space or Buttermilk’s Tiehack.

But an even closer option is Crown Mountain Park, just off the back side of City Market beyond Willits Town Center. The park offers a 1 mile loop in Winter that’s great for winter running away from car traffic, but off-track in the fields are wide, snow-covered paths perfect for spinning some fat treads.

Another local favorite come March is Prince Creek, a well-maintained groomed intermediate level trail that flows you down into the trees and offers amazing views of the peaks and valleys. It has lots of fun twists and turns, with a flowy feel on its single track. Since Basalt is at a slightly lower elevation than Aspen and surrounding ski mountains, the snow often melts off the riding trails way before the snowy alpine ski slopes would have you believing.

Rugged terrain is out there and fun for those who are up for it as well. Red Hill is a Moab style trail on the perimeter of neighboring Carbondale that is beloved in the summer, and taken on by the more daring in the winter (expect some ice and other challenges).

To really get a feel for the trails and sport, ask around for the Stomperillas, a volunteer group of local enthusiasts who maintain the trails and just plain love the sport.

Basalt, Ice Karting

When you want to divert the energy from pumping the bike pedals to the gas pedal – there is Ice Karting! A sport you will only find in Basalt here in the United States. Ice Karting is a kind of F-1 racing track – on ice. This sport puts you (and anyone 4’10” and over, regardless of age) in a fun, open racecar with studded tires.

Following your training, you’ll head out in 10 minute intervals (breaks come to warm you up and to allow the carts to be checked and tweaked; a must in the winter cold) when you’ll zip round some fun twists and turns (it’s not just an oval track), race the clock and hit speeds up to 50 miles per hour.

Tires with screws hand screwed into them give you traction, but you can expect to spin out, slide and draft. That, after all, is where the company’s motto “Let’s Get Sideways” comes from.

The half-mile track is on a private ski lake surrounded by soaring mountains, a breathtaking location for a sport that really will get your heart pumping.

The feeling of racing along in these cool cars while on ice is a feeling of being on the edge. Safe and yet crazy fun, it leaves the driver thinking “Gosh, maybe I was meant to be a race car driver.” In Basalt, such dreams come true.

Reservations are recommended for this as well, as only five carts are allowed on the half-mile, well overseen (by guides along the tracks) course. Dress warm – in ski pants and warm boots, as you are doing all this in the open winter air.

Of course, there is all that Aspen has to offer. The mountains for Alpine, beautifully maintained Nordic trails (you can ski from Aspen to Snowmass on one fun trail), variety for après skiing and dinner – but just 20 minutes down the road, dig deep into all Basalt has to offer and find an economical and eclectic Colorado choice you can’t overlook. You can have your tucked away town and big ski mecca, too. Basalt and its location is truly the best of both worlds. Those mountains will call to you, and Basalt will bring you home.

Winter Itineraries

Family

Stay: Spend the night at the Element Basalt hotel, near all the great food and shopping in Willits.

Breakfast: Fuel your day with provisions from Whole Foods Market.

Play: Want to bond for some good old traditional family time – grab some sleds and head out behind the Basalt High School – a popular local spot for some fast-paced sledding! You can even get in some playground time over at Crown Mountain Park, where the dogs and kids are known to be running around year-round – there’s also some short-track milder sledding opportunities there. If the kids have never cross-country skied, get some rentals from Basalt Bike & Ski in Willits Town Center and give them a ‘first-time’ experience on the mild grade, low key tracks around the Park. You can treat them to hot cocoa after at Starbucks in Willits Town Center!

Dinner: Make it a Pizza night and the whole family will be happy with locally-sourced ingredients at Timbo’s Pizza.

Do: After a day in the great, snowy outdoors, the kids may appreciate a surprise of family bowling at Bowlounge (where you can also enjoy a bite while you bowl) or a newly released family flick at Movieland Cinemas just beyond City Market but before Crown Park. On a day you ski one of Aspen’s four (or even if you don’t ski at all), let the festivities run over into Fridays’ Uller Nights just up the Elk Camp Gondola at Snowmass. While there, enjoy some dinner, tubing, snow bikes, s’mores and even fire dancers.

Empty Nesters

Stay: Lodge at River’s Edge has a sense of escape from it all with all the conveniences of an up-scale cabin, still close to everything.

Breakfast: Get a bite with the locals at Two Rivers Café while you decide on the day’s adventures.

Play: Snap into your skinny skis and get ready to burn off breakfast and create an appetite for lunch. Park at the Basalt High School Rio Grande trailhead parking lot and take the invigorating trek on the Nordic skis West towards Willits. The smooth grade may be short to the end of the groomed network there, but turn around and head back past your car and towards the Roaring Fork Golf Course where you’ll continue to take in the amazing views of sloping hills and distant snow-capped peaks.

If you’re skiing Aspen on any given day, don’t forget to take a stroll to the Aspen Art Museum (it’s Free!)

Dinner: Try the new Free Range Kitchen for an eclectic dining experience where the ambience is all Colorado and the attendees are seldom children.

Couples

Stay: The Cabin at Ruedi Shores will have you nestling up by the fire in style at this first-class Rocky Mountain Retreat!

Breakfast: Run downtown for Bagel sandwiches to go—or enjoy in—at Confluence Coffee or drop in to Cassie’s Corner Store for some treats and coffee to go.

Play: Try some fat tire biking at Crown Park (if you need to rent, Basalt Bike & Ski has all the gear), while you’re there poke around Willits Town Center for some local finds in some of their great shops, including Kitchen Collage and Midland Clothing Company. If you’re here for the skiing, make hiking the Highland Bowl at Aspen Highlands high on your list. If you tire early, shake out your legs strolling through Basalt’s art galleries and take home a little Western Colorado inspiration—like a new painting or wood carved bowl.

Dinner: Tonight may be just the right night to try Jalisco Hacienda Mexican dining which is rumored to have some great Margaritas! Or pull up a stool at the bar of the Brick Pony and see if you can get there before the Elk Stew runs out; and meet some colorful local characters who might share some secret stashes for the next day’s adventures.

Do: If you’re still ready for more, enjoy a nightcap and local entertainment at Heather’s right downtown. Or if you still have the energy, head into Aspen for some live music with national and local acts at iconic Belly Up or Wheeler Opera House.

by Moira McCarthy