Monarch - Salida winter sports weekend Feb. 21-25

In a repeat of a classic outing, let's head north for a weekend downhill/ crosscountry/ snowshoe around Monarch Pass. Monarch Ski Area should offer fine skiing. They report 29" of base as of Jan. 7 – more will accumulate as the season progresses We will head for Salida to establish a base in comfortable houses, and spend our days in winter sports in the Monarch Pass area. Some of the Pajarito season passes offer three free days at Monarch, Monarch is free for age 69 and up, and otherwise tickets are relatively inexpensive online. Monarch is a high Continental Divide ski area with wonderful views, offering skiing of the old fashioned kind, without the glitz and expense one finds farther north in Colorado. There are several snowshoe/XC options; a classic is the old Monarch Pass trail. More options can be seen at https://primary-chaffeeco.simpleviewcms.com/outdoors/winter-activities/s.... Salida is an interesting town with some nice restaurants. There are even hiking options along the Arkansas River if we have a warm day.

Participants should drive up on Wednesday, February 21, which will give us three full days for winter sports Thursday-Saturday. Plan to return home on Sunday February 25. I have reserved the Chavara Ranch 4-bedroom house that we have used in past years, plus we have some room in our own Salida house, which we will rent back from our tenant. We will have dinners together, rotating between the two houses. Please let me know at bill@priedhorsky.net if you would like to join this outing. I would appreciate a $300 deposit per bedroom. The 4 bedroom house will cost $1475, and we will divide up costs in some fair way. It has 3 nice bedrooms upstairs, and a master bedroom/bath suite downstairs; the master suite will pay a bigger share, naturally. These have been wonderful weekends in the past, and I expect another.