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As another year comes to a close, we’re reflecting on the journalism that captivated our readers in 2017. Here, a collection of our most-read long-form pieces—from intriguing topics to heart-wrenching stories and everything in between.
Lost and Found
Robert Sanchez | November 2017
Several long-serving members of NecroSearch, the world’s preeminent group for locating and retrieving missing bodies, are nearing retirement age. What will happen to the Colorado-based volunteer organization once they’re gone?
Give One Year of 5280 for just $16.
New School
Kasey Cordell | September 2017
Colorado is launching a first-in-the-country apprenticeship program that’s designed to let students earn it all: a diploma, a degree, and a middle-class wage. The best part? It’s free.
Rob Katz Is the Most Powerful Man in the Ski Industry
Rachel Walker | January 2017
Since becoming the CEO of Vail Resorts in 2006, Katz has led the company in the acquisition of nine properties, discounted the cost of season passes, and persuaded his customers to market the brand. What does he have planned next?
Can I-70’s Mountain Corridor Ever Be Fixed?
Michael Behar | March 2017
With CDOT’s dreadfully inadequate coffers and Colorado’s soaring population, our state’s most critical east-to-west highway is on a serious collision course.
Leadville Transforms Itself (Again)
Robert Sanchez | July 2017
Change has come to the historic mining city of Leadville in a big way. And for the Latino residents who call the highest-elevation city in the United States home, that means facing new challenges—and new fears.
One Man’s Tragic Journey Through the Colorado Legal System
Lindsey B. Koehler | October 2017
In 2012, Tom Fallis watched his wife die by suicide. More than four years later, he stood trial for a murder that never was. This is how it happened.
Is Colorado’s Rafting Industry Guilty of Misogyny?
Jayme Moye | June 2017
Last year, the federal government released a report about rampant sexual harassment and gender discrimination in Grand Canyon National Park’s white-water rafting district. The account sparked a nationwide outcry, suggesting the issues weren’t limited to Arizona. Could the Centennial State’s rafting industry be perpetuating the problem?
“Sometimes You Have to Build a Wall Around Your Heart”
Robert Sanchez | April 2017
In Colorado, those lost—and those affected—by the state’s heroin crisis are hiding in plain sight.
The First-Ever Attempt to Paraglide the Length of Colorado’s Rockies
Michael Behar | December 2017
A Carbondale-based paraglider attempts to soar the length of Colorado’s Rockies—capricious alpine weather be damned.
Breach of Honor
Kasey Cordell | August 2017
Veterans who leave the military with other-than-honorable discharges often are denied health care and other Veterans Affairs benefits. Yet many suffer from conditions—such as post-traumatic stress disorder—that could have contributed to the behaviors that got them kicked out in the first place. The University of Denver’s Veterans Advocacy Project wants to help.
