Durango, Colorado

By Brian Yaeger Published November 2010, Volume 31, Number 5

Skiing: Purgatory (despite the name change, nobody calls it Durango Mountain Resort) offers over 2,000 feet of vertical for all levels of skiers and snowboarders. The naturally terraced mountain means ample opportunities for sick air, if that’s your thing.

Mountain Biking: Slothower says bikers gravitate to the Telegraph Trail system. It’s literally a choose-your-own-adventure single-track filled with loops and switchbacks meandering among canyons and meadows.

Skinny Dipping: Says Slothower, “who can deal with high-elevation hiking should check out Ice Lake, just outside of Silverton (50 winding, beautiful miles north of Durango). Marmots and wildflowers abound in the summer, but get started early before the afternoon thunderstorms roll in. For Colorado cred, skinny dip in Ice Lake, at 12,231 feet.”

Brian Yaeger is the author of Red, White and Brew: An American Beer Odyssey. He homebrews in San Francisco and if you have an intact bottle of Ring of Fire, beer mail him at byaeger on the communal sites or at brian@beerodyssey.com.

Add Your Comments