Where to find lift-served skibiking in Colorado in June

Lift-served skibiking goes into June in Colorado. Earning your turns doesn't have to be the only option.

Arapahoe Basin Ski Area (or A-Basin to locals) is open until June 5, 2011 this ski season. The new Black Mountain Express chairlift makes unloading so much easier too. Head over to the Lenawee lift after unloading to access the upper mountain, East Wall, and Montezuma Bowl.

A-Basin is an extremely skibike-friendly ski area. Ski bikes are allowed in the terrain parks and homemade skibikes are also welcome. A-Basin does require that all skibikes be equipped with leashes and are used on the chairlift.

If getting off the fixed-grip chair lifts presents a problem, you can signal the liftie to slow the lift down. They'd rather slow it down than have you fall off while unloading. Be mindful of punching holes in their ramp when unloading though. Making extra work for lifties is not the way to win friends or access to other ski resorts.

A-Basin doesn't offer skibike rentals but there is a local guy who rents them. Make arrangements in advance if you need a bike. The Brenter reps were at A-Basin recently and did leave a Brenter C6 for demo's. I don't have any contact information for using those skibikes.

Just because the weather is warming up along the Front Range that doesn't mean the skibike season is over. The 2010-11 ski season isn't over yet. Lots of snow fell this ski season in Colorado. It's still falling too.

Photo by Devin Lenz



© 2011 G. Kunkel and A Colorado Skibiker Goes Skibiking. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to G. Kunkel and A Colorado Skibiker Goes Skibiking with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Video from the 1st Annual Berthoud Pass Skibike Race

Video from Saturday's skibike racing down the 7-Mile run on Berthoud Pass are starting to filter in.

The course had varying degrees of difficulty. It ranged from deep and steep powder to nearly flat forest service roads. Listening to the participants the number one obstacle were the many tree branches.

Skibikers could choose from a number of lines to take down 7-Mile. It appears that the favored lines had the most tree branches.

In Eric's video, the tree branches slap loudly against his full face helmet. In all, it was a fun time.

The shortest recorded time to descend the length of 7-Mile by skibike was just over 10 minutes by Devin Lenz. He fell twice in the process.

The video also captures the skibikers hucking off the jump that Devin built at his shop.


Video by Eric Internicola



© 2011 G. Kunkel and A Colorado Skibiker Goes Skibiking. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to G. Kunkel and A Colorado Skibiker Goes Skibiking with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The First Annual Berthoud Pass Downhill Skibike Race and Huckfest

Fresh powder and cool temperatures greeted skibikers on Berthoud Pass on Saturday April 30, 2011. Cars packed with eager participants in the first ever downhill ski bike race down 7 Mile started arriving at 7 AM.

Devin Lenz and crew arrived around 8:00 am and immediately started shoveling out a spot near the U.S. Forest Service warming hut. After shoveling out a staging area and race start, a stream of skibikes and other equipment erupted from the Lenz Sport trailer.

Around 9 am the first group of skibikers got a tour of the 7 Mile Run by Devin Lenz. The group got shuttle rides back up the pass from volunteers with pickup trucks. Ski bikers had a choice of four guided tours before the racing began.

After touring the race route, participants got to munch down on hot dogs, brats, hamburgers, chips, and beans. A few skiers and snowboarders touring Berthoud Pass came over to socialize and learn more about skibiking.

After eating, most skibikers started prepping their bikes for the afternoon racing. Devin Lenz then gave a run down on the race format, had racers signup, and then issued race bibs.

In all, sixteen people officially signed up for the inaugual run. Participants came from around the Front Range of Colorado, Durango, New Mexico, and Wyoming. There was a strong contingent of skibike instructors from Winter Park Resort, riders from Pedal the Peaks in Durango, and SkiBikeFun.com from New Mexico.

Racers were then lined up according to race bib and started every 2 minutes. Final times were recorded at first curve at the bottom of Berthoud Pass. Each racer got one run. While helmets were not required, everyone wore one for self preservation.

Racers battled 2 feet of fresh powder, some narrow lines, steeps, trees, tree branches, and all manner of backcountry skibiking. Most survived unscathed while one rider trimmed a 1.5 inch diameter tree branch with his full face helmet.

Riders were shuttled back up to the top of the pass for the jumping contest. After moving and setting up the ramp in the area below the warming hut, contestants worked up the courage to ride the ramp. Skiers and snowboarders tried out the ramp too.

About seven ski bikers decided to enter the jumping contest. There were a few backslaps, a handlebar ejection, and some tomahawks. No one got hurt.

Everyone then retired to the Berthoud Pass parking lot for the awards ceremony. Devin Lenz won the DH and Cliff from Pedal the Peaks in Durango won the jumping contest.

More photos from the event can be found here.

© 2011 G. Kunkel and A Colorado Skibiker Goes Skibiking. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to G. Kunkel and A Colorado Skibiker Goes Skibiking with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.