May 20, 2020: This week we invite you to explore our four brand new US – Rails to Trails bike tours, taking you on a dedicated pathway (former railway lines) through incredible scenery: mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, and hills. These trips are perfect for families and leisurely cyclists looking for a peaceful escape. One of our new tours is on a favorite trail where I grew up, the Mickelson Trail in the Black Hills of South Dakota; it’s a special place I’d like to tell you more about!

At the time, growing up in the Black Hills didn’t feel like anything extraordinary. I went downhill skiing in the winter and to summer camps amidst towering pines, always with the Hills in view. Like many little boys, I climbed trees and rode my bike everywhere, all summer long. And I remember watching in awe as summer storms rose up over the mountains in the west: scarlet sunsets lighting up the storm clouds to the east as the massive clouds rolled away over the distant prairie. In elementary school, bright-eyed little me devoured the exciting stories of the Gold Rush, Wild West adventures, and Native American history; important pieces of history that shaped the unique culture of the Black Hills. It was a great place to grow up! We had plenty of adventures and the “classic Americana” childhood experience.

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Many of you have probably never heard of the Roaring Fork Valley. To be honest, until I moved here 12 years ago, neither had I. I can remember the exact moment I arrived in the valley. I’d been living in Denver and was familiar with the many nearby ski areas such as Breck, Vail, A-Basin, etc.; these are all located off of the beast of a highway known as I-70. When I turned off that highway and started winding my way up towards Aspen, it was then that I had a real Aha moment. So these are the mountains, I thought to myself. I was in complete awe; I may have even been drooling. I watched the sparkling Roaring Fork River as it followed me through canyons and valleys until I finally arrived at the small town of Aspen. It was June 21, 2008, and summer was in full swing. Everything was bright green, with rainbow-colored wildflowers blooming everywhere I looked, snow-capped mountains greeting me in the distance, and all of this was set against the perfect backdrop of a typical Colorado “bluebird sky.”

Twelve years later and I’m still here. I’ll admit, I’m completely hooked. We have a saying here: “You come for the winters but you stay for the summers.” This couldn’t be more spot on. The activities are endless, and I’ve grown to love them all. Hiking and mountain biking on miles of trails, road biking, the Rio Grande bike path, kayaking, SUP’ing, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, camping, wildflowers, golden fall leaves, fly fishing, diverse wildlife – bear, moose & elk, free Snowmass concerts, rodeos, culture & arts…it’s endless! Not to mention, the weather in summer is perfectly divine. Imagine summer temperatures where the hottest day is 88 degrees, but most days you’re sitting in the low to mid-80’s. Evening temperatures are typically in the 50’s and 60’s. The air is dry, not humid, so you won’t find mosquitoes up here. And by up, I mean the fact that we sit at an altitude: of 8,000+ ft. For those of you looking to do a little high-altitude cycling training, you’ve come to the right place. There’s a reason that Lance Armstrong and so many other athletes choose to make this place their home.

And sure, Aspen is known for its celebrities, glam, and swankiness, but that’s not what this area really is. For us locals, it’s the Roaring Fork Valley. It’s two perfect playgrounds consisting of two adjacent villages: Aspen and Snowmass Village. Here, you have access to nature at its finest, located conveniently outside your doorstep. Here, the evening skies sparkle with stars that only when you leave the valley, do you take for granted. Here, nature offers you everything.

So as I share this with you, things are slowly beginning to open and COVID-19 restrictions are being lifted. I would like to personally invite you to escape to the Roaring Fork Valley this summer/fall. Take a look at our Aspen Snowmass self-guided bike tour, family-friendly multi-sport tour, hut to hut hiking tour, or even a guided bike tour. Summer through fall is the perfect time to be out here. With the most amazing resources at hand and our local expertise, we can design the perfect Aspen Snowmass getaway for you. Getting away this summer or fall might still seem like a dream but maybe, just maybe, it can become a reality. Let us hope!

Local Resources:  https://www.gosnowmass.com/

https://www.aspenchamber.org/

https://www.rfta.com/trail-information/ – trail info and free transit info

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The Lost Forest

Zip lining and biking trails? Disc golf courses and an alpine coaster? High ropes courses and climbing walls? Yes, yes and yes. Options abound for vacationing thrill-seekers in The Lost Forest, so prepare for fully-packed days when exploring this mecca for family adventure (psssst you could win a FREE pass to the Lost Forest)!. Prefer a quieter outdoor experience? There are ponds for fishing, paths for hiking and biking, and myriad guided mountain boarding, skateboarding, mountain fishing and overnight family campout packages available.

Downhill Biking

For a truly authentic Snowmass experience, plan to take in Maroon Bells by bike. With the backdrop of North America’s most photographed peaks on display, all levels of riders are invited to experience a half- or full-day tour either beginning at picturesque Maroon Lake, where they will coast downhill for 12 miles through the beautiful Maroon Valley, or the Ride the Rail Trail, where beginner to intermediate riders will follow the historic railroad line that once carried passengers into Aspen and transported silver ore out. More experienced riders may prefer to opt for half- or full-day challenging single-track mountain biking, or the Snowmass Divide Ride, where they’ll ride some of Colorado’s most epic and vigorous back-road trails.

Hiking For All Ages

There is Amazing hiking available from right in town to nearby trailheads with hikes for all ages. You can hike among the high peaks of the Rocky Mountains and it’s all kid friendly and safe! There’s no experience like it!

River Rafting

As anyone who’s ridden wild rapids can attest, river rafting can be next-level adventurous. Whether your family prefers to dip their toe into the white water experience with calmer, more kid-friendly rides, or they want to push boundaries and try stand-up paddle boarding through rushing, unpredictable waters, options abound with customized trips suited to every family.

Backcountry Jeep Tours

When taking in Snowmass’ spectacular mountain views is a #vacationpriority, getting to Insta-worthy vantage points via Jeep is a must. With an emphasis on comfort, these built-for-off-roading vehicles transport families through amazingly scented forests and high alpine flora and fauna, to a host of stop-and-stare locales, including Gold Hill, Lenado, Independence Pass, and Colorado’s fourteeners, where peaks reach an astounding 14,000 feet above sea level. Available in half- and full-day tours, there’s also the option to tour Ashcroft, the famous and historical ghost town, to stop for lunch at one of many charming picnic destinations, and to meander around the Castle Creek Valley, which is appropriately deemed one of the most beautiful areas of Colorado.

BONUS ATTRACTION:Glenwood Hot Springs!

This massive, long-running hot-springs pool in serene mountain surroundings is the perfect bonus fun family experience. During the warm weather months, Glenwood Hot Springs Pool operates two water slides. The Shoshone Chute is a body slide, while riders on the Avalanche Falls slide use inner tubes for their descent. Both slides feature a 47-foot drop which deposits riders into a separate pool overseen by lifeguards. For those looking for a break from the summer heat, pull up a lounge chair under one of the property’s giant poplar trees or relax beneath the newly built shade pergolas. A restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating serves breakfast and lunch, as well as an assortment of snacks and beverages including beer and wine.

Whether your family prefers to hang out amongst Rocky Mountains peaks, ride exhilarating white water rapids, or coast on a bike while taking in otherworldly surroundings, Pure Adventure Snowmass Family Adventure won’t disappoint!

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Escaping to the desert may sound a little strange, but experiencing a cycling tour through the heart of the Sonoran desert never disappoints! In fact we’ve collected 5 Ways Scottsdale Cycling Is Good For the Soul!

The Sunshine

If you’re booking our Scottsdale Arizona Desert Cycling Tour (Available nearly every week from January through March and October-December.) you are in for some serious sunshine –  300 Days of it to be exact!

The Views

The Sonoran Desert has amazing views and the most diverse desert in the world, along with the rocky mountain ranges that surround you. You can camp in multiple regional parks as you cycle journey-style from the lush riparian environment along the Salt River to the foothills of the McDowell Mountains.

The Climbs

You’ll cycle some super challenging climbs, but the surrounding beauty of the desert, including the ever present Saguaro Cactus, is everywhere, but also are all the other wondrous species that comprise the most diverse southwestern ecosystem in our country. makes it all worth the effort.

The Food

From burgers to brew pubs, Arizona has THE BEST places to eat and drink. Making the top of the list to get a great pint is Four Peaks Brewing, and the food at Elote Cafe is to die for!

The Company

From strangers to life long friendships. You’ll make lasting relationships during your desert journeys.

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The question always comes up on tours, “How the heck was this thing formed?”. Running the risk of sounding totally uneducated, we have to respond “Well, nobody is entirely sure”. But there is some proof pointing in a few different directions.

Here’s a little bit of history for you and some information on how the Grand Canyon Became the Grand Canyon.

FUN FACTS & INFO:

• President Theodore Roosevelt, an avid outdoorsman, advocated for the preservation of the Grand Canyon area and hunted and took in the breathtaking scenery there on numerous occasions. However, it took until 1919 to become the 15th national park.
• The specific geologic processes and timing that formed the Grand Canyon spark lively debates by geologists. The general scientific consensus, updated at a 2010 conference, holds that the Colorado River carved the Grand Canyon beginning 5 million to 6 million years ago.
• The big picture: there were two ancestral canyons, one in the west and one in the east. And the western canyon may be as old as 70 million years.
• Many people consider it to be one of the seven wonders of the natural world.
• The Grand Canyon is 277 miles (446 kilometres) in length.
• There are no dinosaur bones in the Grand Canyon – The rock that makes up the canyon walls is vastly more ancient than the dinosaurs – about a billion years more ancient
• Supai Village is located at the base of the Grand Canyon within the Havasupai Indian Reservation. Inaccessible by road and with a population of just 208, it is the most remote community in the lower 48 states, and is the only place where mail is still delivered by pack mule.

reference: www.livescience.com

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At Pure Adventures we are so lucky to have bike rental connections all over the world, who supply our clients with top quality bikes perfect for the diverse tours that we offer.

However, if you just can’t bring yourself to leave your bike at home, here are some excellent infographics by the folks over at Yellow Jersey  that display bike luggage charges from one end of the planet to the other.

Which will you choose after crunching the numbers?

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Ok, so, you’ve totally had it with winter – right up to your frozen eyeballs. You need to escape, and fast! Would the Arizona desert be first on your biking vacation destination list? Probably not. But take our word for it, desert mountain biking has more to offer than you might realize. In fact,  in many ways the landscape alone is second to none.

Specifically, we love touring with our travelers through Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, McDowell Mountain Regional Park which is the most scenic part of central Arizona. With warm days and cool evenings, after hours off the trails can be filled with stories around the fire, while days are marked with wheel-to-dirt adventures through some of the best designed bike-specific trails around! Each day you can expect to ride through vast, sweeping desert views, pinned in by scenic mountain ranges and fields of wildflowers or native desert flora.

Alright, we know you’re itching to get out of the snow and on your bike in warmer temps. Without further ado here are our 6 Reason Why Arizona Desert Biking Is What You Need RIGHT NOW! Custom, Private Arizona Mountain Bike Tours are available – contact us now
Exciting Bike-To-Dirt Single Track Riding

We love the low difficulty single track trails in the Sonoran desert. You truly feel like the master of your own little universe when coasting through Arizona’s deserts. very little traffic – beautiful surroundings – perfect weather.

Towering Cacti

As we mentioned earlier, the desert landscape is like no other. Where else could you ride trails between towering cacti called Saguaro, which can grow between 40-60 feet tall! When rain is plentiful and the saguaro is fully hydrated it can weigh between 3200-4800 pounds.

Warm Days & Cool Evenings

You couldn’t ask for better biking weather than the Sonoran desert in the winter months. With the average maximum temperature of 72°F and evening temps of around 44°F, you won’t over heat on the trails, and can cozy up next to a campfire at night enjoying sunsets like this.

Scenic Mountain Ranges

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – Arizona deserts have landscapes that cannot be paralleled. The juxtaposition of picturesque flat land as far as the eye can see, with scenic mountain ranges makes the Sonoran a bucket list worthy addition.

Beautiful Flora & Wildflower Fields

When you think of desert, what comes to mind? Barren wasteland perhaps? This couldn’t be further from truth. Not only is the Sonoran rich with scenic beauty, it’s also home to  fields upon fields of vibrant wildflowers.

Incredible Open Landscapes

Open trails, the sun on your face, and mountains on the horizon. What else could you possibly want.

Can’t wait to put bike-to-dirt? Explore our tours and get riding!

Custom, Private Arizona Mountain Bike Tours are available – contact us now

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See the rock formations of Bryce Canyon National Park, hike beneath towering red walls of Zion Canyon, and explore the slots of the Grand Staircase-Escalante.

Southern Utah is filled with beautiful and unique rock formations, slot canyons, and magical hard-to-reach wilderness corners. The best way to explore the areas around Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, and Escalante National monument is on a human powered adventure. There are countless options for exploration, from hiking trips to slot canyons, backpacking in Zion and Escalante, to cycling scenic highway 12. It can be difficult to plan the perfect adventure in Southern Utah because of all the amazing options, but with a few tips you can easily decide on the best hiking, backpacking, or cycling trips in the area around Zion, Bryce, and Escalante.

WHAT’S YOUR TRAVEL STYLE?

Do you prefer the intimacy of day hiking through twisting slot canyons, or is the solitude of backpacking trip more your flavor of travel? Do you crave the rush of riding over undulating slickrock or would you rather conquer long smooth road climbs to breathtaking peaks, plateaus, and picturesque campsites? Southern Utah offers countless options in each of these travel styles.

Hiking and Camping

GO GUIDED:

Hike Bryce, Zion, and Escalante – 5 day camping trip

DIY Day Hiking: Day hiking is a great way to see a wide variety of the iconic destinations in the area and allows you to choose your accommodations flexibly. There are endless opportunities for day hikes to choose from in Southern Utah such as Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park or exploring the Zion Narrows, hike Wall Street in Bryce Canyon National Park or venture out on the lesser-known Fairyland Loop trail, visit Lower Calf Creek Falls in Escalante, or hike the veritable wonderland of Escalante’s slot canyons such as Willis Creek, or the Peekaboo and Spooky canyons loop.

Learn more about Hiking & Camping with our partners at AOA!

Road Cycling

GO GUIDED:

Cycle Bryce, Zion, and Escalante – 5 day camping trip

DIY Road Cycling: The scenic roadways of southern Utah provide some of the best road bike touring options in the American southwest. Explore Zion by bike, there are a number of great options for cycling within Zion National Park and the surrounding area. Further east, cycle scenic byway 12 through the pastoral towns nestled in the Escalante wilderness. Don’t forget to top at the Kiva Coffeehouse just east of the town of Escalante for a refreshing pick-you-up in the most scenic cafe you’ve ever seen.

Learn more about road cycling with Pure Adventures and our partners at AOA!

Mountain bike

GO GUIDED:

Grand Canyon, Thunder Mountain, Gooseberry Mesa – 6 day “best of” trip

DIY Mountain Biking: Less-known than the slick-rock hotspots of Moab and the mountainous terrain of the Wasatch range, the singletrack of southern Utah is not to be ignored. Just a few miles from Bryce Canyon National Park you’ll find Thunder Mountain, a high elevation thriller through canyons and tall pines this is a great addition to your visit to Bryce. Further west near Zion, Gooseberry Mesa and the trails outside Hurricane are not to be missed. Consistently ranked among the top trails in Utah, Gooseberry Mesa offers challenging technical features blending classic slickrock sandstone with jaw-dropping views of the Zion National Park and the surrounding area.

Learn more about mountain biking with Pure Adventures!

Article by Annemarie Medrzycki /AOA-Adventures

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We would love to reward you for referrals! If you’ve been on at least 1 trip in the last 10 years with Pure Adventures, you can earn $50 per person referred and booked. Simply use the Contact Us form on our website to submit each referral with their contact info. From this we will keep track of your bank!

Get excited – spread the word & get free money towards your next Pure Adventures experience!

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With the holidays behind us, and the new year upon us, thoughts go to new year’s resolutions and finding ways to live better, healthier, and happier.

How do you see yourself accomplishing your goals in 2016? For you, does living better mean acquiring the latest tech, appliance, or maybe a home reno? Maybe being happier and healthier comes with a new gym regime and improved diet. All of these make perfect sense – ultimately how you make 2016 great is uniquely personal with no wrong answer.

But let’s say for a second, being the best version of yourself in 2016, meant less things and more experiences. It could be as simple as foregoing the purchase of that new tablet, for a weekend family excursion, or deciding to hold off on a small reno to discover a new culture abroad. Whatever “experience” means to you, making personal growth a priority and creating memories, is never a negative.

So, in the spirit of personal development and betterment in 2016, here’s our 5 Reasons To Buy Less & Experience More In 2016.

Taking Risks Keep Us Growing.

It’s been proven that by testing your boundaries, taking risks, and exposing ourselves to new experiences, we become more creative and better able to handle adversity. Think back to when you achieved something really great – were you just going through the motions or trying something new? Likely you were stepping outside your comfort zone. Whether you’re defintiion of risk is trying an adventure travel vacation or taking up a new hobbie – by pushing your personal boundaries, you’re growing.

Things Collect Dust.

It’s really a no brainer – things get old, break down and become obsolete. In most cases we shelve them, where they collect dust after a few short months after the novelty wears off. Experiences however, take on new life by becoming stories, and stories rarely collect dust – told countless times in years to come to your kids, friends and relatives. Life experiences endure – things don’t.

Creating “Good Stress”.

There’s no doubt, moving into uncharted territory and trying new things can be stressful. Believe it or not, a little stress is good for your body. According to Daniela Kaufer, associate professor of integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley. “Some amounts of stress are good to push you just to the level of optimal alertness, behavioral and cognitive performance.” (credit: Berkeley News) In other words, moving out of your comfort zone puts your brain and your body into a position of peak performance. Some exciting travel, trying a new sport, or even testing the waters in a new career, can benefit your brain and body.

Strengthening Relationships.

We’ve all heard the old saying “A family that plays together, stays together”. This especially rings true when opting to invest in experiences over things. By going beyond your own front door, and moving your eyes from a device to the real world, you’re not only taking in new people, places and things, but you have the opportunity to share and enjoy them with family and friends! With tech making virtual experiences more accessible every day, we run the risk of distancing ourselves from those around us. It’s so important, now more than ever, to unplug, create memories, and strengthen relationships. Not sure where to begin, especially in the frigid temps? Here’s a hot tip

Redefine Yourself.

Not all of us, but many of us in North America, have become defined by our possessions. It’s almost impossible not to get wrapped up in the newest, biggest, and fastest of what companies churn out on, what feels like, a daily basis. But what travellers will tell you, is that when they escape this – then return to it, they go through a sort of “reverse culture shock”. By trading things for experiences, you can’t help but risk an entire redefinition of what you see as valuable. The latest Ultra 4k HD 60” TV no longer has the same appeal after hiking the rim of the Grand Canyon  or taking a self guided bike tour through Piedmont wine country. 

Experience for yourself any number of our upcoming tours here!

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