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WATERSKI Magazineyou search as long as it takes to find excuses to spend five days in Colorado. Look really hard around the awesome mountains. Sniff through the raw national parks. Then head down toward Pueblo, take one of the roads that's so undisturbed you could throw a tailgate party on it, and look over the bluffs that hide the long, narrow reservoir with the same name as the historical town. Park it.
With natural attractions like gorges and snowcapped mountains in the vicinity, tourists don't seem to bother with Lake Pueblo. They either don't know or don't care that one of the best places to catch a look at Pike's Peak is from the back end of a ski boat that's patrolling the north shore.
“There isn't a lot of road traffic out here,” says Dave Jack of North Shore Marina, stating what's already obvious. “There's plenty of boats in the slips, but the lake never seems crowded.”
The surrounding land is state-owned, which means it can stick its tongue out at developers. Aside from the North Shore and South Shore Marinas there's nothing to speak of – except edging through a cove with a view that could be world famous, if the world only knew about it.
First impression: Canyon scrubland with mountain views.
From Denver: Two hours
Be aware of: Deep and cold water. It doesn't get much warmer than 60 degrees.
Best known for: Having mountain protection from nasty weather, creating a banana-belt-type climate.
Miles of shoreline: 60
You should experience: The Royal Gorge (20 minutes away), where you can look straight down from the world's highest suspension bridge (1,053 feet).
You might experience: The busiest time of the summer when the Street Rodders Association Nationals comes to town.
Slalom courses: Check “skiers cove” across from North Shore Marina.
Where you'll sleep: In a room, hopefully. Make sure you're not trying to book one when the bikers fill the hotels.
Local Flavor: Fresh trout or walleye from the lake.
Secret: This is a nesting area for bald eagles and coyotes.
Advice: Save time for a road trip to the mountains.
Directions: From Pueblo, take State Highway 50 or Town Highway 96 west to the lake.
Best contacts: North Shore
Marina (719-547-3880) or the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce (800-233-3446 or www.pueblo. org/chamber).
