If freeze-dried fare doesn't jive with your idea of post-hiking victuals, you may want to hit Beaver Creek/Vail this summer. Executive chef Bill Greenwood, of acclaimed on-mountain restaurant Beano's Cabin, is hosting a series of al fresco Garden Dinners every Sunday from July 20 through mid-September. Utilizing ingredients he forages, as well as harvests from the historic property's high-altitude garden, Greenwood prepares elegant, eight-course meals (for $150, with wine or whiskey pairing, no less) in a stunning setting.
Reservations required; you can reach Beano's via shuttle, horseback, or tractor-pulled wagon. Transportation is included in dinner bookings; Beano's summer season starts June 6th, but the reservations office is now open.
If you prefer to do a bit more work to earn your caloric reward, the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse, just outside Ski Cooper and Leadville, is located near some of the best hiking in the region. Book a bed at the adjacent hut, and make an overnight of it; it's a one-mile hike to the Cookhouse from the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center. The Cookhouse opens for the season in late June.
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