One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to hike. What makes it better is hiking with my yellow labrador retrievers (who don’t retrieve under any circumstance, FYI).
My partner and I spend a lot of time in the Vail Valley in the summer and we have discovered some pretty great hikes. This summer I’ve had the opportunity to do a couple amazing hikes: Hanging Lake and Booth Falls, both in the vicinity of Vail, Colorado.
Another favorite hike of mine is the Beaver Creek Village to Bachelor Gulch Village trail, also called the Village-to-Village Trail. The Village-to-Village Trail is an easy-to-intermediate hike that is just over three and a half miles in length. One thing that makes this trail so appealing is that it starts right in Beaver Creek Village and ends at The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, where one of my most favorite cocktails is served at Spago–the Pear Martini.
The trail extends up from Beaver Creek Village along Elk Track Road to the Beaver Lake trailhead. If you do this trail more than once, start off on the Five Senses Trail, which meanders through the woods on the left-side of the road).
Casey usually leads the way.
Once you get to the water tank, keep hiking. If you brought your fur babies, you’ll soon be at a spot where you can access the running stream. I recommend letting your little ones get in to cool off before you continue on:
Casey (left) and Cayman (right) waste no time getting wet!
You know you are one the right path when you come to the sign for the Village-to-Village trail:
Reassurance that you went the right way!
Once you see this sign, you’ll take a quick right and cross a bridge. From there, the foilage-lined trail to Bachelor Gulch Village is well-defined and you can’t get lost.
View from the Village-to-Village Trail
If you hike in July, you’ll encounter wildflowers. If you hike in August, you’ll come across tons of berries. If you hike in September, you’ll see the aspens beginning to turn from green to yellow.
View from the Village-to-Village Trail
When the forest opens, you’ll be right underneath the Strawberry Park chairlift and a sweeping view of Beaver Creek Village.
View from the Village-to-Village Trail
The Village-to-Village Trail is a really pretty trail. You’ll find yourself trekking through tree-covered trail, open meadows, and aspen glades. Of course, ending at The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch for some adult beverages doesn’t hurt either.
Hiking with my girls!
Have you hiked the Village to Village Trail? What did you think of it?
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