Need a little Local help!!

[Skeedoo]

I'm trying something new this year. I am leaving my sled (2013 Pro RMK) at my buddy Woody's place in Grand Lake. Here's the catch... I live in Indiana. Ya that sucks!! Basically we have always loaded up a crew cab dually with some buddies, hooked up the 27' trailer and headed west several times a year but this year I'm leaving the sled and gonna fly into Denver, rent a car and head up to where my sled is in Grand Lake. Here's my problem, although I will be riding with Woody and some others out there on occasion I am trying not to "overdo" my welcome and look for other options for riding partners and getting to the riding area's. Woody is the owner of Spirit Lake Polaris and stays very busy trying to be the best Polaris dealer in Colorado, which he is!! I have looked into renting a truck to get my sled around but that would blow the budget bigtime so I will possibly need a trailer/sled deck space as well to get around for the day or days(may have other options to get my sled around tho). I typically ride Steamboat Lake area, Ears, Buff Pass and Snowies if I am in that area but also have free lodging at a friends condo in Winter Park this year so am up to expanding my horizons to the that area as well. I am not looking for your "Secret Spots", actually I may be able to show somebody a few places, just looking for riders and possibly a ride so I can get the most out of this winter out west (if it starts snowing soon). I am avalanche trained, have all the avy gear and am a decent/safe rider. I always pay my part and am into going anywhere in Colorado, Wyoming or Montana. I will be out with my family Dec. 26th - Jan. 3rd and staying in Winter Park but will only get a day or 2 of riding in since its the family trip. I paln to come back 1 to 2 times per month after that so I know I'm gonna need some local help getting around. Any help, connections or a point in the right direction would be awesome.
Thanks in advance!!
Chris
317-727-8432 (cell) or PM me

 

[Jermbob]

Vagabond Ranch

Chris,

If your looking for a cool place to stay check us out at www.vrhuts.com.
We are on the NW side of Grand Lake and have access to some incredible riding and it snows a lot more over here than it does on that side. Let me know if you book a room and I'll show you around.

Jeremy

 

[rusty_jigawahowski]

Vegabond is a sick place to stay and ride out of! Also look up grand lake trailblazers club, lot of locals and non-locals always willing to show a guy around. I would bet that if it starts snowing, we'll all be riding everyday!!!

 

[JAW]

Chris-

I live in Steamboat and work on the ears. If your ever in the area I ride RE, Buff, Cali Park and Steamboat Lake every chance I get. We have a pretty good group of guys who are also avy trained to roost with and are always open to new riders. Feel free to look me up if you make it out this way.

Cheers,

Josh
509 680 1551

 

[LabRat]

I may be able to hook you up this winter. My trailer is in Grand Lake, and while sometimes I just ride there, I also head to RE from time to time. Shoot me a PM when the timing gets a bit closer and hopefully we can work something out.

 

[backcountryislife]

I run a sled deck, so could always hook up a trailer & give a tug.

Always up for riding with new people... even flatlanders! (Indiana though??? You can do better than that!)


Hitting Up Vagabond would be an ideal way to do things too though, no need to trailer, just cruise over there & stay, then you can ride the few areas that are accessed from over that way. Lots of fun terrain over there.

 

[polarisfornow]

Just a thought but we have done this as well and uhaul actually rents a pickup for 20a day. Doesn't royally break the bank like hertz or whatever. Just a thought.

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[AZ800]

Yes sometimes pickups (reg cab) are cheaper to rent than a decent car. Toss the sled in back and go.
Here's another suggestion, but do you have a 2nd/3rd vehicle (truck) or could pick one up reasonably? Drive it to CO, leave the sled in the back, would have to find secure parking, and then just fire it up and go!
Truck would cost some $ upfront, but assume little to no depreciation on a decent older truck with few miles added over the course of a couple/few years, vs rental car/truck multiple times a year.

If you were headed father west and would/could fly into Eagle, CO then I have a house 5min from the airport with an extra parking spot, nice neighborhood. I'd let you park it there for free.
Heck I might even pay you a couple bucks a month to do it just to p!ss off my A-hole old neighbors who'd turn me in to the HOA everytime my sled trailer was parked there. Perfectly legal to park a truck w/ a sled in the back though!

 

[winsa12]

Do these come with trailer hitches? I know if you rent a truck from Hertz, Avis, Budget etc. they dont have receivers. I assuem that is on purpose due to liability reasons.

Just a thought but we have done this as well and uhaul actually rents a pickup for 20a day. Doesn't royally break the bank like hertz or whatever. Just a thought.

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[bushy]

Problem solved

 

[bushy]

The buy an old pickup idea sounds good. Just throw the sled in the back and go. That is, it you can catch a shuttle from the airport to Grand Lake?? Won't have problems finding riding partners, but GL is pretty out of the way for the Denver guy's heading to the Ear's.

 

[Skeedoo]

Thanks!!!

Man I'm getting a little "Hoosier Hospitality" Western style. Many thanks to all that have responded with a post and PM'd me. I really wasn't sure if I would get any response. Thanks again guys for making it a bit easier to change up to the flying thing. Anyway... Jeremy with Vagabond, funny thing is I was on your website a few weeks ago checking your place out for a possible place for my wife and daughter to stay as a small get away from Winter Park. Looks like a really awesome place!! From the website tho I didn't relize you were so snowmobile friendly and didn't know about your close proximity to good riding areas. I will definetly be heading your way and appreciate the heads up. On the truck rental thing, I didn't even think about Uhaul. I will be checking into that one. Regular rental places for a truck per week was $500 or more. As far as the old pickup thing goes I got that one covered. I have a landscape company so I have 4 trucks. Problem is 2 of them are plow trucks and have to stay home, 1 is a 2 wheel drive 1 ton dump truck (could work but not optimal) and the last may be my only hope. The gas guzzling 1 ton 4x4 crew cab dually. It doesn't get used much in winter so I may leave it out there. I am checking into places to leave it now. Woody has my sled locked up in a heated shop out there so thats a hard one to pass up and leave it out in the truck bed but the offer to leave my truck & sled in a driveway out there was super cool. AGAIN THANKS TO ALL!! See ya'll soon

Oh bushy about your picture with the sled on top of the Honda. I showed that one to the wife and threatened her that I was gonna do that with her Suburu Outback wagon. She knows me well enough to know I'm not totally past doing that so when her car comes up missing one day at least I warned her... right?

 

[Skeedoo]

Uhaul rates for a pickup... Weekly rate is $302.74 and gets you 750 miles or you can do $19.95/day plus .59 cents/mile. Either way its much cheaper than renting a truck from Hertz or one of those places.There is a Uhaul close to airport and would be about 250 miles round trip from Uhaul to Grand Lake. I'm guessing I'd have another 150 miles or so traveling to riding areas. Basically I'm around $300 for rental truck (a rental car is about $150-$175/week), $300-350 for flight then food, lodging, gas and beer. I have a few options for free lodging so overall flying will be saving $ bigtime. Usually spend $1100-$1500 per trip out west so now will be doing it for between $600-$900 depending on how I roll. Appreciate the Uhaul tip!!

 

[bigislandgrrl]

You might also check into Enterprise Commercial in Denver. Last winter while our truck was in the shop we were forced to rent a truck but couldnt find any rentals with a hitch. Enterprise Commercial has trucks with hitches and I dont think we spent more than $75 a day with no mileage restriction. Not to mention, its Enterprise, and they will pick you up

 

[PJ-Hunter]

I live in kremmling. Generally ride RE/Buff, SLO or Spring creek. You are more than welcome to ride with us. Will will always have a rope for when the motor or the driveshaft comes unglued. **Sorry, just had to**

 

[Skeedoo]

Outdoor truck storage

Kangaroo Self Storage in Denver (8 miles from airport) has outdoor storage rental for $58.00 per month for my truck. Its gated, secure and has 24 hour access. I think thats the route I'm going to go. Leave my house in Indy, fly 2 1/2 hours and be sitting in my own truck in Colorado for $58.00 per month. Thats a no brainer!! They also rent 5 x 10 indoor spaces for $68.00 per month if I just wanted to leave my sled there and be able to go anywhere without having to go to Grand Lake to get my sled (might fit a 155" Pro if put in corner to corner - sled is 10.75').

 

[snowswat]

FYI... that neighborhood is kind of sketchy. I have some buddies from the midwest who keep their trucks/trailers at a different lot near the airport and fly in like you are planning. It is the same lot where I keep my trailer.

I meet up with them to ride several times a year in addition to my regular local group. We often have an open spot in a trailer for someone to come along. I also bought my sled from Woody, and ride the same areas.

So... you may want to consider the storage lot below since there are already some snowmobilers based out of there, and live close by. It is also secure and has indoor spaces, etc. Let me know if you have any questions.

http://yourstoragecenter.com/storage-center-locations/aurora-murphy-creek/