Jeff Miller proved to be one of the kindest people we've ever come across. The owner of Red Mountain RV Park, he was incredibly knowledgable about the Kremmling area, and more than generous with his time, energy, and property. The park is nestled in the lower hills of Kremmling, a town which lays claim to being the best big game area in the Rockies. It seems most like a high-desert climate, with dramatic cliffs and rolling hills surrounding, and forested mountains in the near distance. There are resident herds of elk and antelope on the nearby slopes, and mountain biking trails wind through most of the county.
Brant in the lead.
Though we only planned to stay one night, we ended up spending three. Jeff's son Jordan was visiting for spring break, and he quickly befriended BP and showed him the nearby motorcross track. They raced the track and explored the hills whenever the sun was out. On our first night there, a dramatic storm pulled through the campground, showering hail and thunder and lightning, and even snow. The storm lasted on and off throughout the day, providing a great environment to get some work done.
Jordan demonstrating the meaning of "air."
On Monday morning we headed out from Kremmling towards Beaver Creek along a scenic route. The well-maintained dirt road of Route 1 wound up and down through brush-covered canyons, meandering by the Eagle and Colorado Rivers, and passing through forested stretches and empty plains. We met two mule deer defying gravity with their grace, as they leapt gingerly across the road and effortlessly maneuvered up the steep incline, over the six-foot fence and on to their destination.
Aryn carving down towards BC Village.
We reached our destination with far less grace, but more enthusiasm. Another great thing about spring skiing: the layers you have to wear are cut in half! We suited up in little more than street clothes and hopped the shuttle up to the slopes. It was epic. In the morning the snow was even very snow-like for several runs before turning slushy. The terrain from Centennial Express was perfectly steeped and groomed...it was a long, fast carve-fest. The Grouse Mountain canyon had steeper slopes, and at the top of the hill off Birds of Prey the easy slope led down to a most excellent jump park. We spent some time here, as the jumps were fun, rather than intimidating, and perfectly shaped, rather than uncontrolled launch pads.
Brant in the middle of a shifty 180.
At the end of the day we cruised over to the HUGE snowpark, which was wanting for snow, but still attracting plenty of hard-core snowboarders. The park was the biggest we'd seen yet, with a huge half-pipe and a veritable obstacle course complete with logs to grind and arching pipes to cruise up and over. But the best moves we saw on the pipe came not from a snowboarder, but from a guy on freestyle skis. He got air out of the pipe like he had wings.
Proof that skiing is hard-core, too.
We ended the day with burritos and fish tacos that were good, but made us a bit homesick for the unbeatable Mexican food in California. Tomorrow we'll board at Vail, trying to make this last week of Colorado snow last....
