Visiting CO - any suggestions.....??

You'll just miss Buffalo Bike Classic which is September 13th but is a fantastic ride if you can move your dates a bit.   There are a lot of great rides in the area and I'm sure you can find some group rides from local shops at that point.  However, I will warn you, that time of year can be hot or snowy and who knows what it will be like until the moment it's happening.  If it does snow at that time of year it melts quickly and clears usually the next day (or later the same day). 

Hard to say on a place to stay.  What is your idea of reasonable? 

If you only have a week - why not skip the front range and head up to Summit County? You'll really be in the mountains and biking, running, and flatwater paddling options are at your doorstep there. Plus hiking, of course, and then there's all the tourist infrastructure (shops, bars, restaurants) for when you are in a tamer mood.

You can find cheap rooms or even condos - VRBO.com - you can get a pretty cheap 1BR studio w/a kitchen so you'd save $$ by not having to eat out all meals.

That's what I'd do.

The Fireside Inn in Breckenridge is a B&B with dorm style rooms available.

That's a very tough time for Summit County though.  It's just at the very end of leaf peeping season and it's more likely it will snow.  And being the fall off season many of the activities up there are closed.  The ski areas are no longer offering summer activities as they are preparing for winter.  It's gorgeous up there anytime of year but it's a tough time of year for activities. 

If you are in Colorado Springs for a couple of days, here are some ideas for active things you can do:
1. Hike up Barr Trail or the Incline
2. Drive up Pikes Peak - visit the top (touristy stuff), then on the way back down park at Elk Park-run 6 miles to Elk Park, hang out at Barr Camp, and then run back up.
3. Waldo Canyon - cool 7 mile hike off Highway 24 between Colorado Springs and Cascade
4. The usual tourist spots: Garden of the Gods, Air Force Academy (try riding the 14 mile road loop there or mountain bike the Falcon Trail).
5. The Cheyenne Canyon area has lots of hiking trails to explore, as does Cheyenne Mountain State Park. Dogs are not allowed in the state park.

My absolute favorite place to eat breakfast, especially after a good workout, is Adam's Mountain Cafe in Manitou Springs. Super yummy, all-natural food. We love it there!

The Summit County idea- it is really pretty up there, but if you are staying on the front range, it can be a pain to head up there for a day trip. I personally think everything up there is overpriced, but then again I'm cheap also
I thought there was a half marathon in Aspen in September called the Golden Leaf Half Marathon. It was ranked one of the top scenic trail races in the country, but I know that some years the course gets so much snow that they have to cancel it altogether.
So keep that in mind if you head up into the mountains (or even down here).. we have been known to get snow in September.

Dee

Mid September is actually a very dry period as the monsoon has usually shut down and the winter storms aren't yet cold enough to get up into the mountains. I used to climb peaks almost every day in September as it's about the only month where it's safe to get a very late start. As far as snow goes, while it can snow here on every day of the year it doesn't accumulate until November. My last outdoor bike ride is always mid to late November (11/26/08 last year). After Labor Day, it's also 2-for-1 season at all the resturants in town and lodging is dirt cheap. I think it's a great time to be here if you're active and don't care about things like the amusement park at the ski area base.

Then I must be unlucky because every time I go up in mid September I'm stuck in storms, either cold cold rain or snow.  Mind you, I love that, but some expecting glorious fall weather may not.  Mainly I just think the OP should be aware that it can range from gorgeous to stormy and is quite unpredictable. 

It went from "gorgeous to stormy" about five times just today.

Oh my gosh - i had no idea it could possibly snow there in Sept - that's crazy! hehe. Does that mean the temps could range from 30 degrees to 80 degrees??
Thanks for the good suggestions - def helps me out. Now I just have to book something!

Donna

Keep in mind that even though they're only 70-100 miles apart, there's a huge difference between "Summit County" in the mountains and the Springs/Boulder in terms of weather. Here (Summit County), in the summer, there's a chance of rain almost every day and it's totally unpredictable. It doesn't matter what the weather people say in Denver, the forecast here in the summer is exactly the same every day, "Highs 60s-70s, chance of thundershowers, mostly after noon". That's as good as they can get 95% of our summer days unless some strange weather system has moved over like an abnormal cold front (currently) or even a tropical system.

But from that forecast, it could be a perfectly clear 75 degrees one day and a thunderstorm that's unusually tall (cold) could start dropping rain/hail, which due to the dry air could cool the temps due to evaporation down to 40, which could turn the precip into snow, which could accumulate 15 inches deep, IN JULY. I use that example because I've seen it happen. We (Breckenridge) got 6 inches of snow, two July 4ths in a row about 13 years ago. So when you go out on your bike, or into the backcountry, it's wise to dress well and be prepared for the worst lest you die (or wish you were dead).

What I describe above is "Monsoon" which is due to high pressure is over Texas circulating clockwise and pumping gulf moisture into the Colorado Mountains. (Yes, our summer storms are directly due to the oppresive summer heat in Texas). That condition weakens around September and our weather is more dominated by "fronts" that move through. It's more of a pattern like other areas experience where we can get 2-3 days of moisture and then it drys out and is sunny/clear for a week or so with almost no chance of thunderstorrms (a climbers dream). During those wet periods, we'll be getting mostly wet snow that will stick on the mountains in a perfect line depending on how cold the ground has become from the cold nights. I think this is what CoSkiGirl was describing where our precip is mostly wet snow or icy rain. If you're here during those periods, it isn't all that pleasant (unless you like that type of weather as I do).

But in Sep/Oct, since cold air behind a cold front is very heavy compared to the sun warmed air over the mountains, it's difficult for the cold/moist air to move up a mile to get here. So often the cold fronts will literally be deflected by the mountains into a condition called "inversion" where it's cold and rainy in Denver but warm and sunny in the mountains. It's a beautiful thing but difficult for forecasters to predict because it's a fine line between the front making it up here or not.
(BTW, our sun is far more powerful than Miami Beach since there's less atmosphere above us to block it).

Strong cold fronts can come in during Sep/Oct and make it up the mountains and they are far more predictable than Monsoon storms because the precip is due to major weather systems of the kind forecasters are good at predicting inside 2-3 days. Any time air moves upward, it loses it's ability to contain moisture and therefore releases it as precip. Since the front had to be strong to make it up here and the air has moved up a mile, the storms can drop feets of snow. But it all melts off and it can get right back up to 75 degrees all the way until mid-November. By then, the ground is near frozen from cold nights and that helps keep temps down in spite of the strong sun (that's getting weaker by the day due to the season). By November the air up here is colder and fronts come through much easier. Thus starts the snow machine. The snow stops melting until the ground thaws again in March/April depending on how cold/cloudy/snowy late winter had been.

My ground freezes 6-8 feet deep and I average 25 feet of snow per year at my house at 9770 feet. My snow is usually all melted by mid-April.

There's more than anybody (but me) would ever care about mountain weather.

If I was visiting in mid-September, I'd be FLEXIBLE. Book lodging that you can cancel outside of 24 hours. Since mountain weather in the fall is far more predictable compared to other seasons, you can go to the mountains if the forecast looks good and enjoy our "Indian Summer". If the weather up here isn't so good stay down the hill.

Yeah, that's Colorado for you!

Wow - feeling like maybe I shouldn't come out in Sept.... Hum...

Where exactly is the Summit considered to be?

Donna

We're talking about Summit County which is Silverthorne, Frisco, Dillon and Breckenridge mainly. 

Colorado Springs and Boulder are much lower which means if they get a random snow storm at that time of year it will melt fast and only take a day or so of your week.  And it's not all that common just not unheard of.  Really, September is gorgeous here.  Of course, I think every time of year here is gorgeous.  The biggest thing is to have some flexibility in your plans so if you can't go hike one day you can switch it up with say, a brewery or Celestial Seasonings tour.

I really wouldn't be put off, sept is a great time to be here.  Depending on when you are here you may be able to catch the aspens changing color and yeah, there's a chance of snow if you go into the high country, but more than likely if it snows it'll only be near or above tree-line.  If you are staying down in Colo. Springs or Boulder it's not something you need to worry about at all. And like Breckview mentioned, a lot of really great restaurants start doing 2-for-1's in the mountain towns.    

Sept. is also a great time of year to head up to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park.
The fall colors are great that time of year and the elk are out bugling (sp?) in full force.
Estes usually has some fall festivals and they offer open jeep rides in the National Park just to see the elk.
I love the fall here also.
Here in Colorado Springs, it rarely snows in September. The weather is usually really nice.