Tour De Fat

The Skinny:

This past weekend was an event so crazy and colorful that it seemed to be torn from the pages of Alice in Wonderland; but alas, this event was no mind trip through the inner corriders of the human psyche. No, this wonderful freakshow was the one and only Tour De Fat. Coming from the creative minds of the great people at New Belgium Brewery, the Tour De Fat is a fundraising tour that spans eleven cities and works to promote sustainable living and alternative transportation through one of man's most simple and elegant machines - the bicycle. Last year's tour de fat managed to raise over $25000 in charitable funds and this years tour de fat will surely mask last year's record. In fact, this years Tour de Fat will go down in the Guiness Book of World Records as the most amount of people in a single bike parade with over 4,000 crazy Fort Collins locals representin bicycle awareness the way only Fort Collins can.

That's What's Up:

Starting at 11 am, the tour begins with a bike parade out of old town to the oval in the center of campus. Here, everyone meets up for a while to check out all the cool costumes and ... well ...of course..... dance! One of my favorite parts of the parade was the dance party that broke out in the middle of the oval where American Gladiaters and Ninja Turtles alike gathered together in a frooition of joy as the Tour de Fat kicked off a great day of fun and fun-d raising. After the mid-oval gayla, the event moved on over to the fort collins brewery where admission was free and the entertainment was ample. Featured entertainment included the Asylum Street Spankers, the March Forth Marching Band, Circus Contraption and the highly acclaimed and soulful Everyone Loves a Working Man. In addition to the on stage performances, there was also a Bike Trade where a car was traded for a brand new custom bike and the car was in turn auctioned off for charity. Many of the proceeds for the Tour de Fat went to the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Association, as well as the Diamond Peaks Bike Patrol and the Bike Fort Collins organization. Of course, no New Belgium event could be mentioned without a quick highlite of the mm.. mmm. tasty beer that was on hand and plentiful for any patrons who were over 21 at the festival; although, this was by no means the focus, more of an added bonus if you will.

Its too late now to check out this year's Tour De Fat, but with Fort Collins being the heart of New Belgium, it will certaintly be just as big and just as great next year. So start planning your costume now, start saving all those knick-knacks you never knew what to do with (perfect bike decorations) and get ready to support sustainable living, cause next year's Tour will be everybit as great and as crazy as this years, and as always Have Fun!

Frisbee Golf at Edora Park

The Skinny:

Just off of Prospect Rd. and Riverside Ave. is Fort Collins' Edora Park. This cornicopia of activities has everything from tennis courts, baseball fields and horseshoe pits to a full concrete skatepark with an empty swimming pool as well as ice-skating, a real swimming pool, and the very feature of this entry - Frisbee Golf! The full 18 hole frisbee golf course at Edora Park gives any avid frolfer plenty of places to hone their skills while also creating a great enviroment for beginners to come out and try a new sport.

That's What's Up:

Every hole at Edora Park is marked with a wooden post and a concrete slab from which to throw your disc(pictured above). On some, though not all wooden posts, is a map which will have several different distances where the target is located. This gives you an idea where to look for the target since the park staff at Edora switches around the targets somewhat frequently and it also keeps the course fresh so you can do something different everytime you go. The distance to the target on each hole varies anywhere from under 100 feet to as much as 400 feet on some of the longest ones. There are no pars marked on any holes, so just do your best and try to beat that score from then on. You can get Frisbee Golf discs at most outdoor sporting goods store in Fort Collins like REI or the Wright Life. They range in price from as little as $3 for a used disc at the Wright Life to $25 for a new disc. If you wanna be the next Tiger Woods of Frisbee Golf, you can also get all different types of discs like putters, drivers and mid-range discs to help improve your game.

Directions:

To get there, head South from campus and turn onto Prospect Rd. heading East. Go about a mile and a half until you come to a light at Riverside Ave. Turn right and take your second right into the parking lot off of Riverside. The first hole is going to be in the field by the building on the right side of the parking lot. You can get directions for the course at the Edora Park website at http://fcgov.com/parks/disc-golf-map.php

Make sure when playing that you are courteous and respectful to the frolfers ahead of you. Play fair and as always Have Fun!

Cliff Jumping at Lory State Park

So this first spot is an easy one to get to. Located among the many inlets at Lory State Park are a couple of different cliff spots which are among some of the few that can be jumped at nearly any time of the season because the water is plenty deep. The cliffs range in size from approximately 15 feet to around 25 feet for the highest one. The smaller cliffs which are around 15 and 20 feet (pictured above) are in the second inlet you come across when entering Lory State Park. You have to walk around the left side of the inlet to find them and are best accessed by diving in and swimming to the right side of the cliffs where a smooth natural series of handholds have been corroded away in the existing rock face. The larger 25 - 30 foot cliff is located in the first inlet you see on your left after entering Lory State Park. This cliff is also on the left side and is very easy to see. The drop looks a little hairy at first because of a rock hanging out just below the main take off, but I can assure that unless you fall straight down there is almost no chance of hitting the rock once so ever. The best way to get out for this cliff is also on the right side; although, the climb up is a bit tougher than the previous so some sturdy shoes that you don't mind getting wet would be suggested. They also protect your feet from stinging when you hit the water, especially when its colder. IMPORTANT NOTE: You must get a parking pass at the main building or YOU WILL get a $25 ticket for parking illegally at Lory State Park. They do check and they check often so I do not suggest trying to risk it. Also keep an eye out for park rangers because cliff jumping is illegal in the park but most rangers turn a blind eye. To get to Lory State Park. simply head west towards the mountains to Overland Trail. Go to the football stadium and turn onto road 42c just before the drive-in. Drive up the hill and along the right side of the resevoir all the way to the end of the resevoir. Go past the boat dock and continue until you hit your next left which will be just after a small pond located next to the road. Go straight on this road until you come upon a dirt road. This leads directly into Lory State Park and the inlets will be on your left as you drive along. Be safe and most of all, HAVE FUN!