Category: Durango Recreation

Camping, hiking, biking, skiing, snowboarding, fishing, rafting, kayaking, tubing — Durango has all the year-round outdoor recreation anyone could want. With the Animas River running through town, and the San Juan Mountains at its doorstep, Durango is the place to stay when you want to get outside.

Backcountry Snowshoeing Tours in Durango

Durango snowshoeingGet your snowshoes out and get your snowshoe on this Saturday, March 1, at Durango Mountain Resort. (I was going for a “get your swerve on” joke, but I don’t think it worked.)

You don’t have to go this Saturday; Alpenglow Snowshoe Tours leads groups of snowshoers on after-hours, backcountry trips every Saturday and other designated evenings. During the tour, you will ride the chairlift to the top of the mountain and then take your time snowshoeing down skier-free ski slopes as you enjoy the sunset. Trips are 3:30-5 p.m. and cost $60 per person The price includes your snowshoes, chairlift ride and guide as well as après-snowshoe drinks and appetizers at the Powderhouse restaurant. Call 970-385-2147 to reserve your spot.

Durango Mountain Resort also offers daily snowshoe tours at 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Guides provide step-by-snowy-step instruction and as they lead groups on 2- to 3-mile trips into the surrounding hills of the San Juan Mountains. Snowshoers will get to see and learn about wildlife, geology and local flora and fauna during the trip. Call 970-385-2147 to make reservations.

Durango Mountain Resort is a 30-minute drive from Durango and a straight-shot north of the Durango Quality Inn on U.S. Highway 550. Book your room with us while you’re in Durango enjoying all of our winter sports!

by dgoquality

Durango Biathlete Gives Her Olympic Spot to Twin Sister

There’s a super cool story making the rounds right now, and we just want to share it with you. It’s about two Durango residents. Twins, actually. Olympic biathlete twins from Durango, if you want to get all technical about it.

Watch this awesome commercial, which only aired for one day on Wednesday, Jan. 29, due to some regulations about Olympic athletes and ads and sponsors and blah, blah, blah.

Try not to cry.

Are you crying? Yeah. We know. It’s OK.

Lanny and Tracy Barnes are from Durango, and the twins are both biathletes (biathlons pair the sport of cross country skiing with rifle shooting). They both went to the 2006 Olympics, and Lanny also competed in the 2010 Olympics. Although they were both aiming to qualify for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Lanny was too sick to compete in the final two Olympic trial races. Meanwhile, Tracy qualified. So, what did Tracy do? She gave up her spot to the next person in line: her twin sister.

As Lanny told The Denver Post:

“I was completely shocked,” Lanny said. “I almost always know what Tracy’s thinking, and for once in my life, she actually caught me by surprise. When she told me what she wanted to do, I was speechless. I didn’t know what to say. I tried protesting and telling her, ‘No, this is your spot, you deserve it.’ She wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Since the Barnes’ announcement on Jan. 13, their story has been making headlines across the country and around the world. They’ve been featured on live news shows and in newspapers. On Wednesday, they appeared in their one-day-only Guinness ad, which aired several times on TV and quickly went viral online.

Dang. That’s some cool stuff, Barnes twins. All of us at the Durango Quality Inn just want to say: Way to go, Tracy, and best of luck in Sochi, Lanny!

by dgoquality

Ladies, Learn to Snowboard in Durango

SheRide_Snowboard_Coaches_DurangoListen up, ladies! Who wants to learn how to snowboard? You do? Well, you have great timing because this weekend is the SheRide Snowboarding Camp at Durango Mountain Resort, aka Purgatory. The all-women’s snowboard clinic is perfect for all levels, and instructors coach students on the first day of the workshop, which starts Friday, Jan. 24, and runs through Sunday, Jan. 26. Participants can sign up for one, two, or all three days. On the last day of camp, SheRiders will join in a group victory ride.

Beginners will get all the coaching and encouragement they need from instructors, while advanced boarders will benefit from more in-depth instruction and tips on their riding stance and skills using video movement analysis. SheRide helps women work on carving, bumps, jumps, park, switch, and speed.

SheRide’s coaches share “two common characteristics: the love of riding and a passionate dedication to helping other women achieve their riding goals while having a great time,” according to the SheRide website.

SheRide instructors don’t limit themselves to snowboarding. The organization is dedicated to offering all-women’s clinics to teach women all sorts of sports, including mountain biking, horse riding, kayaking and even standup paddleboarding.

To sign up for the Durango camp, register online. SheRide will also offer a snowboarding clinic Feb. 21-23 at Snowboard Ski Resort in Utah.

While you’re in town to learn how to snowboard, stay with us at the Durango Quality Inn. Our hotel is a short, straight shot south of Durango Mountain Resort, so be sure to book your room with us today!

by dgoquality