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SAMPLE ITINERARY
The Nature Experience
August 17-25, 2024
Day 1 – Arrive and meet your guides at the Grand Junction (recommended) or Denver airport. On the way to Carbondale, we will visit some unique red rock formations before heading into the majestic Elk Mountains. We will enjoy a three-course dinner in the foodie heaven of Carbondale before heading to Redstone to spend the night at the historic Redstone Inn. 2 hours drive time from Grand Junction airport. 4 hours from Denver International airport.
Day 2 – Following breakfast, we will spend the morning biking along the paved Rio Grande Trail to the quirky and colorful Woody Creek Tavern for lunch. A 4WD Jeep will pick us up and drive us deep into the backcountry to Margy's Hut, our lodging for the night. Enjoy a catered dinner and drinks around the fire at Margy’s, a rustic hut equipped with everything you need for a night in the backcountry. 2 hours drive time.
Day 3 – After breakfast, our Jeeps will drive us to Old Snowmass, where we will explore the Capitol Creek Valley by horseback and enjoy a trailside lunch. After the ride we will head to Snowmass Village to check in to our lodging and enjoy a three-course dinner and presentation by Neal Beidleman, one of the Roaring Fork Valley's most accomplished explorers and member of the fateful 1997 Everest disaster chronicled in “Into Thin Air”. 1 hour drive time.
Day 4 – Following breakfast, we will drive over scenic Independence Pass to the Arkansas River Valley, where we will spend two days whitewater rafting and “glamping” (luxury camping) for an authentic Colorado experience. Enjoy catered meals at camp. 1.5 hours drive time.
Day 5 – After a hot breakfast at camp, we will head to the river for Day 2 of whitewater rafting. Lunch will be served riverside. After rafting, its back to Snowmass Village for a warm shower, dinner on your own and a comfortable bed. 1.5 hours drive time.
Day 6 – The day starts with a hearty breakfast, before trekking into the high country for a wildflower hike with renowned naturalist Janis Huggins. Every guest will be provided a signed copy of her naturalist guide to the Colorado mountains. That night, enjoy an outdoor BBQ at a Jeep accessed rustic cabin on Snowmass Mountain where we will soak up the Colorado night sky around the campfire. No drive time, except for the Jeep ride.
Day 7 – Fuel up for a hike to remember—a traverse of the West Elks from Aspen to Crested Butte. One the most spectacular hikes in the US, West Maroon Pass makes its way from Maroon Lake through a wildflower filled basin rimmed with maroon cliffs to a ridge that marks the Pass. From there, we will descend into Schofield Park, where a shuttle will whisk us into Crested Butte. We will check in to our lodge and then enjoy a well-earned three- course dinner in downtown Crested Butte. No drive time, except for time spent getting to the trailhead.
Day 8 – Breakfast will be followed by a full VIP experience at the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival. Spend the day exploring wildflowers in the backcountry on an outdoor adventure or in a day-long seminar devoted to the wildflowers of Colorado. Lunch will be enjoyed in the backcountry and dinner in downtown Crested Butte. No Drive time.
Day 9 – After breakfast, we will depart for the airport. 3 hours drive time to Grand Junction airport. 5 hours drive time to Denver International airport.
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