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Taking the fast lane to wide-open spaces

Deb Acord, Special to the Rocky

Published November 16, 2007 at 5:21 p.m.

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Tyson Bolduc charges into the backcountry while snowmobiling in February on Shrine Pass near Vail. There are 36,500 registered snowmobiles in Colorado.

Photo by Dan Davis ©

Tyson Bolduc charges into the backcountry while snowmobiling in February on Shrine Pass near Vail. There are 36,500 registered snowmobiles in Colorado.

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There's scenery, and then there's scenery viewed from a snowmobile. The former offers views of snow-capped peaks and azure sky. The latter? The same, only blurrier and with a wind chill.

Snowmobiling is one of the fastest-growing outdoor wintertime sports in North America.

There are 36,500 registered snowmobiles in Colorado and more than 1.6 million in the United States, according to the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association.

Its appeal? Ask five snowmobilers and you'll get five different answers, says Janelle Kukuk, of Creede, president of the Colorado Snowmobile Association.

"It's a huge family sport - something that mom and dad and the kids can all enjoy. It also appeals to older people who want to access the backcountry but might not be physically able anymore. It appeals to a younger generation that enjoys the adrenaline."

Kukuk says Coloradans are lucky because there are more than enough snow-covered trails, meadows and rolling hills to go around. "Colorado is perfect for snowmobiling because you can find whatever you want."

On a steep hillside in the Arapaho National Forest outside Rocky Mountain National Park, snowmobilers make deep tracks as they see how far they can climb.

In the densely packed San Isabel National Forest that crowds both sides of U.S. 50 on Monarch Pass, snowmobilers share trails with snowshoers and cross-country skiers.

In Grand Lake, snowmobilers gather on the streets before heading to the dense forests and hidden meadows nearby.

Stay close to urban areas and you'll find more crowds at trailheads, Kukuk says. "But head out a ways, to places like Grand Mesa or southwest Colorado or areas around Gunnison or Buena Vista or Salida, and you might have the place to yourself."

Colorado has thousands of miles of trails for snowmobiles; 2,700 are groomed and marked in a Colorado State Parks program paid for with snowmobile registration fees.

Some of the trails are within state park boundaries. Others wind through national forests.

"Many riders love the way a snowmobile can take them along trails to hidden, wide-open spaces, to places they would have trouble reaching on foot," Kukuk says.

What appeals to her about snowmobiling? "I love the camaraderie of it - when you are out there, having a great time with your friends and family while you explore the backcountry."

Going for a ride

Wonder where to ride your snowmobile in Colorado? Some suggestions:

* Grand Lake: This little community, the western portal to Rocky Mountain National Park, is also proud of its title as the Snowmobiling Capital of Colorado. Snowmobiles rule here - they fill the town's streets, and when temperatures plummet at night, nylon snowmobile suits are de rigueur in the bars and restaurants.

* Rabbit Ears Pass, near Kremmling: The famous snow that blankets this part of the state makes this a popular snowmobiling destination. The area features more than 300 miles of trails and is divided into areas for motorized and nonmotorized use. Snowmobilers play on the east side, where routes are groomed, maintained and marked with orange diamonds.

* Colorado state parks: Among the parks that have snowmobile trails: State Forest, in Walden; Vega, in western Colorado, with access to hundreds of miles in Grand Mesa National Forest; and Mancos State Park, near Cortez.

* National forests: Arapaho offers the closest trails to the Denver area in the rolling hills near Winter Park. White River features more than 2 million acres, with Aspen serving as an appealing base camp. Routt, near Steamboat Springs, has that legendary champion powder; Uncompahgre's Imogene Pass, the second-highest drivable pass in Colorado, is a popular winter recreation spot.

Don't own a snowmobile? Sign up for a guided tour with a rented machine:

* Monarch Tours: Monarch Pass, snowmobilemonarch.com/tours.htm

* Grand County tour operators: (Winter Park, Frasier, Kremmling, Grand Lake) grand-county.com/Snowmobiling.aspx

* Summit County tour operators: summitactivities.com/home/index.php

* For a snowmobile tour listing: coloradodirectory.com/snowmobiling/snowmobiletours.html