Front 9 Loop
Photo: Loco Steve, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- 1.1 mi
- distance
- 21 ft
- climb
- 8,032 ft
- high point
- Easy
- difficulty
- Jun–Jul, Sep
- best months
Front 9 Loop is a short, easy cross-country ski route in Colorado, about 2 miles from the town of Granby. The loop is just over a mile long, with a total elevation gain of 21 feet, so it's a gentle outing that works well as a warm-up or a quick addition to a longer day on the snow. The route starts at a low point of about 8,000 feet and reaches a high of about 8,032 feet. The climb is minimal, and the steepest stretch comes early on, with a grade of about 2 percent. The loop also has a small drop of 44 feet, so it's a mostly flat, low-effort ride. Winter is the natural season for this trail. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Grand Lake show January highs around 26°F with lows near 3°F, while July and August run in the mid-70s. The station sits a few hundred feet higher than the loop, so temperatures on the trail may run slightly warmer. Other ski routes close by include Back 9 Expressway and Back 9 Loop, both under a mile away. The Fraser to Granby Trail offers hiking about a mile off, and Sunset Point Campground is roughly 5 miles away for an overnight stay.
Local outfitters
- Redemption Dog Sled Tours6 mi away
- On The Trail Outfitters14 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jun–Jul, Sep
Best time to visit Front 9 Loop
Best months: June–July and September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
26° / 3°
11 wet
Feb
30° / 4°
10 wet
Mar
40° / 13°
9 wet
Apr
48° / 23°
10 wet
May
59° / 31°
11 wet
Jun
70° / 38°
10 wet
Jul
75° / 44°
12 wet
Aug
73° / 43°
13 wet
Sep
67° / 36°
10 wet
Oct
55° / 27°
8 wet
Nov
40° / 18°
8 wet
Dec
28° / 8°
10 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Grand Lake 6 Ssw, CO, 7.8 mi away at 8,288 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more snow worth the drive
Photo: Loco Steve, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Back 9 Expressway
~1 min drive
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SEE
Granby Ranch
~5 min drive
Granby Ranch is a ski area in Colorado with 6 lifts, 39 runs, and 931 ft of vertical.
Photo: Loco Steve, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Back 9 Loop
~1 min drive
0.19-mile loop in Colorado with 5 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Logger'S Loop
~6 min drive
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~10 min drive
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Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Upper Rabbit Run
~6 min drive
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Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Main Street
~6 min drive
1.80-mile cross-country ski trail in Colorado with 296 ft of elevation gain.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
