Get Ready for Winter, Fall the Best Off-Season

Get Ready for Winter this Off-Season and Enjoy Fall

One of the best ways to enjoy fall is to take advantage of this transitional time of year and get ready for winter. It’s the time of year to switch up your usual routine and mix in more of those project chores you’ve been procrastinating, like reorganizing the garage or sealing the deck. Knowing that your end-of-season projects are getting done makes the fall colors much brighter and gives you a reason to go on a fall getaway.

Get Ready for Winter – Transition Tip

It’s time to change your seasonal gear, clean storage spaces, and eliminate things piling up. Stash away your summer camping gear and pull out your skis or snowboards. Coming home to an uncluttered environment with your gear organized and ready to go feels good.

Enjoy Fall  Hiking and Biking

Depending on snowfall, hiking can extend into late fall and even early winter. Hiking during autumn is spectacular, with a fantastic array of colorful foliage. Fall vistas can mix colorful autumn foliage and soft blankets of early snowfall. Later season days will include grey outlines of Aspen groves and the see-through clarity of mountain horizons. Vistas you’ve seen dozens of times in the summer take on a new level of beauty in the fall. The quickly changing landscapes framed against that gorgeous blue Colorado sky offer incredible views wherever you go. Fall is the time of year to bring the camera along.

Many kinds of wildlife are also very active in the fall, so you might spot elk, mule deer, coyote, ermine, or moose on your adventures, not to mention a host of birds. 

Cycling in the Fall

With the cooler days, you don’t have to get out on the bike first thing. Afternoon and lunch-hour rides are more pleasant without the blazing heat, and longer rides are more inviting. Bring extra snakes along and check out the beautiful natural surroundings.

Get Ready for Winter – Transition Tip

Get your fat bike tuned for snow biking, or swap out your tires for larger ones in anticipation of snow on the trails. Clear out all your old tires, and get rid of all those extra bike parts you will never use again. Donate those expensive hiking shoes that hurt your feet and shop fall sales for new ones.

Get Ready for Winter via Cross-Training

Fall is transition time, so what better time than fall to do cross-training? With the shorter days and cooler temperatures, fall in Colorado is perfect for spending a little more time indoors. With the switch of your outdoor activities, now’s the time to focus on your weight training program. Many local Colorado gyms or fitness centers offer preseason fitness classes. Cross-training can mean trying new activities, too. Get your friends together, go bowling, or sign up for a Pilates class.

Get Ready for Winter – Transition Tip

Supplement your weight training and get pumped by rearranging or refurnishing your home. Unload those piles of magazines, books, or old stuff. Pack up boxes of household wares to donate to your local thrift store.

Take a Fall Getaway – Try Southern Colorado

Taking a fall break becomes even more appealing once you have finished organizing your belongings and are ready for winter. If you want to revisit the warmer weather once more before giving way to the winter lifestyle, southern Colorado is the getaway place. Have you ever visited the Four Corners region of the state, where you can stand at the border of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico? Or what about the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument? In some of Colorado’s warmer areas, you’ll not only be able to stave off the cold but also grab a few more days of your favorite summer sports, like mountain biking, climbing, or hiking.

National Parks – Enjoy Fall in Colorado

National parks are busiest in July; guest counts start to drop month after month after that. Visiting a national park during fall in Colorado means fewer crowds, more wildlife, and pristine, peaceful scenery. You can explore Great Sand Dunes without scorching your feet, bask in the sunshine at sunny southern Mesa Verde, or watch the stars without the haze of the summer air at Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

Take a Weekend Trip

When summer tourism has wound down and the winter crowds haven’t picked up is another reason to enjoy fall. So hotels, bed and breakfasts, and Airbnbs are cheaper than usual. Take advantage of this by booking a weekend with your honey or taking the kids out for a fun few days of adventure. Check out a part of Colorado you’ve never explored and see what it offers! It’s the perfect time to book a fantastic hotel room or cabin you have always wanted to visit.

Get ready for Winter by Exploring Fall in Colorado.

Fall in Colorado is the time to take advantage of off-season specials. This means deals on lodging, shopping, dining, and entrance fees. If you didn’t get to go on summer vacation, now’s the time to make up for it and do it on a budget. What’s more fun than exploring a new part of Colorado, attend one of the many fall festivals, and exploring small-town businesses for deals on everything?

Fall in Colorado Off-Season Shopping

Get ready for winter and the holiday season by getting a head start on holiday shopping. Enjoy fall by strolling down the sidewalk in a mountain town (perhaps with a cup of coffee or hot cocoa from a local cafe!), and you will find bargains on books, clothes, art, souvenirs, and gifts from local niche businesses. Small local boutique businesses and sports stores have great seasonal deals during this transitional season.

Get Ready for Winter – Transition Tip

Clear out your closets and give yourself a reason to go “deal” shopping. Getting rid of all your old garments will give you a great reason to find new stuff.

Brewery Tours

If you’re looking for something to warm you up or keep you out of the cold, then the off-season might be a good time to explore some of Colorado’s craft breweries or distilleries. We’ve got hundreds of them, so take your pick, whether you stay close to home or your hotel or venture out to a different part of the state. Get a designated driver, or find a service like Summit County Brewery Tours to drive you safely from place to place and start sampling one of Colorado’s most famous products. Either way, get as much last-minute fun as possible out of patio season before it’s gone.

Get Ready for Winter – Transition Tip

While touring local breweries, distilleries, or wineries, take some home for the holiday season.

Fall in Colorado means Get Ready for Winter.

Fall is a special time of year, a transitional time, and a perfect time to clean out and prepare for winter. It allows you to switch up your routine, try something new, and strengthen and stretch your body in new ways. It’s a time to explore new places, refresh your mind, and reset your being in preparation for the upcoming winter season.

 By Emily Krempholtz