'26 Yeti Gathering Colorado

The annual Yeti Gathering in Colorado is the weekend the whole company looks forward to. It's a chance for everyone to get out of the office and ride bikes, eat, drink, party, and hang out with fellow Yeti freaks.  

This year's Gathering was held at A-Basin Ski Resort, right up the road from our HQ in Golden, CO. Three days of showing our customers a little slice of our backyard, and oh boy did this year's Gathering deliver. 

Thursday: Pre-Gathering 

To celebrate Colorado Gathering being so close to Yeti HQ, we hosted a mini event at the offices to kick off the weekend. Freaks had the chance to join us for a factory lunch ride and BBQ on Thursday leading into the event. The lunch ride is cherished at Yeti – a daily ritual where, no matter the day, we ride as a company. Heck, we even have built kits named after it.  

As people arrived and split into small groups led by employees, our customers got a glimpse into this staple of company culture. After some party laps at Apex Park, riders rolled back to the office for a BBQ in the parking lot, chatted bikes, and shared the stoke for the weekend to come. Not a bad way to spend a Thursday afternoon. 

As the grills ticked themselves cool and the coolers emptied, Yeti Freaks and employees alike loaded up their rigs and hit the road, escaping the heat of Golden and headed up into the Colorado high country for a weekend of fun. 

Friday: Day 1 

Friday at our Colorado Gathering is always a treat. With every rig that rolls into the venue, you are greeted by longtime friends and newcomers alike. People you might only talk with on the internet or have a chance to see once a year at this event. Rigs get parked, everyone sets up camp, and before you know it, it's time to gear up and start riding.  

This year, the weather on Friday decided to throw a bit of a curveball. With rain rolling in throughout the late morning and midday, we decided to move the ride back just a bit, in the hope that the weather would break.  

This was a ride where everyone looked up at the sky as they geared up, checking their preferred weather app to see what was going to happen. Riders prepared for a wet one, and some even had flashbacks to the wet rides of our Oregon Gathering earlier this year. We rolled under the highway and started climbing up A-Basin's singletrack. 

With cloud cover overhead as we pedaled, we chatted and caught up while we made our way to the tree line. Our ride carried us 1,900 ft up to the top at 12,500 ft above sea level. As our group emerged from the trees, the weather lifted, and we were greeted by amazing, sunny views of the Colorado high country. At the top, everyone had their phones and cameras out, taking selfies and group shots as we prepared to drop in. Hoots and hollers were heard echoing in the trees as fellow Freaks descended Beaver’s Loop back to the main venue. 

I don't want to say Gathering is all about the rides; it’s a huge part of the event, but there is plenty to do off the bike as well. On Friday, the Gathering Apparel store opened. If you know, you know – it's a chance for Freaks to score some one-off apparel and kit, or items in colors that didn't make it to production. It's always a busy place brimming with great energy.  

As the evening rolled around, everyone gathered for dinner and toasts, with food for the weekend provided by Moab Private Chef. After dinner, DT Swiss kicked off their hub challenge – a head-to-head race to assemble a DT star ratchet hub against your competitor. This challenge is always a crowd favorite, with the fastest-handed person going home with a set of custom-built DT Swiss Carbon wheels.  

With a winner crowned, we switched gears. We at Yeti had big news: the all-new LT was launched on Tuesday, just a few days prior. Members of our Engineering, Product, and Marketing teams gave our attendees a deep dive into the new bike, shedding light into the development process, offering a Q&A session, and having some of the early test bikes on display for riders to check out.  

Saturday: Day 2 

Saturday morning kicked off with hot coffee and breakfast before shifting gears to catch shuttles down to Keystone Bike Park for a day of park laps. Riding the chair throughout the day, it was awesome to see groups of Yeti riders shredding together. Ride the chair, rip bike park laps, high five, repeat. Nobody was left looking for a riding buddy, as you didn't have to look far to find another friend on a Yeti. Yeti Ambassadors assembled Freaks for group laps, with ear-to-ear smiles on everyone they met. If you have never been to a bike park, you should. With a range of trails for every skill level, it's a great place to improve your skills and have a ridiculous amount of fun in the process. As the laps wound down and the chairs stopped spinning, it was time to shuttle back up to A-Basin and kick off the evening celebrations.  

If you've ever attended a Colorado Gathering, there is a good chance you have heard of a Hoog-a-rita – a special concoction with a closely guarded recipe, best paired with tired legs and big smiles. The Hoog-a-rita is a staple of the event and one that, at least for me, is worth waiting in line to get your hands on.  

After dinner, a few more toasts to everyone at the event rang out across the dinner tables. Riders then grabbed their bikes and headed over to begin the night's entertainment. Games like footdown, bike limbo, bike toss, and the famous mini bike races went down as the sun slipped behind the peaks. From kids to adults, everyone has the opportunity to don a helmet and race for bragging rights and good times.  

As the light began to fade, guests headed back to the venue, and everyone faced a decision – call it a night after a big day on the bike, or rally and see what other activities are happening. The people who know searched out the big Yeti-man with chopsticks for bites of sushi from Gathering legend ‘Sushi Danny’. Or, as the night continued, might have ventured to a glowing yellow tent off above the event, with Yeti Ambassador Justin Reiter greeting everyone at the entrance. Either way, Saturday night is always a good time for all.  

Sunday: Day 3 

The bittersweet Sunday morning of Gathering. Hot breakfast and good coffee was served as we all gather up to say our goodbyes. With new friends made and promises of seeing each other the next year, we all pack up and head out. Some riders, still seeking a few more laps, headed out for some more rides. And by midday, the once-busy parking lot that hosted us was cleared out and empty, as if nothing ever happened. Another successful Gathering in the books.  

We'd like to give a huge thanks to all of our partners who come together and make this event what it is: 

H+I Adventures
Moab Private Chef 
FOX
DT Swiss
Schwalbe Tires
VNTRbirds
Train to Ride
A-Basin Ski Resort
Keystone Resort
Summit Cycle Solutions

Thank you. We couldn’t do it without you.