MTN Biking
Sun Valley, ID
"Riding in the Sun Valley area is like taking a roller coaster through the Sound of Music set on happy pills,” says former Olympian and Smith Sports Optics PR guy Greg “Chopper” Randolph. “The riding is buff and fun but lung busting and never flat.”
Photo: Sterling Lorence
more info: www.sunvalley.com; www.mtbr.com
MTN Climbing/Hiking
Grand Teton, WY
Few peaks are as iconic as the Grand Tetons in Wyoming, and the history of the range is as important to American climbing as the Eiger is to Europeans.
Photo: Jimmy Chin
Climber: Conrad Anker
more info: jhmg.com; exumguides.com
MTN Paddling
Gore Creek + Eagle River, CO
As the snow melts and the tourists trade fur coast for flip flops, kayakers revel in the chilly runoff that spills from Vail into the streams surrounding this classic Colorado ski hill.
Photo: Steve Macaulay
more info: For gauges, beta, or to hook up with area paddlers, check out the online forum mountainbuzz.com. AlpineQuest Sports in Edwards is the go-to kayak shop, offering gear rentals and instruction: alpinequestsports.com
MTN Running
Gore-Tex TransRockies Run
The TransRockies Run is a fully supported and lavishly appointed six-day stage race for teams of two runners that covers 113 miles from the historic mountain town of Buena Vista to Beaver Creek Resort.
Photo: Kevin Arnold
more info: transrockies.com
MTN Road Biking
Killington + Central Vermont
From silky smooth country roads, to hard-packed dirt roads meandering alongside rivers and streams, the options, routes, and scenery are just outstanding in Vermont. And it’s nice having a general store every six to 12 miles.
Photo: Justin Cash
more info: Killington.com; Killingtonstagerace.com; hillclimbseries.com
MTN Golf
Sugarloaf Golf Club, ME
Consistently ranked among the nation’s premier public courses, Sugarloaf Golf Club has established a sterling reputation during the last quarter century. No part of the course is more revered than the “String of Pearls,” a stretch from holes 10–15 that meanders along the Carrabassett River and is as spectacular a collection of six holes as you’ll find in mountain golf.
Photo: Sugarloaf Resort
more info: sugarloaf.com
MTN Rafting
West Glacier, MT
West Glacier, Montana — 25 miles east of the
ski slopes at Whitefish and widely considered the
whitewater capital of Montana—sits within a quarter
mile of the entrance to Glacier National Park. Four raft
companies operate on the border of this million-acre
natural wonder (celebrating its centennial as a National
Park this summer), offering visitors a wide choice of
adventures on the unregulated flows of the 219 miles of
the designated “Wild and Scenic” Flathead River system.
Photo: Lee Cohen
more info: www.glacierraftco.com; www.gnwhitewater.com; www.gnwhitewater.com; www.glacierguides.com; www.riverwild.com
This Summer's Top 80
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