Whereas many of the Fraser Valley trails represent quintessential Colorado cross-country excursions, Phases appeals to the fire-road-to-freeride enduro enthusiast. Less than ten miles north of Winter Park, the Phases network represents another success story of rogue-to-rehabbed trails. The backside trails, such as Phrooty Pebbles and Salad Bowl West, weave into west-facing aspen slopes. Meanwhile, on the front side, Ridge Runner intersperses a handful of traverses with steep chutes and slabs before finishing off with a fast, flowing series of rollers at the bottom. Thanks to their south-facing orientation and decomposed granite surface, many of the lower trails at Phases are rideable as late as December.
-Aaron Theisen
