Foggy head. It’s either my allergies, lack of sleep, too many hours in a car or the stress of knowing it’s time to get my butt in gear and get active outdoors. I usually use something like Outside in Aspen- a festival filled with clinics to introduce people to the outdoors- to jumpstart my summer. But as I watched the grey-tinged water pool at my feet this morning in my shower back home, I realized I was going about this all wrong. Aspen, Colorado, is place of intense mountain beauty that should be indulged, not sniffed at. Plus, you should plan a week not two days when the weather is this grand. Oh, and get two hotel rooms. But we were here for an event and sometimes you just don’t have the luxury of time.

I hadn’t showered or shaved in three days. At home, as I finally washed out the weekend in solitude, I felt weightless.

The whine of little children and a puppy cramped up in a Subaru for seven hours, a truckload of toys and clothes covering the floor of our room at the Molly Gibson Lodge so that it was impossible to find anything in a hurry, and the mad dash to meet our clinic leaders left no room for recovery.

The first night, we arrived at 8 p.m. in time to rush to the Welcome Reception, kids in tow. The tasty morsels of beef sliders, chicken satay, mac and cheese and veggie springrolls made up dinner. We crawled back to the hotel by 11 p.m.; exhausted from our roadtrip, the wine and the day.

Saturday morning, it was up at 7 a.m. to meet the sitter and get situated. She got the kids, we got to have to fun. We walked the six blocks to Basecamp at the Aspen gondola to sign our waivers and pick up sack lunches from the registration table. I was already drooling over the huge sandwiches from The Big Wrap because I had rushed through breakfast.

I said good bye to Liz and trotted Moki over to Glory Hole park for five hours of mostly dog demonstrations by trainer Mike Stewart from Wildrose Kennels. Three of the five dogs were his; they were invited to this Adventure Dog Clinic to show us what trained dogs are supposed to do.

I was jealous of Liz. She took the whitewater rafting workshop on the Arkansas River off Independence Pass and said the only break from serious rapids was at the take-out. While she was hanging on for dear life and I was sitting quietly and listening. Mike is a good ol’ boy from Mississippi who travels the world training hunting dogs, diabetic detection dogs and adventure dogs. He says the idea actually came to him while he was sitting at a patio restaurant in Aspen. With all of these dogs in town, why not create a program for them? He went over an outline of adventure dog etiquette and we briefly (ie. tried one time) some of the things on his list. Luckily, I took a ton of notes and can practice at home but I sure wish I could have really worked with Moki to get some of the techniques down. Of course, at 7 weeks, he may be too young to do what Mike’s dogs were doing but even the older pup that was there sat around. The owner asked questions and would have to work with his dog on his own back home. Don’t get me wrong. It was all valuable information but my ass got awfully tired.

I got back to the hotel in time to change for dinner. I was meeting some fellow writers at Ellina for drinks and Above The Salt for dinner. I’m going to blame my buzz on the sun and the altitude because I was one happy camper after the first (and only) lemon basil martini. Liz was hanging with the kids poolside at the Sky Lodge; holding my raffle ticket just in case they called my name. We rendezvoused on the promenade after dinner and slowly escorted the weary kids back to the Molly.

The next clinic day- whitewater kayaking for beginners/intermediates- was all beginners. Again, not exactly what I needed to rev my spirits. The calm, rippling water lulled me to sleep rather than stirred my adrenaline. Apparently, no one had signed up for the expert class (about now I was thinking that I should have) and only one person besides myself had ever been in a whitewater boat. Piglet from Aspen Kayak and SUP was a ball of spunk and smiles and her partner in crime –Willie “River” Kern- coached our group of six through the equipment, the paddle strokes and lingo associated with the sport. As we practiced going in and out of eddies (the stagnant corners of water on the sides of rivers), I couldn’t help but look longingly over at the standup paddlers passing us. At least they were moving. Both SUP clinics were full and booked out way in advance, attesting to its rise in popularity.

Everyone in our kayak group was having a blast with the basics but I have to admit that I was now a bit overqualified for the beginners. After my two weeks kayaking in Montana with First Descents the past two summers I was ready for something more challenging. Sigh. The most excitement came at the take out when I attempted to roll – on purpose of course. I didn’t really do it (I used my paddle on the bottom of the river to push me back up) but the try made my heart skip a beat. Jeff, a newbie to the sport, hung back in the water with me and I coached him through his bow rescue. With that huge grin, I’m pretty sure he’ll be boating in the future.

We packed up and headed back to town. I had just enough time to find the rest of my gang before the Adventure Athlete Symposium started. More on that in another blog! This was the weekend finale and it made sense to have this panel of pros talking about giving back. We just had two days of play in the outdoors and how often do you think that the landscape might not look like this when our kids are grown?

Aspen was glorious. The weather perfect (aside from the Cottonwood cottonballs floating through the air 24/7) and the clinics extremely well-organized. I just chose wrong. Sometimes life happens that way and, like a river, we have to go with the flow. The kids adored playing in Colorado, the pup couldn’t get enough attention walking from A to B and Liz not only survived a roaring ride but learned a thing or two about outdoor camera work in the adventure photography class.

It may have been chaotic for me, but Outside in Aspen did what I wanted it to do. Tomorrow, I will take my dog to the park here in Park City and start my own training program. Then I’ll mountain bike in the evening and paddle around the local reservoir. We often forget that you don’t need to leave home to find adventure.

It’s May in the mountains. A time traditionally referred to as “Mud May” or Mudseason. The locals head to warmer climes while their trails dry out and visitors choose to ignore the sleepy time in exchange for higher prices and more predictable weather. In other words, places like Aspen are dead. But what people from big cities don’t get is that shoulder seasons are some of the best times to visit a resort town, and Aspen, Colo., is heading up that awareness campaign.

“The idea was to have something like the Teva Mountain Games in Vail,” said Campbell Levy, one of the original organizers of Outside in Aspen which takes place this weekend (June 8-10, 2012). “It attracts a big audience to Vail at a time when not a lot of people go. You know, because it’s nice out but not quite summer.” Rather than copy the Mountain Games formula, however, Aspen partnered with Outside Magazine to create an event that would not only attract off-season tourists but address a black hole in the sporting community. “The [Teva Mountain Games] is great if you’re an expert. Otherwise, it’s boring,” said Levy.

Outside in Aspen not only lures guests during a time they might not typically visit but it caters to those who want to learn new adventure sports. “How many times do you get to hang out with pro athletes, drink beers with them, listen to panel discussions about adventure and have the town to yourself?” said Levy.

Beginning with a slideshow by adventure sport photographer Lucas Gilman and welcome party at the posh Sky Hotel, the real challenge kicks off Saturday with 10 different clinics:

Rafting // Kayaking // Climb a Fourteener // Stand-up Paddle Boarding // Mountain Biking //Road Biking // Rock Climbing // Ski/Snowboard Independence Pass //Hiking // Trail Running// Fly-Fishing //Adventure Dog Workshop //and the newest addition-Adventure Sports Photography // 

The clinics are repeated on Sunday so you don’t have to stress about choosing one activity over another.  They cost $100 each for a five-hour session with a pro and a sack lunch. It doesn’t get more reasonable than that. “You can get quite a bit out of it,” said Levy. “The event is accessible. You can learn a new skill and be hooked for the rest of your life in just one weekend.” There aren’t a lot of places where a person of any ability can go without their own gear, have some pro teach you their ways, and do it in a beautiful locale like Aspen at unheard-of Aspen prices. Who would have thought you could stay right in the heart of the action for less than $100/nt?!

The fest concludes with an adventure symposium that features world-class athletes sharing their experience and insight on the role explorers and athletes play in social activism and philanthropy and the current state of adventure sports. Perhaps you could be part of that future with your new-found passion for white water kayaking or standup river paddleboarding? But Outside in Aspen isn’t just for newbies. Many come just to ride shotgun with their heroes like Mountaineer Jake Norton, back from his latest jaunt up Everest, Team Nike Mountain Bike Champ Sari Anderson or Christy Mahon, the first woman to ski all 54 of Colorado’s 14,000 foot mountains.

After three years the idea is starting to take hold. The crowd is predominantly from the Colorado Front Range but as people get wind of the event, organizers are welcoming people from all over the country. “Outside [Magazine] provides a lot of cache. They bring the athletes, sponsors, prizes and vibe,” said Levy. Then you have the basecamp with a kids nature corner, live music, beer garden, exhibits, Outside’s Buyers Gear Guide showcase and free chair massages. Families and even pets (thanks to Planet Dog’s Adventure Dog Workshop) will find all sorts of fun things to do in Aspen this weekend without blowing their summer vacation budget.

For the detes and to book lodging go to www.outsideinaspen.com. Follow Facebook or Twitter @OutsideinAspen) for the latest updates on athletes and activities throughout the weekend.

 

 

Where to Stay:

Limelight Hotel– The cozy, family owned ski lodge has spacious rooms, included continental breakfast, beautiful pool and hottubs and a staff that knows how to care for guests. Pets are welcome!

Molly Gibson Lodge – Smack in the heart of downtown Aspen, with three Jacuzzis, a heated outdoor pool and a full buffet breakfast every morning, your family and pets may never want to leave.

Hotel Aspen– The intimate, contemporary hotel recently renovated; redoing the rooms from the core and adding Buddha beds and water features to the outdoor deck. Fido even gets a welcome treat bag on arrival.

 

Where to Eat:

The best way to save money dining in Aspen is to order off the bar menus. Practically every restaurant in Aspen has one. After that, try grabbing a seat at Ajax Tavern, CP Burger, Taster’s Pizza, the Justice Snows in the Wheeler Opera House or plan ahead and snag a sandwich for later from Grateful Deli.