Ten Mile Range and Baldy Mountain punctuate the horizon. Then they rumble to Jumbo Mine and Preston, an abandoned prospector camp. Back at Dry Gulch, participants tour a mine, blacksmith shop, hoist house and other restored buildings of the 1880s gold boom era. Alpenglow and star-gazing await snowmobilers participating in Winter Park's twilight tours. Starting at the ski resort base of 2,744 metres, drivers climb to the top of Mary Jane and then to the Lodge at Sunspot, situated at the lofty altitude of 3,261 metres.
Guides identify the mountains and share historic tidbits during stops for photographs.
Cozily seated in front of the lodge's fireplace, the group tops off the tour with a hearty meal of chicken stew or chili in a bread bowl, tossed green salad and cobbler. With derriere planted on the bicycle seat, a ski on each foot and two more skis in the wheel areas, riders enjoy the steadiness of five-point balance. You can go as fast as you want without going out of control. Head straight down the mountain, turn, snowplow, stop hockey-style. On the resort's East Mountain, bikers can take lessons and advance from beginner to immediate slopes at their own pace.