Cedaredge, Colorado -- With more than 250 lakes and aspen trees that turn the hills from green to gold every autumn, it is easy to see what attracts vacationers to the Grand Mesa in western Colorado. But, for some, the sweetest memory is of the finest fresh-squeezed apple cider that money can buy, produced by the orchards just south of the mesa in the farming community of Cedaredge.

Known as the largest flat-topped mountain in the world, the Grand Mesa (elevation 11,000 ft.) is situated between the Gunnison River to the south and the Colorado River to the north and offers countless opportunities for camping, fishing and hiking in the summer.

Locals are quick to recall fishing trips to favorite lakes where every cast gets a strike, but slow to tell you how to get to their favorite "honey hole."

Ask for directions and the typical response is, "Gosh, I don't know if I can even find that lake again!"

When snow blankets the Western Slope, it's time for skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing and snowmobiling. Cross-country skiers and snowshoers treasure the 250 inches of soft powder that graces Powderhorn Mountain Resort's 31 miles of groomed trails. Far from the glitter of Aspen and Vail, this is one of Colorado's most down-to-earth ski resorts. Powderhorn is famous for its glade skiing -- downhill skiing through trees on a trail through the woods.

Thirty miles south of Powderhorn Mountain Resort, Grand Mesa Scenic and Historic Byway wanders down off the mesa, past sprawling orchards and into Cedaredge, an agricultural community with a population of approximately 2,300 and a reputation for producing fine apples and peaches.

To celebrate the fall harvest and the area's agricultural heritage, Cedaredge Applefest is held on the first full weekend in October, with live music, arts and crafts, a tractor show and a chili cook-off. 

Old-timers still revel in the memory of local fruit growers winning the most prizes at the 1909 National Apple Show.

In 2024, Cedaredge Applefest is slated for October 4-6. They like to say that "Life is Sweeter" at the Applefest. If you've tasted their cider, you know it's the truth.

photos by Allen and Cindy Rich