Colorado road trip. DG, Hiking, Breweries

[jeffmonty]

6/1: Throw a round at Baldridge DGC in Montrose then spend the rest of the day at Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP

Good choice on Black Canyon, not a very well known park. I used to go up there all the time to x-country ski when I lived in Montrose. Summertime, too. That canyon is amazing because you really can't see it or even know it's there until you're right on the edge of it, then it's straight drop-offs down to the river. The Painted Wall is the highest sheer cliff in Colorado at 2260 feet. Incredible place, really.

Mesa Verde is also a special place. I lived in Durango for a few years too, and for Breweries I would first recommend Ska Brewing and Steamworks. There's a few others (Durango, Carver's, Animas) so there's no shortage there.

 

[MakersTeleMark]

Dry dock brewing in Denver has 9 holes;
Elevation brewery in poncha is not to be missed;
You could hit Fairplay for a likely course altitude high;
On your way back hit up Palisade Riverbend Park and the brewery right there;
I'd hit Glenwood cmc and slope and hatch on your way back too.
I think Mesa Verde is boring and a long drive.
Near the dunes, check out zapata falls for a hike and primitive camping outside of the park.

 

[InnocentCrook]

Good choice on Black Canyon, not a very well known park. I used to go up there all the time to x-country ski when I lived in Montrose. Summertime, too. That canyon is amazing because you really can't see it or even know it's there until you're right on the edge of it, then it's straight drop-offs down to the river. The Painted Wall is the highest sheer cliff in Colorado at 2260 feet. Incredible place, really.

How bad is the drive from Montrose to the northern side of the park? Any hikes you can recommend?

I'm thinking if we drive to the north side it's probably not worth driving back to Montrose only to drive back towards Denver the next day.

 

[jeffmonty]

How bad is the drive from Montrose to the northern side of the park? Any hikes you can recommend?

I'm thinking if we drive to the north side it's probably not worth driving back to Montrose only to drive back towards Denver the next day.

From Montrose to the north rim, probably close to an hour and a half, going through Delta and Hotchkiss (Hwy 92). Follow the signs to the north rim. That's some pretty country. I would recommend any trail that takes you along the rim.

Also, no reason to go back to Montrose, just continue east after visiting the canyon and it will meet back up with Hwy 50 at Blue Mesa dam. You could spend the night in Gunnison or drive over Monarch pass to Salida and stay there. I heard there's a pretty good course in Poncha Springs, near Salida.

 

[InnocentCrook]

Dry dock brewing in Denver has 9 holes;
Elevation brewery in poncha is not to be missed;
You could hit Fairplay for a likely course altitude high;
On your way back hit up Palisade Riverbend Park and the brewery right there;
I'd hit Glenwood cmc and slope and hatch on your way back too.
I think Mesa Verde is boring and a long drive.
Near the dunes, check out zapata falls for a hike and primitive camping outside of the park.

Thanks for the tips!

We'll be staying in Durango for 2 or 3 days and the drive to Mesa Verde from there is only 40 minutes or so. We're big National Parks supporters and I'm collecting NP's much the same way as I'm collecting disc golf courses. I can't imagine being that close and NOT checking it out. Also, since it's that close to Durango, if it's boring we can always cut our visit short and head back for more disc golf or breweries.

 

[Stardoggy]

If you haven't done the drive up to Mount Evans, it's highly recommended.

 

[Future_Primitive]

Dry dock brewing in Denver has 9 holes;

Did this recently change? I could have sworn they had 9 baskets but 18 holes last time I went there.

 

[giles]

If you do go though Delta I'd recommend bagging the Tamarac 9 hole. Super short and fun little treed course that you can get though in no time. Lots of potential to snag a Colorado ace. Last time I played they had installed paver tee pads and I saw on facebook that they have upgraded from home made baskets to Discatcher Pros.
They have a new course in Delta that looks very promising. The Delta parks department is installing concrete tees as I type this. Plan on heading to Grand Junction on Saturday and hope to stop and check out this new one on rout.

 

[MakersTeleMark]

Did this recently change? I could have sworn they had 9 baskets but 18 holes last time I went there.

Technically this is true, but the course is in need of some love, and figuring out the "back 9" was almost impossible for me, so I'll just call it a 9 hole.

 

[Ripper]

I just moved back to Northern KY from Denver. Comparing the courses in Cincy and Northern KY to the courses in the Denver area your going to feel very, very underwhelmed honestly. I'd honestly skip them and just hike more.

Brewery recommendations though.
River North Brewery (Nightmare Fuel) - Best brewery on the planet IMHO.
Strange Craft Brewery (2nd Best)
Denver Beer Company on Platte Street is a cool place near the big REI if you need gear and right next to were I worked.

My favorite touristy hike was to Sky Pond in Rocky Mountain National from Bear Lake.
I saw allot there, but really the only course I played was Green Valley Ranch and Johnny Roberts I think it was.

Pics if your interested. https://www.flickr.com/photos/cbfans

Man, i'm envious though never made it to Durango, Crested Butte, Snowmass, etc. Such an amazing state. Great place to visit but not sure if i'd ever want to live in Denver.

 

[InnocentCrook]

Got home from the trip yesterday. Only way to describe it would be EPIC.

Other than our first day's drive down I 25 to Pueblo all the other drives were through some absolutely stunning landscapes. The drive from Durango through Silverton and Ouray was spectacular.

The golf was great, ended up bagging 11 courses vs. the 7 planned. Added Baldridge in Montrose which was ok. Delta Co Fairgrounds in Hotchkiss, meh. Tamarac Park in Delta was a really nice 9er like Giles said, much nicer than the fairgrounds course. Also snagged Fort Lewis College in Durango which wasn't bad. Skipped Ghost Town in favor of Peak One in Frisco and was not disappointed.

CMC Glenwood, Peak One, and Lake Dillon made for a pretty awesome last day driving back to Denver. I even parked a 490' hole with my Roc at Lake Dillon.(100' of elevation drop)

As for the National Parks, they didn't disappoint either. Nice twilight hike up to High Dune at Sand Dunes NP, with the hike back down by the light of the mostly full moon. Cliff Palace and Balcony House tours in Mesa Verde are well worth the $5 fee and the little side hikes to some of the overlooks and lesser known sites was pretty good too. Black Canyon was my favorite though. The hike up Green Mountain on the North Rim gave an awesome aerial view down to the canyon amd surrounding area.

Overall, I really enjoyed this trip and wouldn't hesitate to do it all over again very soon.

 

[MakersTeleMark]

Glad to hear that you had a great trip!

 

[Discette]

Western Colorado Courses along I-70

Hijacking thread -

I need help deciding which 1-70 courses to play on my drive to and from Breckenridge (from California). I will have my kayak and want to play some courses on the river so I can take a quick paddle and cool off after the round.

Please rank the following courses on disc golf (and/or kayaking). I will try to play at least one on the way there and one on the return trip. Courses MUST be easy to navigate solo. Easy river access is a bonus. Feel free to name any courses I did not list if you like them better than these.

Green River DGC, Utah (I may actually camp overnight at this one)
Fruita Riverfront DGC, Fruita
Watson Island DGC, Grand Junction
Riverbend Park, Palisade
Fire Mountain DGC, New Castle
Hole in the Sky, Eagle


Please send a PM if you have any interest in joining me for weekday round at Bucksnort DGC on 8-21 (My treat!) or Phantom Falls later in the week (Split cost).

 

[InnocentCrook]

Not a huge help since we were only on I-70 from Glenwood Springs back into Denver, but...

While not on a river, the courses just north of Breckenridge on Lake Dillon are most excellent. Peak One in Frisco, and Lake Dillon DGC made for an awesome last full day of our trip. I'd also add CO Mountain College in Glenwood Springs, but it appears they've pulled the baskets for some reason.

Lake Dillon is a pretty large lake (3200+ acres) and if you're not opposed to flat water I'm sure you could get your paddle on there between/after rounds.

 

[Discette]

Not a huge help since we were only on I-70 from Glenwood Springs back into Denver, but...

While not on a river, the courses just north of Breckenridge on Lake Dillon are most excellent. Peak One in Frisco, and Lake Dillon DGC made for an awesome last full day of our trip. I'd also add CO Mountain College in Glenwood Springs, but it appears they've pulled the baskets for some reason.

Lake Dillon is a pretty large lake (3200+ acres) and if you're not opposed to flat water I'm sure you could get your paddle on there between/after rounds.

Thanks! Those two are on the list along with these:

Peak One
Lake Dillon
Bailey
Beaver Creek
Bucksnort (I have a reservation)
I may do Phantom Falls (Already paying $80 to play Bucksnort by myself, so not sure I want to pay another $80 for PF)
CMC Leadville
CMC in Glenwood Springs (currently listed as unplayable)


I am trying to get more info on the courses along the way. I want to play them all....

 

[InnocentCrook]

Thanks! Those two are on the list along with these:

Peak One
Lake Dillon
Bailey
Beaver Creek
Bucksnort (I have a reservation)
I may do Phantom Falls (Already paying $80 to play Bucksnort by myself, so not sure I want to pay another $80 for PF)
CMC Leadville
CMC in Glenwood Springs (currently listed as unplayable)


I am trying to get more info on the courses along the way. I want to play them all....

I don't see how it would be possible to have a bad trip to Colorado and this looks like a pretty epic trip you'll be taking.

I haven't played Bucksnort or Phantom yet, but we get out to Denver every few years and I'm gonna make sure I hit up at least one of them next time.

Maybe a local could chime in on the CMC Glenwood Springs course? We played it in early June and it was definitely worth playing. Maybe it was pulled while classes weren't in session?

 

[MakersTeleMark]

Thanks! Those two are on the list along with these:

Peak One
Lake Dillon
Bailey
Beaver Creek
Bucksnort (I have a reservation)
I may do Phantom Falls (Already paying $80 to play Bucksnort by myself, so not sure I want to pay another $80 for PF)
CMC Leadville
CMC in Glenwood Springs (currently listed as unplayable)


I am trying to get more info on the courses along the way. I want to play them all....

Peak One and Lake Dillon are just across from each other. Both are worth playing. Water nearby is the big ass lake. Can get really windy.

Bailey is in the woods. Great course. No water.

Skip Beaver Creek. It's on the ski hill. Not only do you have to pay to take the chondi, the course is boring throwing up and down a ski hill.

CMC Leadville is awesome. Some mild paddling on the ark as well as flat water on Turquoise and Twin Lakes.

CMC GWS pulled the baskets due to fire danger. If you want water nearby you could do a lap on Shoshone to South Canyon and very easily hitch a ride for the shuttle.

HITS in Eagle is decent and right on the water. They just put in a play wave just upstream from the parking lot for the course.

 

[Discette]

Peak One and Lake Dillon are just across from each other. Both are worth playing. Water nearby is the big ass lake. Can get really windy.

Bailey is in the woods. Great course. No water.

Skip Beaver Creek. It's on the ski hill. Not only do you have to pay to take the chondi, the course is boring throwing up and down a ski hill.

CMC Leadville is awesome. Some mild paddling on the ark as well as flat water on Turquoise and Twin Lakes.

CMC GWS pulled the baskets due to fire danger. If you want water nearby you could do a lap on Shoshone to South Canyon and very easily hitch a ride for the shuttle.

HITS in Eagle is decent and right on the water. They just put in a play wave just upstream from the parking lot for the course.

Thanks for the tips! Any recommendations on these other courses off 1-70?

Green River DGC, Utah
Fruita Riverfront DGC, Fruita
Watson Island DGC, Grand Junction
Riverbend Park, Palisade
Fire Mountain DGC, New Castle

 

[MakersTeleMark]

Thanks for the tips! Any recommendations on these other courses off 1-70?

Green River DGC, Utah
Fruita Riverfront DGC, Fruita
Watson Island DGC, Grand Junction
Riverbend Park, Palisade
Fire Mountain DGC, New Castle

1) Great course with a campsite right there and has cart rentals;
2) Haven't played Fruita;
3) Fun course on the river. Don't miss the extra holes after the first couple;
4) Excellent course right on the river;
5) Right on the river, not my favorite at all. Cramped and no imagination save for 2-3 holes.

 

[Discette]

Anyone interested in playing Bucksnort on Tuesday morning, August 21st? Send me a PM if you are interested. My treat.