2:22 pm, Nov 27, 2012
The Christmas tree that lights up Washington, D.C., can’t be just any Charlie Brown tangle of sparse needles and frail limbs. Every year since 1964, a commanding tree has lit up the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol. This year, it’s Colorado’s turn to send one of its prized Engelmann spruces east to be the People’s Tree. A team from White River...
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1:24 pm, Nov 27, 2012
Crescent Moon, a Boulder-based snowshoe company founded by Jake Thamm and his wife, Tamara Laug, got its start on a Vail bar napkin. Fifteen years ago, over drinks, Laug sketched their design for a unique snowshoe binding that wraps your foot from every direction; since then, the company has grown 10 to 15 percent each year. These days, Crescent...
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1:20 pm, Nov 27, 2012
As anyone who’s shopped for jeans knows, a perfect fit is hard to find. And as it is with denim, that fit can be highly elusive with skis. Big brands cater to the “everyman” skier; if your size or style strays too far from their version of the norm, you get sloppy-fitting equipment—like jeans that flatter your butt but sag at the belly. Even worse...
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1:10 pm, Nov 27, 2012
When did you fall in love with weather? Most meteorologists get bit by the weather bug before age 12. I first skied in Pennsylvania when I was four years old, and I fell in love with snow. By the time I was in elementary school I knew I liked two things: skiing and weather. How do you predict winter storms? The process of forecasting snow in...
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1:03 pm, Nov 27, 2012
One of the oldest ski shops west of the Mississippi is tucked in an unexpected location: a nondescript Centennial strip plaza. Founded in 1939 by Frank Bulkley II, who died this past spring, Eskimo Ski & Board Shop has an ambience that suggests a longtime love affair with skiing. One wall is lined with decades-old straight skis, and the tuning...
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12:54 pm, Nov 27, 2012
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4:19 pm, Oct 24, 2012
Allegría Spa • Beaver CreekGo here for: A decadent nature-inspired sanctuary. The Park Hyatt in Beaver Creek underwent a $20 million renovation in 2006, which included doubling the spa’s size to a two-story, 30,000-square-foot haven of tranquility made for an après-ski visit. The 23 treatment rooms include three couples’ suites, and the open...
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3:18 pm, Oct 24, 2012
Few places on Earth can match Colorado’s selection of rigorous climbs, verdant hiking trails, roaring white-water rapids, and majestic ski runs. They are the lifeblood of our economy, the primary motivator of our physical healthiness, and the inspiration for the local and regional pride that make our state one of the most desirable places to live...
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2:39 pm, Oct 24, 2012
Kessler Canyon • Near De Beque, Colorado / $$$ (For the Outdoorsman) Just 45 minutes east of Grand Junction, hidden within the yawning canyons of Colorado’s Western Slope, lies one of the state’s best-kept secrets. An outdoorsman’s paradise, the Kessler Canyon ranch spans 23,000 acres of rugged terrain that supports adventures in fly-fishing...
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4:20 pm, Oct 22, 2012
The first snow in Colorado’s high peaks arrived mid-September, an annual sighting that prompted skiers and riders to dust off their gear and look toward the slopes in giddy anticipation. This came just weeks after Aspen/Snowmass, Alta, Jackson Hole, and Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows announced an unprecedented deal: the Mountain Collective , a...
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4:16 pm, Oct 22, 2012
It’s a colorado conundrum: By the time winter flurries put you in the mood for a hut trip, few spots remain in popular backcountry systems such as the 10th Mountain Division and Braun huts, which can book a year in advance. Now, a new option gives hut-trippers hope for a last-minute adventure: Vagabond Ranch Huts, located north of Granby, combine...
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3:15 pm, Oct 22, 2012
Denver Trolley Co. is bringing back the old-fashioned trolley ride—with a modern twist. Owner David Pike noticed that despite the city’s inclination for offbeat transportation like pedicabs and horse-and-carriage rides, Denver lacked the historic transit archetype that other cities celebrate: a trolley system. So as of September, in lieu of a...
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3:08 pm, Oct 22, 2012
With ski season nearly here, we’re resigned to spending more time on I-70 while chasing snowstorms in the Rocky Mountains. Inevitably, when we pass the emergency ramps along the sides of the highway, we wonder: Do trucks actually use those? The answer is yes—hundreds of times a season. In fact, the Lower Straight Creek ramp (westbound side of I-70...
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2:53 pm, Oct 22, 2012
Watch » Steamboat Springs’ Howelsen Hill Ski Area is famous for its Fourth of July ski jumping—that’s right, smack in the middle of summer. This year, the resort adds a little more high-flying fun with a $1.75 million improvement to its ski jump, which will serve as a training ground for competitive athletes in winter and summer. steamboatsprings....
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2:47 pm, Oct 22, 2012
In the planet’s harshest Arctic environs thousands of miles from his home in Boulder, National Geographic photographer James Balog and his team braved subzero temperatures, 100 mph winds, and unproven equipment to document one of the biggest issues of our time: climate change. Using automated time-lapse cameras specifically built to withstand...
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