2:20 pm, Mar 29, 2013
“Vail” and “cheap” don’t often appear in the same sentence, but the Cascade Resort and Spa is rolling out spring specials that make a Vail getaway genuinely affordable.Rates start at $89, and are valid now through the end of May. The catch? Some blackout dates apply, and you’ve got to book this week (online or at 1-800-282-4183, using promotion...
MORE
4:55 pm, Mar 27, 2013
Why we love it: Amazing powder. Backcountry peacefulness. The challenge. The camaraderie. The cold beer. The nachos. The tradition.When to go: Shoot for February or March after a big snowfall and when there’s a considerable base. Avoid early and late season. Without the proper coverage, the trail could be a nightmare of exposed rock,...
MORE
10:00 am, Mar 27, 2013
What if just 15 minutes of your time could help scientists study wildlife, the ocean floor, or climate change? Well you're in luck, because citizen science projects harness the power of everyday folks to collect data for researchers who are trying to understand the natural world. And since Coloradans are known for being an outdoorsy bunch, we are...
MORE
3:59 pm, Mar 26, 2013
I was intimidated. OK, I was frightened as I walked into Woodward at Copper’s 19,400-foot “Barn” facility. The indoor ski and snowboard training facility’s trampolines, foam pits, and a 60-foot-tall sheer ski run (it looked like a vertical drop from below) were enough to scare this 36-year-old skier: I’d never jumped on skis. “It’s actually only...
MORE
9:22 am, Mar 26, 2013
Why we love it: Like yoga, slacklining helps balance, muscle rehabilitation, spiritual recovery, stress, and posture. When to go: Whenever you find yourself between two anchor points. ***I was walking Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro last spring, when I saw three cariocas had strung a flat rope between two palm trees and were trying...
MORE
11:29 am, Mar 25, 2013
Last Wednesday marked the first day of spring. Which, of course, meant that Denver got a massive snowstorm over the weekend. But March—which is typically our state's snowiest month—is almost over, so resorts are preparing for the end of ski season and gearing up for warm-weather activities. Catch one of these events to ride the season out right.—...
MORE
9:00 am, Mar 21, 2013
It's that time of year: Not quite spring, but enough warm days are peppered between intermittent snow storms to make a gal daydream of summer. Next week, spring break will have tourists flocking to Colorado to get in the last of their winter ski runs, but locals can start making the transition to warmer weather activities now.Saturday marked...
MORE
9:00 am, Mar 19, 2013
Why we love it: It is a history lesson and a get-out-of-the-house opportunity in one. When to go: Go during mud season when much of the High Country is just too soaked for solid hiking. This trek is more likely to have dried up early in the season. (Throw your Yaktraxs in your CamelBak backpack, just in case.) ***You can’t blame a fellow...
MORE
5:50 pm, Mar 13, 2013
Ever wonder what goes on inside an eagle nest? Well, now you can see for yourself. Two bald eagles are nesting at Xcel Energy’s St. Vrain station in Platteville, and the company set up a nest cam to let viewers watch the birds incubate eggs and raise their chicks.Eagles have nested at the massive 6 foot-wide and 5 foot-deep nest for several years...
MORE
3:30 pm, Mar 13, 2013
Good news, hikers and bikers: The Colorado Trail is about to get even more epic. As is, the 486-mile recreational paradise stretches from Denver to Durango (at elevations up to 13,271 feet) through the peaks, valleys, and stunning mountain passes of six wilderness areas and eight mountain ranges. It shares 234 miles with the Continental Divide...
MORE
2:00 pm, Mar 11, 2013
Colorado has plenty of luxury lodging, but we've also got some outside-the-box accommodations. Next time you're up for an adventure, try staying in one of these unusual properties. Sleep in an old caboose or covered wagon: A bright red train caboose (pictured) is the most popular lodging option at Strawberry Park Hot Springs (near...
MORE
10:45 am, Mar 11, 2013
Last month, we wrote about adventurers who kayaked the entire length of the Colorado River, from Wyoming to the Sea of Cortez and Mexico, for Colorado College’s State of the Rockies Project. The team was hired a second time to pursue a more research-intensive kayaking mission that would raise awareness of the precarious state of the river. You can...
MORE
12:58 pm, Mar 8, 2013
Most places have funerals and proper burials for their deceased, but Nederland's Frozen Dead Guy Days celebrates a more untraditional method of preserving one's body. Bredo Morstoel, the “Frozen Dead Guy”, was an outdoorsman who spent his life in the freezing hills near Oslo, Norway. When he died in 1989, he was packed in dry ice and...
MORE
3:00 pm, Mar 6, 2013
It's not often that you reach the top of a climb amid one of Colorado's spectacular national parks, stare out upon a beautiful vista, and hear the cha-ching of money. In fact, for many, roaming the Centennial State's exquisite parks is a form of escapism—a way to forget about such things as dollars and cents. And yet, in addition to...
MORE
10:02 am, Mar 4, 2013
If you’ve ever stayed at the Sonnenalp in Vail, then we can safely assume two things about you: You have exquisite taste, and you’re over 55 years old. This Bavarian-themed hotel and spa is a gem in so many ways. From the minute you walk though its doors, the service-oriented staff makes you feel fantastic. It’s family-run, which gives it a warmer...
MORE
