Thrilled to be embarking on our 28th summer season sharing what we love, offering you or your group one of a kind private all-inclusive road biking & mountain biking instruction, fitness hiking & Aspen's exclusive canoeing instructional adventure.
June '23 NEWS!
Now offering our one of a kind flatwater canoeing adventure in our nature preserve; an alternative to rafting, kayaking & SUP that's super relaxing & beautiful with no tipping over & swimming in snowmelt; bonus! Water levels for canoeing are peaking so let's take a peek at the surrounding peaks at river peak! There are no rapids, just flatwater on the "Stillwater section" of the Upper Roaring Fork River that offers 1-3 guests that peaceful easy feeling, while immersed in nature. Keep your eyes peeled for deer, elk, moose, beaver, muskrat & the Great Blue Heron living in the highest elevation rookery in the U.S. (approx. 8000 ft.).
Mountain biking season is officially on! With the opening of Sky Mt. Park & drying of most of our favorite singletrack trails, local trails are riding really well, it's green & gorgeous & the wildflowers including Lupine are starting to explode in brilliance! Pre-peak summer & no crowds, it's an amazing time of season to ride. MTB instruction was the inspiration for establishing Sun Dog Athletics "Aspen's Adventure Sports School" in 1996. Pioneering mtb instruction in Aspen, Snowmass & Fruita, CO means we've evolved & honed our teaching skills for almost three decades.
Bottom line: our long time experience directly & positively affects your riding experience. Don't settle for less, like newbie copy cats with a fraction of our local teaching & guiding experience. Riding local over time matters, creating deep local knowledge; the inside scoop. Ride and benefit to the max. with the original Sun Dogs! It's all about maximizing your safety, performance & enjoyment in the quickest safest and most fun way. New skills mean new thrills, without all the pesky spills & hospital bills!
NEW "Cycling Saturdays" 1st Timers/Beginners Clinic Schedule for June '23:
June 10th: "Woody Allen Wrench": Meets at Woody Creek Tavern for a skills ride on Woody Creek Rd.
June 17th: "Buttery Smooth": Meets at Butterline Trail for a skills ride Butterline & lower Airline Trials.
June 24th: "Building the foundation of your Castle." Meets at Aspen Chapel for a skills ride on Castle Creek Rd.
Clinics run 9:30-11:00 AM. Group pricing at 64.00 per rider with a 3 rider min. & 4 rider max. For details & registration, please e-mail Owner/Head Instructor Erik at sundog@sopris.net or call (970) 925-1069. Private instruction also available per request.
Due to tons of snow up high from an historic winter, we're super excited to report we snowshoed with wonderful guests on Memorial Day Weekend on our stunning ridge top route for the 1st time this late in the spring, crushing all previous records! Summer hiking was never this cool. We continue to pioneer very unique and one of a kind adventures that are super safe & a blast! Creative can be really fun, as we're re-creating.
Contact us today to create your one of a kind adventure, promising to be a highlight of your time in Aspen & Snowmass. Scroll down for adventure sports programs & options....
Adventure with the original Sun Dogs not the copy cats. There was no manual on how to teach mountain biking in the mid-90s. We literlly had to write it, as we developed and refined our teaching methodology, saving our guests years of time & effort as compared to "The School of Trial & Error" or "School of Hard Knocks." With a bit of success, we added more long time local athletes & instructors and pioneered NEW exhilirating adventure sports programs, most recently one of a kind adventures like on snow fat biking & flat water canoeing in our nature preserve. Your time is Aspen is precious. Maximize your time, while gaining NEW SKILLS with some of the most experienced cycling & adventure sports instructors in America offering you 100% guest satisfaction & 100% clean safety record.
Please contact Founder, Owner & Head Instructor Erik Skarvan any time for more. He lives & loves to share! 970 925 1069 or sundog@sopris.net
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OPENING HOURS
We're open 8:00-5:00 daily 365.
Your questions are always welcomed!
CONTACT
WE'LL HELP YOU MAXIMIZE YOUR ATHLETIC ADVENTURES & QUALITY TIME IN ASPEN & OPEN THE DOOR TO A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
Quickly, safely & enjoyably GAIN NEW SKILLS & experience NEW THRILLS!
Mountain Biking Instruction in Aspen
As Western Colorado's original mountain biking instructors in 1996, we love to share mountain biking skills; our primary passion and save you years of time & effort as compared to "the school of trial & error" or tips from friends. You will also experience Aspen's most amazing mountain biking trails & Snowmass' sweetest singletracks.
You will not only experience the best of Aspen mountain biking trails for your ability; you'll immediately improve your abilities for bike handling, climbing and descending. As pioneers in western Colorado, we developed mountain biking instruction and have dialed in our teaching process over 25 years of teaching and guiding. None of our "competition," including those who focus on higher risk downhill mountain biking, even come close to our teaching and guiding experience. You benefit by maximizing your time, efforts and investment progressing quickly & safely. New skills mean new thrills...& less spills! Why just take an Aspen mountain biking tour, when you can be guided and significantly improve your riding with a highly passionate & experienced mountain biking instructor?
Road Biking Instruction in Aspen
Gain new skills to become a road warrior!
You may be able to survive the ride, but why not thrive? We'll show you our favorite (& somewhat secret) Aspen & Snowmass road bike rides and techniques to immediately improve your safety, performance & enjoyment. New road biking skills focus on efficiency with body position & pedal stroke, climbing, descending, cornering & drafting. This is Aspen road biking adventure at its best!
Aspen Fitness Hiking
You and your family will experience the most amazing Aspen hiking trails and get a great workout at your own pace.
Why get an experienced instructor for hiking? We'll help you or your private group maximize the experience in terms of the most beautiful and appropriate location, offer you new skills and state of the art gear, including trekking poles, which add significant stability, propulsion & additional calorie burn. You'll see more stunning views, get a better workout and learn much more about hiking, the local flora, fauna and rich history than if you go on your own.
FAT BIKING in Aspen
Experience the best of Aspen fat biking and release your inner child!
Fat biking is not only the fastest growing part of cycling; it's the hottest new sport on snow because it's LOL fun. As Colorado's original FAT BIKING OUTFITTERS, we'll take care of all the details, from the finest and fattest bikes, to the most gorgeous Aspen & Snowmass fat biking locations and key fat biking instruction to maximize the experience. Join us and get fat; the healthy kind!
Snowshoeing in Aspen & Snowmass
Feel the float at your own pace & put a smile on your face
Since snowshoeing has been our primary passion for almost 40 years, your fully customized private adventure will be the most amazing outdoor experience of your time in Aspen. We offer you incredibly beautiful locations, state of the art instruction and Colorado made snowshoes, including the world's first EVA foam snowshoes from our partner Crescent Moon Snowshoes in Boulder, CO. Are you ready to rock the snowshoe revolution with Eva? Once you feel the foam; light, cushioned with rocker, it's the only way you'll roam! We also offer you all the latest accessories, like adjustable snowshoeing poles & gators & boxed Flow Spring Water & Honey Stinger Organic Waffles to keep you well hydrated & powered up! Gear matters and so does passion and experience. Our long time experience will directly & positively affect your adventure experience.
Flatwater Canoeing
Peaceful paddling through the North Star Nature Preserve
This is a truly one of a kind Aspen canoeing adventure. Learn a few basic paddle strokes or simply kick back for the most beautiful, peaceful escape on the magical meandering waters of the upper Roaring Fork River through our wonderful nature preserve. There may not be wild rapids, but there's plenty of wildlife to enjoy. Outrigger floats, like training wheels for a boat, ensure no sudden swimming adventure in the frigid snow-melt. This customized half day excursion is limited to one or two guests in "Winnie," our super stable & safe 17 foot Wenonah special edition Lewis & Clark canoe.
Our love of canoeing goes back over 50 years, to the days of growing up in Wisconsin. That love & experience translates directly to your one of a kind Aspen canoeing adventure.
Athletic Event Announcing
Professional Announcing and MC Services
Sun Dog Athletics Owner Erik Skarvan has become "The Voice" of Roaring Fork Valley events for over 25 years announcing local and national level endurance sports events, including road & mountain bike races, running races, triathlons, ski mountaineering & ultra races including most recently the popular Grand Traverse and Power of Four races. He's been a live sports announcer at X Games, NORBA National Finals & the Blue Ribbon Alpine Challenge women's pro bike races (seen here). He's acted as an enthusiastic Master of Ceremonies at local fundraisers, live & silent auctions.
Erik brings his 35 year background as a multi-sport endurance racer, high energy, unique humor and local knowledge which informs & entertains the competitors & race fans like no one else. His motto "the next best thing to racing is talking about racing" reveals his love of event announcing. Erik Skarvan offers your event unparalleled racer insight, energy, passion, dependability and professionalism.
Please contact us today @ (970) 925-1069 message us via the form above or e-mail sundog@sopris.net for further details, rates, reservations or just to talk shop. We love to share our passion for adventure sports!