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A Rocky Adventure

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By MARCIA BIGGS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 1, 2008

GRAND LAKE, Colo. - The mountain man tells me in quite definite terms that he has one primary goal on this trip to the Rocky Mountains: to spot a moose. I am to be his trusted lookout and moose caller. This is my assignment.

Despite our plans to raft and bike and hike in a national park, I now realize that the true success of this vacation lies in the sighting of a four-legged, furry beast with a very large snout.

My first mistake was telling Rik - the mountain man - my story of a decade earlier, when, in the darkness of a deep Colorado winter night, there in the middle of Main Street, with companion to verify, did I see a very large moose.

So now the quest has begun.

Our summer adventure would start with a few days in Winter Park for biking in the Fraser River Valley and rafting on the upper Colorado River, then on to nearby Grand Lake for some hiking from the west entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park.

For lodging, we had the best of both worlds - a luxury town home in Winter Park and a cozy cabin in the woods in Grand Lake. In Winter Park, I coveted the lavish amenities, including a master bath big enough to park a car in and a hot tub on the deck. In Grand Lake, mountain man Rik was happy as a pig in mud as he gathered wood for the fireplace in our little cabin.

Winter Park

Visiting a ski town in summer, a place you have only seen covered in snow, can be a shocker. Winter Park, one of my regular ski destinations, is a two-hour drive northwest of Denver. When the snow falls, the small town bustles with weekenders who drive up from Denver for the reasonable rates. Come August, things slow down to a "what-should-we-do-today-go-fishing-or-read-a-book?" kind of pace.

Finding lodging is a breeze, and chances are you'll get to know the nice lady who runs the coffee shop on the corner before you leave town.

Around Winter Park, bicycling is to summer what skiing is to winter. The 600-mile mountain bike trail system is considered one of the best in the West. So popular is the sport that every summer, from June through August, nearly 3,000 avid riders converge here for the Winter Park Mountain Bike Series, six races of varying levels.

For flatlanders like Rik and I, however, there is an easy level path that meanders along the Fraser River between the towns of Winter Park and Fraser. We walk up Main Street to the Ski Depot Sports shop and meet my friend, Joan, who has lived here many years. We are fitted with bikes and safety gear and set off up the valley.

The weather is picture-perfect, sunny and warm. Mountains rise along both sides, and the wildflowers - goldenrod, columbine, daisies - are in full bloom. We follow the river on a wide gravel path a couple of miles to the town of Fraser, where we head down some back roads.

We cycle past open pastures with black-and-white cows idly standing, to the top of a hill where the quiet rodeo grounds await Friday night excitement, along more dirt roads to the edge of the Arapahoe National Recreation Area. Then we return to Fraser for lunch on the back patio of the venerable Crooked Creek Saloon, the oldest beer joint in town.

During lunch, Joan regales us with tales of local moose sightings.

"The moose are everywhere," she says. "We see them all the time."

Later that evening, I point out the exact spot on Main Street where I had the moose encounter years ago. Rik looks wistfully into the darkness. He settles for a six-pack of Moose Drool beer and dreams of big furry animals in the night.

The next morning, we pack up early and drive the rental car a few hours to Kremmling, where we have reserved a few spots on a half-day river rafting tour with Adventures in Whitewater. In all honesty, this is "rafting light" on the upper Colorado River. By late summer, the water flow is low and the rafting amounts to little more than a float trip.

Still, we relax and enjoy our leisurely 21/2-hour float trip through a scenic narrow canyon. Our amiable young guide entertains us with tales of the history of the region, pointing out where the renowned pioneer prostitute Mary Jane kept her crib along the canyonside and where she plunged to her death in the murky cold river below. Driving back to Winter Park, Rik reminds me to watch for moose; alas, it is not to be.

Grand Lake

The next day, we head north to Grand Lake, an easy two-hour drive from Winter Park. It's a lovely ride through the Fraser Valley, but it also reveals that developers have discovered Grand County, too. Former ranchland is being converted into luxury housing developments, vacation resorts and golf courses all along the highway.

It's a scenario that has been playing out at most Colorado ski towns in the last decade, but this is outright sprawl. We don't hold out much hope of spotting a moose on this drive.

My concerns are quelled when we reach Grand Lake, a historic village of 500 year-round residents nestled 8,369 feet above sea level between two mountain lakes. Amid a pine forest on the western edge of Rocky Mountain National Park, this is, no doubt, prime moose territory.

Our cabin abode is tucked into a quiet wooded area just a few minutes from Grand Avenue (the town's main street) and the entrance to the national park. We have been told a moose was seen in the yard just yesterday, a big one. Rik searches for moose tracks or moose dung. Nothing. Every day we awake and peer through the early morning mist, searching for a lurking, four-legged shadow. We make lonesome moose calls (or what we hope sounds like lonesome moose calls).

Still no moose.

Grand Lake has the kind of small-town atmosphere that seems to reach out and hug you like a long-lost relative. It's an interesting place, a mix of outdoorsy types who come here to snowmobile, hunt, fish and hike, and wealthy families who come here to spend the summer in the large vacation homes that line the lake.

Family restaurants, coffee shops and bars mingle with a handful of upscale restaurants, boutiques and jewelry stores along Grand Avenue. The street is wide - really wide - because back in the day they used to rustle cattle through here. The Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre, presenting a "Tribute to Frank Sinatra," is one block from the town park where an open pavilion sponsors bingo on Friday nights.

Folks here are unabashedly friendly. They like to talk; they like to know where you came from. From the ticket lady at the boat tour office, to the waiters in the restaurants, to the grocery store checkout man, the art of conversation is alive and well in Grand Lake. That's how we come by Julia and Ray Blanchard, the owners of the Terrace Inn. The cozy 24-seat bistro and inn, located in the heart of town, offers gourmet cuisine in a casual yet upscale setting and four rooms for lodging.

The Blanchards moved here from Dunedin 10 years ago after visiting Grand Lake as tourists for many years. They sold their landscaping business and moved to a small cabin to "see if we could make it through the winter," laughs Julia. A few months later, they bought the inn, and, a decade later, they are still happy campers. Julia likes the mix of people.

"It's a wonderful community - artists, writers, inventors and summer visitors from all over," she says, "and a beautiful place to live with the lake and the aspens in summer."

Over the next several days we take a boat tour around the lake, hike the trails in the national park, take in the Sinatra revue, browse the gift shops, eat some excellent dinners and check out the local nightlife. In one saloon we hear the story of the former town mayor, an elderly gentleman who, after a night of exuberant dancing in that very bar, wandered out onto Grand Avenue without his spectacles. There, he was greeted by a very large, very ornery moose, who, in a fit of passion, caused the demise of the town mayor.

On the way back to our cabin, we see a lowly red fox ramble down the street in the direction of a restaurant dumpster. Still no moose.

Our vacation is coming to a close. Rik buys himself a pair of moose socks in a gift shop, a consolation prize. He buys me a tank top with a cartoon moose on it. We pack for the trip back to the Denver airport, searching the woods around the cabin one last time. As we drive through Winter Park, we notice a line of cars pulled over to the shoulder. People are standing and pointing; some have binoculars.

Lo and behold, there it is - one monster moose, big and beautiful with antlers held high, grazing in a wetland area about 100 feet away. We pull over, I grab my camera and we jump out of the car. The moose gives us a few minutes of his time before slowly lumbering away into the woods.

Back in the car, Rik and I have a big high-five. Our Rocky Mountain vacation is now, officially, a success.

If You Go

Winter Park

Make Winter Park, 67 miles from Denver, your first destination for a couple of days. Families will want to check out the Winter Park Ski Resort, where an adventure park offers an alpine slide, mountain bike trails, minigolf and other activities.

Lodging: Anything you want, from hotels to condos and vacation homes. We booked our luxury Red Quill town home through Vacations Inc., which can provide any type of lodging you request; call (970) 726-9421 or go to www.vacationsinc.com.

Bike rentals: Ski Depot Sports on Main Street - 1-800-544-6648 or www.skidepot.com

Information: Winter Park-Fraser Valley Chamber - 1-800-903-7275 or www.playwinterpark.com

Rafting on the Colorado River: Adventures in Whitewater, 1-877-321-RAFT or go to www.adventuresinwhitewater.com. Half-day trips are $48; $38 for children. Full-day trips are $67; $52 for children.

Grand Lake

Stay in Grand Lake for easy access to the western entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park. A great source of visitor information is the Grand Lake Vacation Guide. Request it through the Grand Lake Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-531-1019 or www.GrandLakeChamber.com.

Lodging: To book a cabin in the woods, we used Destinations West; (970) 627-0200 or www.mtnlodging.com They can fill any type of lodging request. Other good options:

The Terrace Inn, P.O. Box 1791, Grand Lake CO 80447, 1-888-627-3000 or www.grandlaketerraceinn.com. Four cozy suites in the center of town; rates vary.

The Rapids Lodge and Restaurant, P.O. Box 1400, Grand Lake CO 80447, (970) 627-3707 or www.rapidslodge.com. A variety of guest rooms, suites and condos in a historic riverside lodge; rates vary.

Reporter Marcia Biggs can be reached at (813) 259-8305 or mbiggs@tampatrib.com.

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