Vail, CO. Piney Lake between 7/19-7/26

[The Dude]

My family has a little time share up at the Sandstone Creek Club at what is basically the bottom of the trail. I'd like to host a meet and greet down at the condo, head up to set up camp at Piney Lake. Do some fishing, maybe go hit the Lost Lake Trail for a bit of wheeling and a short hike. There's a restaurant up at Piney Lake, too.

http://pineyriverranch.com/

You can rent paddle boards, canoes, drift boats, you can fish, hike, hang out at the bar up there... It's a cool place, family friendly.

If anyone's interested we'll pinpoint a couple of days to hang out and catch some alpine sun.

It's even a short drive back into Vail to check out Vail Village and Lion's Head. I would imagine there's more four wheeling up there too. If anyone's interested in seeing Hanging Lake in Glenwood Springs we can probably do a convoy up to Glenwood Springs and do that hike too. I'll be up there all week and I always do all this stuff almost every year anyway, it'd be cool to share it with anyone who wants to come up.

[The Dude]

I'd like to add that if anyone wants to turn this into a multi day event, that I've heard a lot about Holy Cross, and it's only 28 miles from Vail. I'd love to run that. I know that just the Lost Lake Trail doesn't get my itch out when we go up there, and I don't know if I'd run Holy Cross by myself.

http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=11

Mill Creek Road is also close by.

http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=200

[Rick]

If anyone's interested we'll pinpoint a couple of days to hang out and catch some alpine sun.Interested!!!!!

[JFjeld]

I'd definitely be interested, including checking out Hanging Lake.

And FYI - I ran Holy Cross with a few friends end of September. Here are a few pictures to perhaps persuade (or dissuade) you to run it. Its a GREAT trail:
http://www.frontrange4x4.com/forums/showthread.php?19930-Holy-Cross

[Haku]

I grew up in Vail and my family has a Condo up there too, so I'd be down for sure.

There is definitely other 4wheeling right out of Vail itself too. You can do Bald Mountain, which goes up the norther side of the valley and looks over towards the ski area or there is Benchmark, which goes up through the ski area and turns east and overlooks East Vail and the back bowls. Both are relatively easy and offer great views and a few challenges.

Holy Cross is maybe 45 minutes from Vail itself, so its definitely doable too. There are some fun trails down valley as well, and some on Vail Pass too.

One of the other things that sounds fun is to go visit a 10th Mountain Division Hut. Not all of them are accessible directly by vehicles (might involve a short hike) but I think some are and they are a great way to see the mountains without going full on boondocking style.