On Jan 6, 1:28*pm, Bill wrote:
On Jan 5, 10:16*am, "

wrote:
Does anyone have experience with the free nordic trail system between
Aspen and Carbondale, CO? Looks like it's all on golf courses which
does not strike me as an exciting place to ski, but I could be wrong.
Are there any "interesting", i.e. *hilly, groomed *trails there? Also,
how good is the public transportation there? Me and my wife will be
staying in cheaper Carbondale (could not care less about being close
to diesel-powered ski lifts and boutiques) and are thinking to ditch
car rental.

If you're staying in Carbondale you most likely want to have a rental
car just to get to Spring Gulch *http://www.springgulch.org/, which is
about 5 (7?) miles west of town (head west at the 7-Eleven traffic
light). You definitely want to ski there. From the xc center in Aspen
(say hi to Dave, who will be really helpful) you can connect quickly
and easily to the Aspen high school loops and the Moore loops, which
are delightful (and hilly). You can also ski all the way to Snowmass
or from Snowmass to Aspen along the route for the Owl Creek race
(plenty of hilly). You also should drive up to Ashcroft and have a ski
there. Another option is to ski up the Maroon Bells road, which is
groomed for skiing and snowmobiles. Ask at the xc center for the best
time to do that. Here's a link to trail maps in Aspen:http://www.aspenpitkin.com/Departmen...n-Space/Cross-...
There are lots of buses up and down valleyhttp://www.rfta.com/and
the Aspen xc center is easy to access. By the way, there's a good Thai
restaurant in Carbondale. And The Village Smithy for breakfast. Have
fun, Bill

Thanks a lot for the great response! The Owl Creek race route sounds
very interesting.